Marxism in Dystopian Media

In the last decade or so, YA dystopian literature and movies have had their heyday and captured the imaginations of a generation of readers and film-goers. They offer a great opportunity to let the (usually) teen protagonists express their angst about the world they live in, their societal struggles, explore romance, and usually kick ass. Who doesn’t feel that way as a teen?

One common element of these stories is the Marxist and hegemonic themes of oppression of the lower classes. The Hunger Games series of books by Suzanne Collins and their movies are such a perfect example of this theme. 

In the world of Panem, the ruling government lives lavishly, while the surrounding districts have to work hard to feed themselves and the capitol. The protagonists in the series come from one of the most impoverished districts and live a very drab and laborious life. To keep the people “in line” the ruling class forces young people to fight in a gladiatorial arena death-match in order to prove their power, and has done so for 75 years by the time we join in the story.

Another theme in dystopian stories, and especially in The Hunger Games, is that the oppressed DO have power, they just aren’t able to overthrow their oppressors due to fear and the threat of violence and death. In the film V for Vendetta there's a powerful line: “People should not fear their government- the government should fear its people.” In many of these types of stories, it is the disenfranchised person from the bottom of the class system who becomes a leader for the people to overthrow the corrupt leaders and set things right.

These types of stories are popular and become a part of popular culture because they are empowering. We want justice and for good to prevail (though, of course, ‘good is a point of view’), and we feel catharsis from these books and movies where the underdog rises triumphant. It may be a cliche, but it’s a cliche we long for. We want a story to end with good conquering evil. I think people like these types of stories that subvert the typical Marxist narratives, wherein wealth and class equals power, because so often we feel powerless to the wealthy and powerful people in our lives and in the world. Even in children's’ literature, we rejoice when the little heroes outwit the mean adults and the hegemony of the powerful. Maybe it all comes down to longing to escape oppression and embracing freedom.

Do you feel like dystopian media is inherently Marxists in its themes? What are some other media that you feel supports (or doesn’t support) the claim?