Work Text:
XII
District One is a place of sweltering eloquence, one commonly regarded as a lapdog. With an industry centralized around luxury, it makes sense that we pride ourselves on producing only the finest of equipment for use of our Capitol. Gemstones and jewelry are the primary focus, though not labor-intensive, and provide the economic foundation for the whole of the district. The backbone, however, and the muscle of the industry and our highly kept reputation—the Crown Gem of District One, and the creation of the Capitol’s most valuable assets, is the Career system.
Before the Dark Days, before even the country of Panem, the land we reside on today was ruled through a democratic system. This process was inferior and has since been phased out, as its failures have been proven by the falling of our predecessors. In order to protect the rule of law, the weak must be abandoned, and the strong must be encouraged and ushered into leadership roles. A strong central government is necessary for survival. The protections of the Capitol and the allowance of senators and other representative officials are generosities that should be taken with utmost grace and thankfulness.
The importance, then, of enforcing a ruling by only the strongest members of a community, is something that cannot be understated. The Career system helps to boost those with superiority into positions where they can be effective to the Capitol. This is not to say that the weak are inessential—in fact, quite the opposite. Weaker links and members can prove themselves useful in positions of servitude and are otherwise inconsequential to deal with. That said, it is important to remember that usefulness to our glorious Capitol is the biggest accomplishment for a District citizen. Servitude is possible for everyone and must be achieved if we are to keep the privileges we have been afforded.
It’s hard to think of the ways in which I have grown. In my youth, I struggled in gemology; it became increasingly clear as time went on that I was unsuited to the path I had set out before me. Foolish as it was, I found myself drawn towards a career that explored my creativity. These urges were quickly scotched as this path is unsustainable and based solely on luck.
It is in my favor, then, that the Career system offered solace and a stability which I had yet to experience. The Career system works only for the most diligent of tributes and requires mental strength that few possess from birth. However, this can easily be dealt with. The biggest requirement of a future Career is a willingness and enthusiasm to learn and submit yourself to the Capitol.
In District One, children like this are easy to find. I urge outlying Districts to examine why the Career system has been ineffective: you will find that the fault falls upon the citizens of the Districts, who fail to recognize and take advantage of the opportunities that have been provided through the generosity of the Capitol. To give yourself to the Capitol is the ultimate show of loyalty, the ultimate show of gratitude, and the greatest reciprocation of that generosity that we as District citizens can offer. It is important to remember that we are forever in debt to the Capitol and that forgiveness for the actions of our ancestors is something that we all should strive for to the best of our abilities and beyond.
Desperation for forgiveness creates the desire to impress and be greater than those before you. Tradition is of paramount importance within District One, and the need to do better than those who precede you spurs development.
Children are not acceptable. In order to succeed, maturity must be achieved. This is perhaps the hardest thing to process for incoming Careers and where we encounter the largest block. Only the strongest must survive, and only the strongest must continue. This is an important step in the creation of veritable Careers: the weeding out of those who are not capable of the role they plan to fill. Candidates who may be ungrateful for their glory later in life, through some twisted belief in rebellion and/or failure to recognize the honor competing in the Games is (for it is giving yourself fully to the Capitol), must be discarded.
Never meet your idols, or so they say. Loosely, the same premise applies. While the life of a Career and the subsequent Victorhood that stems from it are coveted, they are often impossible to achieve for the average citizen. Very few are born with the necessary traits. The others must be remade to fit into the roles they crave to fill.
The Career system is designed to break the tribute it builds. In order to create a Victor, the stripping of personality is necessary. This allows room for training and the necessary survival information. Children are often incapable of handling this, and will likely fall during this process of dehumanization. It may sound intimidating, but really, the recognition that we are objects to serve the Capitol is a comforting one. Allowing yourself to accept your purpose and surrender yourself to the Capitol allows the Career to look forward to the rewards they will reap as a Victor.
A tribute must be able to separate gratefulness from greed. Perhaps this is the most challenging feat for a Career, as it is human nature to protect what we believe is rightfully ours. However, that is where the distinction must be made. We as District residents are undeserving of the things we have been given and are forever indebted to our glorious, generous Capitol.
A cornerstone of the Career program is the removal of emotions, as they so often hinder higher analytical functions. This allows a Career to ascend to a higher processing rate, subsequently making them stronger, faster, and more willing to do the job they are designed to do. Additionally, this makes the Career mindset easier to process and submit to, as emotions buffer the brain’s ability to come to logical conclusions. Overarchingly, the Tribute must be stripped of individualism in order to thwart any growing rebelliousness and allow them to submit themselves to the Capitol.
