Dissecting Dystopia: A Comparative Study of The Hunger Games Trilogy, its Prequels, and Film AdaptationsKermavner, Maruša (Avtor) Šporčič, Anamarija (Mentor) dystopian fictionThe Hunger GamesPanemauthoritarianismmedia manipulationsocial inequalityThis master’s thesis presents a comparative analysis of dystopian elements in Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games series, including the five novels and their five existing film adaptations. Dystopia is a literary mode that critiques existing social and political structures through the depiction of oppressive and dysfunctional societies. The study outlines the concepts of utopia and dystopia, their historical development, and the reasons for the popularity of dystopian fiction. The study focuses on three central dystopian elements within the series: authoritarianism, media manipulation, and social inequality. Using a qualitative, comparative, and thematic approach, the study examines the development of these mechanisms throughout the narrative, their representation in novels and films, the ways in which the film adaptations reinterpret these structures, and the evolution of Panem as a political system. By analysing the original trilogy, the prequel novels, and their film adaptations as parts of a single narrative universe, the study addresses a gap in the existing scholarship, which has often focused on individual themes or solely on the original trilogy. The findings demonstrate that Panem functions as an evolving political system sustained through interconnected mechanisms of political control, ideological influence, and material inequality, contributing to a broader understanding of power and authority within The Hunger Games franchise.20262026-07-17 07:16:40Magistrsko delo/naloga184911VisID: 618067COBISS_ID: 285455363sl