Survival of the Fittest, Essay Example

The concept of the survival of the fittest can be summed in the old cliché “eat or be eaten”. This is the embodiment of the simple law that everyone in the society follows regardless of how modern the world has become. The name of the game is the survival of the fittest. The strongest will be the last one standing. This might be triggered by the primitive ways of living where the ancient people fight to eat and live. This is likewise apparent among animals. The dominant ones get respect and the subordinate ones have to make way for the king. This concept of survival of the fittest is best described in two of the most celebrated novels of the present time: The Jungle by Upton Sinclair and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

The Jungle

This novel is a straight hit to the very core of the people in the society. The main intention of the novel is to illuminate the predicaments of the immigrants in Chicago. In order to do this, the author afforded the readers with the particulars and instances of different forms of abuses that the immigrants have experienced in order to illustrate the various troubles that they have faced. However, it cannot be denied that the theme of the Jungle is more than the harsh realities of the labor situation in the 1900s but rather transcends into the theme of fighting for existence and survival when things are tough.

This is particularly true when immigrants moved to the United States of America with only hopes in hearts of a better future. It is a known fact that the United States of America is the land of opportunity. The immigrants in the novel moved to the country to improve their lives and their children. They thought that if they work hard they will be able to change their future for the better. This is supported by the life of Jurgis and Teta Elzbieta. They went to the land of opportunity because of a promise of a secured good life and high salary. This sounded really good to Jurgis and Teta. They brought their family with them. But what waited for them was neither a good life nor high salary. As a matter of fact, they entered into the land of exploitation, prejudice and racism. They thought that hard work will provide for a better life for them but the reality was only crime, corruption of morality and graft were the only things that will enable one to succeed.

In addition, they have been surrounded with corruption, crimes and immorality. Laws were not being enforced. As a matter of fact, the politicians were the only ones succeeding in the community. The rich got richer while those who were working hard got poorer regardless of their efforts at work. Undeniably, people were just taking advantage of each other in order to succeed.

This is a clear example of the survival of the fittest. In this kind of world, one has to adapt to the immorality, corruption and taking advantage of another person in order to live and exist rather than get eaten. It would seem like there is no other choice but to embrace the reality of life in order to get the life one has always wanted.

 This is exactly what happened in the novel. In the end, Jurgis had become a thief, a corrupted individual and a mugger. The family became corrupted as well. They have been manipulated and slowly deteriorated. They have lost their identity and everything they have envisioned for before they came to the land of their dreams. This is the sad reality of the survival of the fittest. One has to fit and to show power and strength in order to be not taken advantage of by other people. But it has to be reminded that survival of the fittest, in the context of the novel by Upton Sinclair, is not confined into being destroyed as measured in success and wealth. It also gives emphasis on the destruction of morality and true identity. In order to survive in a tough world, people have to adapt and change their ways to ensure that they can make it through another day and that is exactly what happened in the novel. The characters got calloused and tough themselves in order to fight for their existence.

Imperative to this analysis are the animal pens and the various slaughterhouses in the community. It can be taken as that humans have power over the animals such as pigs and cows. Such power led to the killings of these animals for human consumptions- to support the need for food. Same scenario applies to the real world (Sinclair, 160). Those who are overpowered by another force greater and more powerful will be slaughtered mercilessly. The weaklings have to fight constantly for their existence and to go up the pyramid of strength. There is a choice to make: would one ear or would rather be eaten. Human instinct would prefer to eat than be eaten; be the predator rather than the prey.

The Hunger Games

The ultramodern civilizations featured in the hunger game and the manner in which it was presented speaks of the wickedest and the greatest that humankind has to give. The lessons on the novel are taken directly from the evolution theory of Darwin. As futuristic as this novel can get, it is noticeable that the society is driven by the wealthy and the aristocrats. However, the majority of the inhabitants of the society are living in the peripheries and segmented into 12 districts.  The people who are living in the outskirts are barely surviving. The families are poor and the circumstance of living is miserable. The majority of the people are working hard in order to provide for the elites living in the Capitol. Then, the hunger games begin. The game is the modern day gladiator where the players are fighting for their lives for the sole purpose of entertaining the people in power. It depicts the ghastly happenstances of man versus beast; and man versus man. Although there are armaments and goods that were provided for the participants in the game, to acquire them could cost the players’ lives. Therefore, in order to get the things that the players needed, they have to fight for it and the ultimate goal is to not get killed (Collins, 180). Hence, the game is the survival of the fittest and only the fittest gets to live and go back home.

It is imperative to say that the word fittest, as used in the context, does not necessarily mean to be the strongest. It also means the smartest, the fastest and the most determined. The character of Katniss, at first, did not want to kill to survive. But there is a need for it. If the one person decided to not kill the other players, that person will be hunted down.

Therefore, even if the players do not want to hurt each other, they are force to do so because to go against the rules of the game equates death. The players learned to trust no one but themselves and to take advantage of every opportunity they have to outwit and kill anyone in their way. There is no way out for the players but to kill. It is the very core of the survival of the fittest. When humans (or animals for that matter) are put in a situation where plight is not an option, they will fight to the bitter end. Humans have their own agenda, desire and goals in life and they will do whatever it takes to succeed. When these desires and goals are challenged, the initial reaction is to fight. However, it cannot be denied that when there is a more diplomatic way of fighting, it will be the preference. But in situations where life and freedom are being threatened, humans will do anything it will take to protect their existence and their lives. There is no doubt about that. Just like in the Hunger Games.

With all the foregoing, it can be said that “The Jungle” and “The Hunger Games” are two different representations of the Darwinian survival of the fittest. In both novels, when the characters are put in a very detrimental situation where they have to fight for their existence and survival, they did everything to survive even if it means destroying the family or killing someone. It is but a nature of humanity to think of themselves first before another person (Gayon, 67). There is a need to protect one’s property, one’s life and one’s existence from any external forces. People are learning to gain power and strength so as not to be eaten nor be preyed upon by the strongest.

Works Cited

Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic Press, 2008.

Gayon, Jean. Darwinism’s Struggle for Survival. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1998.

Sinclair, Upton. The Jungle. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1906.