Individualism is an inherent mark of rebellion. To properly serve our glorious Capitol and achieve a higher purpose and happiness, compliance and conformity are necessary. This is shown most notably through the failings of the democratic governmental systems of our predecessors. Democratically elected officials imply that individuality is something to be coveted and attuned to, rather than eradicated. This belief is inherently false. Individualism must be punished, as it strips resources from the greater good and works to harm the majority so that the few may prosper.
We are all equal under the Capitol. We must not be consumed by our greed the way that those before us have been. We must remember to learn from our predecessors and stray from the paths which have failed them. The greater good must be served, though quality over quantity is a mindset that often applies to this ideal. This brings us back to the necessity for strong central leadership. By complying and following the same mindsets, it is easier to derive pleasure from the lives we have carved ourselves. If we follow the ideas presented by our Capitol, we are likely to be happier in our lives; not only because we can properly repent for the crimes of our ancestors, but because compliance is the ultimate happiness.
For the good of yourself and others, give yourself to the Capitol. The rewards you reap will be far greater than the individuality you think you crave. You do not crave to be seen as an individual—you crave to connect with others, and the most effective way to do so is through empathy. In building a strong and hive-minded nation, we can allow ourselves to understand and be understood by others in a way that is unattainable under the premise of prideful individualism.
Once the candidate has submitted to the majority and accepted the Career mindset, it is simply a matter of training the body to align with the mind. Physical strength is vital to the survival of a Career. Through rigorous and competitive training schedules, peak performance can be achieved even for the least promising of Careers—however, weakness of the body is just as good a reason to be ejected from the program. If a Career should fail at this stage, they will likely find themselves in positions of governmental power—most often as a senator or other representative, exemplified by Senator Beast—as they have come to recognize how best to support the greatest good: through submission to the Capitol.
District One is proud. Rightfully so. Consistently, for 68 years, we have produced only the finest of goods for Capitol consumption. The status of lapdog is one that must be earned, and it is something that District One continues to live up to. In their generosity and through my own perseverance, I can gladly say that my successes in my field can be attributed to the Career system funded by our glorious Capitol. In this regard, and in all, loyalty, where it is deserved, has given me exactly what it has promised.
Careerdom has its failures, of course. While the system may be perfect, there are always exceptions to rules. As more outlying districts have won the Hunger Games, it fills me with disgust to see the way these districts are unappreciative of the honor they have been rewarded. It is important to note that the failings of Careers during these years are not attributed to the system, but rather, to the subject—to the individual. Most often, this is where the Career falters. Many are unwilling to accept their ultimate glory and attempt to hold on to the preconceived notion of freedom that comes with individuality. This is a shame and a disgrace to the system. In truth, freedom comes in the stripping of the self and the recognition that your ultimate destiny is as a servant to the Capitol. Compliance is the key to happiness, and thus, to freedom. Individualism only promotes self-hatred and weakness—in attempting to hold onto the abstract idea of the “self”, so-called Careers will forget the objective at hand. This is ultimately their downfall.
Though more willing Careers are ultimately deserving of the glory that victors from outer Districts will receive, we appreciate their sacrifice to the Capitol by way of failure within the Games. An uneven playing field is necessary for survival-- some people must be below others, and only some must be recognized for their achievements. Others must be discarded.
Within District One, this is a metaphor widely applicable. The industry is something that relies on changing variables with a similar end goal. The creation of gemstones acknowledges the need for perfection—the Capitol expects and deserves nothing less—and though faults are often hard to come by, it is common knowledge that they must be thrown out without a second thought. The gemstones District One creates are often perfect, however. This is mirrored in the Career system.
If you are a district citizen, I urge you to know your strengths and your place. To best serve the Capitol, recognize your natural abilities, and select a path that will help you emphasize them. Know that your worth is equal to those of your fellow citizens and that no one individual is greater than another. Remember that you are forever indebted to the Capitol for their generosity and forgiveness. It is a mercy that few are afforded.
Through the Career system, funded by our glorious Capitol, I have been made into the man I am today. This is a generosity that I recognize and am forever grateful for. I am a happy man today because I understand that I am forever indebted to the Capitol for their graciousness, both in my life, my Careerdom, and my victory.