When asked to compare these two seemingly very different stories, I assumed there were going to be more differences than similarities between The Hunger Games and The Wizard of Oz, however I was pleasantly surprised to discover that are more similarities than I had anticipated. The plain example of similarities in the two works is that they are both about a young woman who is unwillingly ushered into a new world that is very different from their own, they both embark on a journey into the dark and petrifying unknown. Both characters possess very little and are at the mercy of those they encounter as well as their new environments in their individual journeys. Although they both enter this new reality unexpectedly and are surrounded by 'foreigners', they are not completely alone, they both have a piece of home, Dorothy has her beloved dog Toto, and Kathnis has Peeta, from her district.
In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy being in Oz is a separate adventure - her experiences only affect her, whereas the Hunger Games, the purpose is to show the connections of these two worlds (the Capitol and the districts), Kathnis' actions affect both her and the capitol which she has left behind. In 'The Wizard of Oz' we are not given the opportunity to peer into Kansas to see how the storm has affected the people of Kansas or how Dorothy's disappearance has affected those that she has left behind. Although Kathnis' family is torn about her being taken to the Capitol to participate in the games, they, unlike Dorothy's family have the opportunity to look into her new reality and follow her progress, they too have no way of communicating with their loved one, however they are not completely closed off from her as they are able to trace her steps.
It is interesting to note how both Dorothy and Kathnis' homes are shown as grey, barren, desolate and impoverished and the new realities, Oz and the Capitol are presented as more colourful and desirable, yet they are not the ultimate fit for either character, conveying the idea that 'there is no place like home.'
