That's a good point regarding the reality show element of it all. It makes a lot of sense given the capitol is so made-over they seem *all* facade. But it's truly tragic in its own way.
I think you and Juno are right about the world-building aspect of it. Because the book is set well in the future, it doesn't spend a lot of time explaining how we got there but just takes it as a given that things are this way and moves on from there. That works quite well at times because it draws attention to the things that haven't changed. But in other ways it can be a real weakness.
On where they get the things they need to live... lack of communication doesn't mean lack of trade. There are definitely trains that can move things around, and the citizens get paid so they could use that money to buy goods. I can also see some few people - shoe-cobblers and the like - developing primitive businesses to sell things to the other citizens. (Gale's mum actually is a washer-woman rather than working in the mines, for instance.) I'm not sure that's any more improbable than having a coaltown or a tourist town where all the work is either in the industry or supporting the workers of that industry.
On the whole "class warfare" thing: at one point Katniss speculates that that is the purpose: have the coal-miners mad at the shopkeepers rather than at the Capitol. (Kind of like the strategy of having working class poor fear "welfare queens" rather than getting frustrated at captains of industry.)
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I think you and Juno are right about the world-building aspect of it. Because the book is set well in the future, it doesn't spend a lot of time explaining how we got there but just takes it as a given that things are this way and moves on from there. That works quite well at times because it draws attention to the things that haven't changed. But in other ways it can be a real weakness.
On where they get the things they need to live... lack of communication doesn't mean lack of trade. There are definitely trains that can move things around, and the citizens get paid so they could use that money to buy goods. I can also see some few people - shoe-cobblers and the like - developing primitive businesses to sell things to the other citizens. (Gale's mum actually is a washer-woman rather than working in the mines, for instance.) I'm not sure that's any more improbable than having a coaltown or a tourist town where all the work is either in the industry or supporting the workers of that industry.
On the whole "class warfare" thing: at one point Katniss speculates that that is the purpose: have the coal-miners mad at the shopkeepers rather than at the Capitol. (Kind of like the strategy of having working class poor fear "welfare queens" rather than getting frustrated at captains of industry.)
Interesting points all around! Thanks.