Victoria Slagle- Blog Post 6

1. X: The scene of Rue's Death uses various cinematographic techniques to emphasize the importance of ambiguity within dystopia, because without it, there would be no dystopia to begin with.

Detail 1: The camera has two main angles throughout the scene that create an atmosphere of confusion and conflicting emotions. First, when the angle is very close to Katniss and Rue's faces, the audience can feel a sense of closeness and bonding that has developed between the two characters. Contrastingly, when the camera is mid-ranged distance, the audience is presented with various moments where Katniss is emotionally disturbed such as when she kills the other tribute that killed Rue or when she throws her spear in anger.

Detail 2: The final camera angle, shot from a bird's eye view, in the scene provides a sense of resolve for Katniss. In this shot it seems as if she has decided for herself that it is not her fault that Rue died; it's the Capitol's. She stands with a tall and determined posture as she sends a very public display of respect for the dead, common among the people, rather than disregarding the fact that Rue is dead like the Capitol would want. It is only after she breaks through her confusion that she can see who the real enemy is and plot to overthrow them.

2. Y: The idea of ambiguity within dystopia is addressed in Thomas Moylan’s “Preface” to Scraps of Untainted Sky, where he claims that the critical aspect of dystopian literature is “taken up by authors who look beyond technology and the authoritarian state" and focus on the root of the problem that caused the "diminishing the complexity and potential of all humanity" and the entire dystopia in the first place (Moylan, xii). The source of the problems in a dystopia layers other problems on top of other problems, so as to cover its tracks, while the rest of humanity is left trying to figure out how to solve these problems rather than looking to the root of all of them. That is why imbrication and ambiguity are key elements in dystopia because they are typically caused by the source of the destruction dystopias center on; so, without confusion and ambiguity, there is no dystopia.

Detail: In this scene, Katniss is overcome by a wave of various emotions causing confusion and pain and hurt. It is only when she realizes the root of all of her problems that she is able to think clearly and plan a way to defeat the source. It is only after we see the real problem causing all the other problems that we can eliminate it and therefore eliminate the dystopia.

3. Through analysis of The Hunger Games, brought to focus by Thomas Moylan and Douglas William’s articles, it can be said that ambiguity is a key element within dystopia, created by establishing confusion and conflict within characters and by layering various techniques and ideas, that can only be eliminated when the source of the dystopia is realized and overcome.