A Comparative Study: The Hunger Games VS Ready Player One

Hi, y'all! Today we're going to compare and spot the differences and similarities between:

The Hunger Games

Ready Player One

Before we get into the similarities and the differences that these two books have, let’s break down each of the novel’s story first.

: ̗̀➛ The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games were written by American Author, Suzanne Collins. Where this novel and its series become the most popular works of hers. The story revolved in a dystopian world and about a girl named Katniss Everdeen where she needs to fight to survive the game that were held by Panem. Panem itself is the Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. In Panem, there was a game called “The Hunger Games” where each districts must volunteer one boy and one girl from the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate. It was rare that they choose a volunteer, most of the time The Capitol just forced the girl and boy to participate no matter what. Our main character, Katniss Everdeen, were volunteering herself in the name of her sister that were pointed by The Capitol. She’s not alone of course, there’s another boy from her district, Peeta Mellark. Both of these characters were chosen as tributes to represent District 12 (Katniss and Peeta’s District).

Katniss’s character is such a suitable one for a survival game like this. She’s resourceful and have a deep moral among the other characters and she’s easily adapting to the game making her the most favorite character in the book (of course). But because of her deep morality, it also make Katniss become such a thrill and adrenaline rush for the readers as she wouldn’t leave anyone behind. Even when Peeta was taken from her later in the game, she fight to find her teammate outside the game, lashing out to The Capitol.

The concept of The Hunger Games itself was like the game of the death, a scene of brutality for life. If the participates survive the game, they will gain fame and fortune. If they’re lucky, they could even join The Capitol. Each of the participants that were participating in The Hunger Games will fight for their life, so that they can reach the finish line even if they have to kill other players. Before the participants going to be deployed in the arena, they’re all were given a chance to trained themselves and even choose a weapon to defend themselves. Our main character, Katniss Everdeen, choose a bow and arrow which then become one of the iconic thing of her throughout the book. The Hunger Games of course was not just a game of life and death, it is also part of entertainment. Entertainment for those above them all where it will be shown on TV like they’re nothing but a toy for the higher ups. Katniss and Peeta did great, they gained fame and wealth for their victory and were favored and trained by The Capitol. Both Katniss and Peeta were pampered and put on display like some kind of action figure. But each year, they needed to do the same and they need to participate in the same game but the area will be changes throughout the story.

: ̗̀➛ Ready Player One

Ready Player One was also written by an American Author, Ernest Cline. Ready Player One took place in 2045 where people could play video game and become one with their character. The concept was like virtual reality. But in this book, the player will feel like they’re not a human but part of the game but of course they can still logged out of the world like a regular game. The nuance of the story was also took place in a dystopian world where the real world is a bad place and most of the people in this timeline would just spend their day in the video game or we can say virtual world.

Wade Watts or Parzival is the main character in this book. He is the same as the other people, he likes to spent his in the virtual world rather than the real world. The virtual world is called OASIS where it was made by James Halliday but unfortunately he died. The day the creator of the virtual world died, he left a message to the whole world that he left something precious, something valuable that can be gained by participating in the hunt and get the Easter egg. Whoever can find the Easter egg that were hidden in OASIS will inherit his fortune and control of the virtual world. For about five years, no one can get through the first gate of the hunt until Wade appeared, a boy that were addicted to games and were a fans of James Halliday.

There were three gates that needed to be opened in purpose of finding the Easter eggs, Wade successfully opened the first one and he immediately become the center of the world. There are other players that also successfully opened the gate namely, Art3mis and Aech then Daito and Shoto. These five were in a competition but they forge a bond that would later become the main part of the story. The hunts are all happening in the virtual world, involving each of the characters in-game avatar. The hunts were exist in the games in the virtual world where each player who wanted to get past the gate needs to play against other players and this could lead to the death of their in-game avatar and death means that the player will lose everything that they gained in the virtual world.

