ANALYSIS OF MORAL AND CULTURAL VALUES IN THE HUNGER GAMES BY SUZANNE COLLINS
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(2) Universitas Indraprasta PGRI
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Abstract
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Vol. 7, Issue 2,
August - November 2024
p-ISSN: 2615-8671
e-ISSN: 2615-868X
Received: September 2024
Revised: October 2024
Accepted: November 2024
Corresponding Author:
felicianathania290@gmail.com
Handling Editor:
Rina
DOI:
http://dx.doi.org/10.30998/inference.v7i2
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Universitas Indraprasta PGRI
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License RESEARCH ARTICLE
ANALYSIS OF MORAL AND CULTURAL VALUES IN THE HUNGER GAMES BY SUZANNE COLLINS
Felicia Nathania Bagiono
Universitas Indraprasta PGRI
Jalan Nangka No. 58 Jakarta Selatan
Venny Eka Meidasari
Universitas Indraprasta PGRI
Jalan Nangka No. 58 Jakarta Selatan
Elyza Martiarini
Universitas Indraprasta PGRI
Jalan Nangka No. 58 Jakarta Selatan
e-mail: felicianathania290@gmail.com ¹
e-mail: venny.meidasari@gmail.com ²
e-mail: bimbingantesis.elyza@gmail.com ³
Abstract: Film is one of the media frequently used by many people. This research aims to utilize films as a learning medium for students who want to understand foreign cultures, gain advanced literacy skills in English, and learn correct pronunciation. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins contains moral messages and cultural values. In this research, the author discusses the moral messages according to Suseno's theory and the cultural values according to Koentjaraningrat's theory contained in the film and analyzes them using a qualitative descriptive method by explaining data derived from film excerpts.
Keywords: film; moral; culture; values
ANALISIS NILAI MORAL DAN BUDAYA DALAM HUNGER GAMES KARYA SUZANNE COLLINS
Abstrak: Film merupakan salah satu media yang sering digunakan oleh banyak orang. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memanfaatkan film sebagai media pembelajaran bagi siswa yang ingin memahami budaya asing, memperoleh keterampilan literasi tingkat lanjut dalam bahasa Inggris, dan mempelajari pengucapan yang benar. Film The Hunger Games karya Suzanne Collins mengandung pesan moral dan nilai budaya. Dalam penelitian ini, penulis membahas pesan moral menurut teori Suseno dan nilai budaya menurut teori Koentjaraningrat yang terkandung dalam film, dan menganalisisnya menggunakan metode deskriptif kualitatif dengan memaparkan data yang diperoleh dari cuplikan film.
Kata kunci: film; moral; budaya; nilai
INTRODUCTION
Media is an extension of the message in providing new insights to the recipients who hear it. There are several types of media that can be chosen to be received, such as non-projection two-dimensional media like pictures, charts, graphs, posters, base maps, and so on; non-projection three-dimensional media like real objects, models, puppets, and so on; audio media like radio and tape recorders; projection media like films, slides, projectors, and so on. Besides serving as information, media has the function of facilitating someone to learn or shop, just from online media. Because many things are easily obtained, considering that only an internet connection is needed, it makes it easier for everyone as they can search without having to leave the house. Not only as a platform for news or shopping, but even entertainment is available on certain online media, one of which is film.
Film is a part of art that is quite favored by many people, making the process of its creation very interesting, such as combining images (visuals), sounds (audio), text, and various other unique ornaments that can be used as a medium for communication, education, information, and even entertainment. Besides serving as a medium of entertainment, a film also provides positive lessons such as moral messages. A moral message is a message intended to be conveyed to people. It carries advice within it. Suseno in Mofa (2023:1) argues that "A moral message is a message containing teachings, oral or written, about how humans should live and act to become good people." This expresses that a moral message is a fundamental attitude that someone must have to behave well towards others. A moral value should be instilled from a young age so that actions and words embody honesty and truth.
