This document compares and contrasts the science fiction films The Hunger Games and Divergent. Both films are set in dystopian futures and feature teenage female protagonists, but they differ in their storylines, character motivations, settings, and themes. Katniss in The Hunger Games is motivated by survival and fighting oppression, while Tris in Divergent struggles with conformity. The Hunger Games is set in a divided North America where children compete to the death, while Divergent is set in a post-war Chicago divided into factions.

1. SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING AND DESIGN
THE DESIGN SCHOOL
FOUNDATION IN NATURAL BUILD ENVIRONMENT
NAME: RACHAEL CHEONG KAH YEN
STUDENT ID NO: 0319926
FILMS SELECTED: HUNGER GAMES AND DIVERGENT
WORD COUNT: 895
ENGLISH 2 (ELG 30605)
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT 1: COMPARE – CONTRAST ESSAY
LECTURER: CASSANDRA WIJESURIA
SUBMISSION DATE: APRIL 3RD, 2015

2. Hunger Games vs. Divergent
Science fiction is a genre of a real life science technology and the imaginary
world of make-believe. Science fiction filmwasn’t that popular back in the 1920’s.
But there is no doubt that it is now perhaps the most versatile genres in films for the
21st century. I’m a movie fanatic and I enjoy science fiction movies a lot. By watching
science fiction movie, it brings me a spine-tingling excitement till I actually find time
for some outdoor escapade. Hunger Games and Divergent are both a part of science
fiction as the film set in the future and has new invention and usage or words. If u
haven’t see the filmand you might watch Divergent trailer and think- “wait,
teenagers training with dangerous weapons with and villainous leader trying to keep
under control? I thought the new Hunger Games just released.” We understand that
they both have similarities but in fact, I find these two movies are interesting as they
also have differences base on storylines, the character’s motivation, settings and
their themes.
First of all the storyline for Hunger Games take place in a dystopian society
that simply means an imaginary futuristic place that is as dehumanizing and as
insufferable as possible. The nation of Panem is divided into 12 District and the
Capitol. Two young representatives from each district will be chosen by randomly to
join in the Hunger Games each year. The Hunger Games is a part of the Capitol’s
entertainment, it is a televised games that will air throughout Panem. The 24
participants are forced to fight against their competitors to achieve their own victory
in order to survive. When Katniss’s young sister prim got selected as Dictrict 12’s
female representative, Katniss volunteers to replace her sister. As for Divergent, the
story also begins with a futuristic dystopia where society is divided into five factions
which divides the citizen through the aptitude tests: abnegation (for the selfless),
amity (the peaceful), candor (the honest), dauntless (the brave), and erudite (the
intelligent). Tris has a secret that she is a Divergent, which mean that she have the
traits of more than one faction. She has to keep it secret after knowing a secret
government program which wanted to eradicate divergent completely.

3. It is breathtaking that both adventure thrillers in young adult genre is lead by
kickass girls. However, they both have very different motivations. Katniss from the
Hunger Games is motivated by survival instinct. Katniss volunteer her little beloved
sister Prim in a game of survival. She has to find a way to survive by winning the
game through eliminating all the other tributes, leaving herself as the only victor.
Unlike Divergent, where it starts with Tris Prior trying to figure out which faction she
belongs to. Tris leave the selfless abnegation and join the more aggressive dauntless.
Therefore, her internal motivation is the goal of being dauntless. Whereby her
external motivation is her survival and her home. If she fail to achieve her goal of
becoming dauntless, she will then be homeless.
The most obvious differences between Hunger Games and Divergent are
their settings. The settings in hunger games covers mainly in Panem (North America).
The story take place In future where Panem that has taken power to replace North
America. The nation of Panem is divided into 12 District and the Capitol. The Capitol
is a brightly colored and over the top couture culture is a sharp contrast to the
districts that suffer in poverty that make up the rest of the world. District 12 is one
of the poorest coal-mining District where Katniss and her family live. Divergent is set
in post war future Chicago that has been ravaged by war. The city is divided into 5
faction with distinctive personality. The people live in clothes color coded by the
faction they belong to. When Teenagers reaches the age of 16, they have to decide
whether to stay with the fraction where they were born to or to go to the one that
matches their personality. Tris decided to leave the selfless Abnegation and join the
more aggressive Dauntless, without knowing of a building war that might bring her
directly into conflict with her family.
Moreover, these two movies are thematically different. Hunger games take
place in a dystopian which the people are unhappy and live fearfully as they were
treated unfairly. I didn’t find Divergent society to be as oppressive as Hunger Games.
In Hunger Games, Katniss fights to overturn her society and struggle oppression and
survival. Whereby Tris seems to be trying to hold hers together and only struggle
against conformity and human nature. Besides, the Hunger Games is making a

4. statement against modern-day entertainment and consumer culture. In the other
hand, Divergent has nothing to do to resemble real-life entertainment or consumer
trends at all. Divergent also make huge statement but only against conformism.
In conclusion, Science fiction movie often have same common aspect that
made them so interesting and attractive to the audience. Both movie Hunger Games
and Divergent share much of similarities but yet they also have differences in
storylines, the character’s motivation, settings and their themes. I really enjoy both
movies as they have interesting plots and satisfying endings as well. By comparing
these two movies allows me as a viewer to grow by delving deeper into the story of
each movie.

5. References
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http://bookwookie.ca/divergent-vs-hunger-games/
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The-Hunger-Games-and-the-upcoming-Divergent-2014-movie
7. Shmoop Editorial Team. (2008). The Hunger Games. Shmoop.com. Retrieved 4
April 2015, from
http://www.shmoop.com/hunger-games/
8. Shmoop Editorial Team. (2008). Divergent. Shmoop.com. Retrieved 4 April 2015,
from
http://www.shmoop.com/divergent/
9. Richard, T (1995). Definitions of what Science Fiction is and is not. Treitel.org
Retrieved 4 April 2015, from
http://www.treitel.org/Richard/sf/sf.html