There were no rules made in order to get the Easter eggs, and so the IOI will do anything to eliminate those who try to get in their way and will opened the gate. IOI is a big company, making them easier to get what they wanted since they have the people to work for them to get to the Easter eggs. But despite all of the trouble and sadness and loss, Wade successfully opened the last gate and revealed James Halliday’s secret and messages.

Alright, after the brief explanation about those two books, we're going to divided into two section: the differences and the similarities. Let’s get into the differences first!

The differences between The Hunger Games and Ready Player One

While both stories involve competitions in dystopian futures, The Hunger Games is a dark, emotionally charged battle for survival and justice, focusing on rebellion and societal change. Ready Player One is a lighter, sci-fi quest about gaming, technology, and personal growth in each characters.

• Setting

The setting of The Hunger Games was set in a dystopian future, Panem where it divided into the Capitol (wealthy district) and the 12 oppressed districts. While Ready Player One was mainly set in OASIS where OASIS is a virtual world where players can create avatars, play so many games and they’re not going to be dead if their avatar were killed in game.

• Characters

Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games is a powerful and resourceful character where she could easily adapt to the challenges in front of her. She’s also become a symbol of rebellion and oppression. While Wade Watts or Parzival from Ready Player One is a nerdy teenager with a deep knowledge about the virtual world and a gaming maniac. His journey is more of a personal quest while Katniss did it for her family. 

• Conflict/Plot

The Hunger Games is life or death survival where the participants are forced to kill one another in order to survive under the control of the government or the higher districts. Ready Player One is more of an intellectual and tech where each players competes in a treasure hunt, solving riddles and games and challenges to find the Easter egg that were hidden.

The similarities between The Hunger Games and Ready Player One

• Genre

Both of the books fall under the same genre of science fiction where we could find almost all of the science fiction elements such as technology and invention, the future, extra population and other places.

• Dystopian Futures

Both of the books are set in a gloomy, dark dystopian setting where society feels like the end of the world. The Hunger Games divided into a wealthy and oppressive government or Capitol where the other districts suffer the cause. In Ready Player One, the real world were damaged by environmental disaster and economic collapse where people would go to the virtual world or OASIS instead to escape. A great example of Marxism were shown in both of the book.

• The game

Each books have their own game. The Hunger Games with its deathly survival game but when the participants win, they will gain wealth and fame that will make their name soar in every district and Capitol. But the risk is high where only one person can make it out alive.

In Ready Player One, the hunt will lead them to a great prize where the winner will gain James Halliday’s fortune and the complete control of the virtual world, OASIS. The risk of the game is almost the same as The Hunger Games, where each players will be worried about their own life whether it’s in the virtual world or the real world.

• Resistance of the main character

Both Katniss and Wade wanted to fight against the oppressing characters in the book. Katniss fight against The Capitol and Wade fight against IOI and other players that will only use OASIS for money.

• Entertainment

Both of the story tells us how both of the character trying to survive in the world where they were seen as an entertainment. In The Hunger Games, Katniss participates in the annual games that are going to be shown on TV for the sake of the entertainment for the wealthy Capitol. Wade in Ready Player One, lives in an entertainment world where OASIS is an escape.

Both of these stories are my favorite! For The Hunger Games, I followed each of the different volume, though sometimes it's confusing. The concept of surviving merely from your own strength intrigued me, will I survive or not? When I was little, me and my family were so addicted to The Hunger Games. I used to think, "Will my sister do the same like what Katniss did if I were chosen?" But fret not, sister, my mind was set to be ambitious and to survive no matter what😤Though, I'll probably get killed in the first game. For Ready Player One, I used to be addicted to playing video games. And so the concept of playing for real in the virtual world excites me especially when it's fighting other players!

Anyway, guys, that is all from me. Thank you so much for reading, ciao!

── .✦ Source credit:

• https://opentrolley.co.id/book/9780439023528/hunger-games
• https://www.fimela.com/fashion/read/3807924/review-novel-ready-player-one-ernest-cline

 

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