A film also presents cultural values that can be learned. Cultural values are values that determine and reflect a person's character. Mentari et al. (2017:42) state that cultural values are values that are agreed upon and ingrained in a society or organization, rooted in a particular custom. Cultural values are essential in judging the goodness or badness of a person, depicting patterns of behavior, and motivating human actions. This research is important in introducing the cultural values of other societies and understanding the moral messages in a film, which serves as a good learning tool for promoting literacy. In this research, the author analyzes the moral and cultural messages in the film The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
RESEARCH METHOD
This study uses qualitative descriptive as the research method. The author strives to uncover research findings in the form of descriptive data from film excerpts, such as conversations or stories within the film, by delving into them qualitatively. Qualitative research essentially presents methods based on descriptions in words. Walidin, Saifullah, and Tabrani in Fadli (2021:35) explain that qualitative research is a research process aimed at understanding phenomena occurring in humans by creating a comprehensive and complex picture that can be presented with words and detailed from different perspectives. Based on the opinions of Walidin, Saifullah, and Tabrani, the author concludes that qualitative research is a study that explains with words by providing detailed thoughts and reviews.
The author analyzes the research using the qualitative descriptive research method. Qualitative description is a research strategy in which the researcher investigates events, individual life phenomena, and asks an individual or a group of individuals to narrate their lives. This information is then retold by the researcher in a descriptive chronology. The characteristics of descriptive research are that the data obtained consists of words and images.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
During the research process, the results of the study showed that the film "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins contains moral messages and cultural values conveyed in the film. This finding strengthens the main theory of moral messages by Mainake (2019: 4-11) which states that in a film there is a moral message conveyed. In previous research by Mainake (2019) there were similarities in analyzing research, namely honesty, being yourself, being responsible and humility. However, some of them are not in line with previous research, namely the author did not find any data on the independence and humility categories, while Mainake (2019) did not find any data on the critical category.
In the second finding, it strengthens the main theory of cultural values conducted by previous research by Widiningsih, Ai., et al. (2023:89) which states that cultural elements in novels are very important to study, because they foster a love for a culture itself. In previous research by Widiningsih, Ai., et al. (2023) it was found that there were similarities in analyzing research, namely language systems, knowledge systems, social systems, life equipment and technology systems, livelihood systems and arts. However, some of them are not in line with previous research, namely the author did not find any data on the religious system category, while all categories of cultural values by Widiningsih, Ai., et al. (2023) are complete. The following is a percentage calculation of the amount of data found.
Based on the results of research on the form of moral messages according to Suseno's main theory in Mainake (2019: 4-8), it was found 16 data divided into 7 forms of moral messages, namely honesty as much as 1 data or 6%, being yourself 1 data or 6%, responsible as much as 4 data or 25%, independence no data or 0%, moral courage as much as 4 data or 25%, humility no data or 0% and critical as much as 6 data or 38%. The graph above is a percentage of the results of the research on the form of moral messages in the film "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins, it can be concluded that the form of moral messages in the form of critical, has the highest percentage, followed by responsibility and moral courage having the second highest percentage, honesty and being yourself having the third highest percentage, and humility and independence have no percentage or the lowest percentage.
Tabel 1. Percentage of Moral Values in Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games
No. Moral Messages Total Data Percentage
Honesty 1 6%
Being yourself 1 6%
Responsibility 4 25%
Independence 0 0%
Moral Courages
Humility
Critical
Total 4
25%
%
%
%
Based on the results of research on elements of cultural values according to Koentjaraningrat's main theory in Sumarto (2019: 149-151), it was found 20 data divided into 7 elements of cultural values, namely the language system as many as 5 data or 25%, the knowledge system as many as 2 data or 10%, the social system as many as 1 data or 5%, the system of living equipment and technology as many as 4 data or 20%, the livelihood system as many as 2 data or 10%, the religious system has no data or 0%, the arts as many as 6 data or 30%. The graph above is a percentage of the results of research on elements of cultural values in the film "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins, it can be concluded that the elements of cultural values in the elements of art have the highest percentage, followed by the language system having the second highest percentage, the system of living equipment and technology has the third highest percentage, the knowledge system and livelihood system have the third highest percentage, the religious system has no percentage or the lowest percentage.
Tabel 2. Percentage of Culture Values in Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games
No. Moral Messages Total Data Percentage
Language System 5 25%
Knowledge System 2 10%
Social System 1 5%
Life Equipment and Technology System 4 20%
Livelihood System
Religious System
Arts
Total 2
10%
%
%
%
The findings of this study confirm that The Hunger Games film adaptation of Suzanne Collins’s work is rich in moral messages and cultural values. The identification of these elements supports Mainake’s (2019) theory that films serve as mediums for conveying moral teachings. In particular, the dominant moral values found in this film, such as critical thinking (38%), responsibility (25%), and moral courage (25%), emphasize the film's focus on individual agency and ethical decision-making in oppressive contexts. These findings reflect the film's thematic preoccupation with questioning authority and acting with integrity despite danger, consistent with the dystopian genre. Interestingly, while Mainake (2019) identifies independence and humility as common moral categories, this study found no data representing these traits in The Hunger Games. This divergence may be attributed to the film's narrative focus on collective resistance and survival, where individual humility is often overshadowed by the need for assertiveness and rebellion. On the other hand, the emergence of the critical category—absent in Mainake's original study—highlights the film’s unique emphasis on challenging oppressive systems, a core theme of the story that resonates with contemporary audiences.
In terms of cultural values, the study affirms the framework proposed by Koentjaraningrat (in Sumarto, 2019), which categorizes cultural elements into seven key components. The findings revealed that arts (30%), language systems (25%), and living equipment and technology systems (20%) were the most prominent cultural elements depicted in the film. This suggests a strong presence of expressive and material culture in the dystopian world-building of The Hunger Games, reinforcing the idea that even in speculative settings, cultural identity remains a central narrative device. However, the religious system was notably absent in the film, diverging from the comprehensive cultural framework identified in Widiningsih et al.'s (2023) research on novels. This absence may reflect the secular or anti-theocratic tone common in dystopian media, where religion is often sidelined to focus on state control and ideological resistance. Despite this, the other six cultural categories such as knowledge, livelihood, and social systems were sufficiently represented, supporting Widiningsih et al.’s (2023) assertion that literature and media can foster cultural appreciation through diverse narrative elements. In summary, the alignment and divergence with previous studies underscore both the universality and specificity of moral and cultural values in media texts. The Hunger Games not only reiterates established moral frameworks but also introduces new perspectives relevant to its sociopolitical context. The film’s cultural depictions also demonstrate how speculative fiction can serve as a rich site for exploring and preserving cultural identity, even in imagined futures.
CONCLUSIONS
This study aimed to analyze the moral messages and cultural values depicted in The Hunger Games film by Suzanne Collins. The findings reveal that the film effectively communicates various moral messages, with critical thinking, responsibility, and moral courage emerging as the most dominant. These messages reflect the film’s thematic focus on resistance, ethical choices, and personal integrity in the face of authoritarian rule. While some categories such as independence and humility were absent, the inclusion of a new category, critical thinking, highlights the film's unique emphasis on challenging oppressive systems, a theme particularly relevant in contemporary society.
In terms of cultural values, the film illustrates six of the seven cultural elements outlined by Koentjaraningrat, most prominently arts, language systems, and technology. The absence of the religious system suggests a narrative choice to emphasize secular or ideological conflicts over spiritual ones, aligning with dystopian conventions. These findings not only support previous research but also contribute new perspectives to the understanding of how moral and cultural values are embedded and communicated through popular media. Overall, the study underscores the importance of films as educational and cultural tools that can instill moral awareness and cultural appreciation among audiences. Future research may explore similar themes in other genres or compare film adaptations with their literary counterparts to gain deeper insights into the transmission of values across media forms.
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.30998/inference.v7i2.25607
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