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A Feminist Approach

The Hunger Games has feminism hidden in the deepest corners of this novel and there
are a wide range of ideas that can relate the book to feminist aspects. These include culture,
stereotypes, equality, power and class. Individual characters and groups of people in The
Hunger Games give us a clear image of how our world could be different if there were not
strong gender roles.
In today's society, gender roles and stereotypes are very strong; in Panem, there are no
gender roles. This is partly because of the cultural value of Panem as well as the economic, or
social class of the citizens. Everyone works in the fields or the mines or factories, and if they
do have an income or some type of reimbursement for labor, it is the same across genders. I
feel like Collins creates this world where the general population has equal pay and job status
according to district. Districts as a whole, I feel, were treated very different, but had fairness
between genders. Those from Districts 1, 2 and 3 may not have the power that the Capitol
has, but both genders have what they need and then some. Whereas in districts like Katniss's,
people don't have what they need and die of starvation; but both women and men alike are
treated equally yet unethically. The same goes for sponsors, the game makers and the
mentors; both male and female are in these roles. Even in the actual 'games' girls don't get
special treatment. Both genders kill each other and get killed; girls and boys alike are thought
of as weak if they cry. Everyone has to be tough and able to fight just to survive.
Power is another aspect that lacks for most of the population, most men and women
have no power against the Capitol and those with power such as the game makers are both
genders. The Peacekeepers remain genderless, so it is most likely that their occupation is for
both genders as well. The only person with the most power in the first book is President
Snow, who is a man. This shows some form of a patriarchy society, but being a man he does
not give special privileges to other men in lower positions. So in that aspect, it is not
necessarily a patriarchal society. Further books in the series show Katniss as a symbol of
power and leadership, reversing the gender roles by reading a story of a female heroine.
Katniss as an individual breaks away from the typical gender stereotypes that we
would assume reading an action packed love story. Katniss takes care of others, which shows
a somewhat feminine side to her, when she nurtures Rue and Peeta as well as when she looks
after her younger sister Prim. Most of the time though she prefers to not show emotion and
doesn't want to receive help from others, especially Peeta. When Peeta professed his love to
her on screen she was horrified, most girls would be flattered. But to her, that would make
her look weak, and she knows looking weak could cost her life.
Peeta, the boy with the bread. When it comes to cooking, baking and painting, he is an
expert. Most of us would not expect a teenage boy to excel in these activities and also enjoy
them. Not only do his choice of activities make him seem like a feminine character but his
personality and responses do as well. Peeta is more reserved in front of Katniss, but is very
charming and likable in front of a crowd. At times, he does show his strength and expresses
anger; he also shows his protective side, trying to keep Katniss safe. It's times like these that
his stereotypical masculine qualities stand out. Most of the time, Peeta shows very different
qualities such as his vulnerability (expressing his love to Katniss), his emotions (tearing up
on the train ride to the Capitol), and some of his weaknesses (inability to hunt and shoot
arrows).
The stereotypes of gender are well defined throughout characters, whether it is
following through the classic gender role or breaking away from it. I think The Hunger
Games just shows us the extremes, more or less, of either role to emphasize we don't have to
fit a certain mold; girls can be nurturing and defensive like Katniss and boys can be sweet,
yet strong like Peeta.
Having an idea of what other people think about something relatively new, in this
case a book, can gives us not only other perspectives, but give us an idea if it is worth the
time and money. Even if we hear good things about the movie, we wonder if we should
bother reading the book; or vice versa. In my opinion, having read the book before watching
the movie, I was glad I read the book first because I knew what was going on. The book was
also extremely enjoyable, quite a page turner. I thought it was so exceptional I read it three
times in about four months. I did look at a few websites to see what others thought of the
book as well.
On the website goodreads.com The Hunger Games was voted #1 in the category
for 'best books ever' and #2 in the category for 'best young adult books.' The average ratings
were 4.48 out of 5 stars, most of the comments were greatly positive as well. "This is
probably one of the better books I've ever read." (Kat Kennedy, goodreads.com) Many of the
positive comments were similar to this, saying it was one of their favorite books. Their were a
few negative comments from readers, such as saying they were disappointed and some say
they liked the book overall but pointed out a few flaws or issues they had while reading.
The average rating on Barnes and Noble was similar, 4.5 out of 5 stars. I glanced over
assorted
comments from both editorial reviews and customer reviews; the editorial reviews were
positive for the most part and the customer reviews varied in positivity and negativity. John
Green from the New York Times said "brilliantly plotted and perfectly pacedthe
considerable strength of the novel comes in Collins' convincingly detailed world-building and
her memorably complex and fascinating heroine..." (barnesandnoble.com) Reading a review
like this from John Green gives the novel a lot of credibility and would make me want to pick
up the book as soon as possible.
Amazon is another reliable website to survey reviews from other readers, The Hunger
Games
had a 4.6 out of 5 rating, another great rating for piece of pop culture. Many readers said they
could not stop reading it because it was so good, they could not wait to read the next book.
Others loved the world created by Suzanne Collins. One reviewer Micheal A. Behr said, "I
would have given it 4 stars, but they say great art leaves you changed after you experience
it... and this book definitely did that. Suzanne Collins has, with one amazing work, propelled
herself onto my top shelf." (amazon.com) Comments like this show the book may not be
perfect, but it still is a great piece of art that can change one's life.
All of the comments I had a chance to read gave me insight on other points of view.
Reading
comments from men and women, teenagers and older adults showed me that assorted age
groups and genders have taken the time to read the book and have different attitudes toward
the book. I was glad to see most of them were positive and thoroughly explained the
honorable parts of the storyline, and those that explained why they didn't like this book as
much gave compelling arguments that I find understandable, even though I don't completely
agree.

A Form of Art in a Society of Artificial Entertainment
The critical essay called Revolutionary Art in the Age of Reality TV by Katheryn
Wright is an analysis that makes comparisons between The Hunger Games as viewed by the
audience of Panem and the reality TV on air today. Television plays a key role in both our
society and the society of Panem. We use it as a form of reaching to others through news and
broadcasts, entertainment, and expressing ideas; the Capitol uses television as both
entertainment and broadcasting the Capitols power over the citizens. Television is a symbol
of power in Panem; the Capitol forces everyone to watch the games; in school, home, or
around town.
The Hunger Games are very similar to the reality TV we watch today. The games
encouragethe audience to cheer for the success or failures of the tributes, just like we cheer
and support contestants on shows like Dancing with the Stars or American Idol. Romance is
also key in the 74th Hunger Games, like The Bachelor. Survivors also tour Panem, like the
final American Idol contestants go on a tour to various regions around the country.
The Hunger games is much more artfully written and portrayed in both the book and
the movie than in the reality television we watch. It evokes emotion; everything is real and
happening live. This differs from reality television which is only meant to entertain and stir
up responses from the audience, increase ratings; it is also often edited to show the exciting
details of ones life such as the reality shows on TLC like Long Island Medium or My Big
Fat Gypsy Wedding do. Shows like these all have a common message, but drag on for many
episodes to the point when you think how am I accomplishing anything by watching this?
One episode can give you enough insight in a culture, but then we get addicted to it and get
caught up in other peoples lives. Like the Capitol, citizens get caught up betting and
sponsoring tributes they dont even know; we do the same voting for contestants or watching
reality shows that end up being the same story line every week.
Todays reality television ranges from programs such as makeover shows to
documentaries, talent competitions to talk and games shows. Which in some form, the novel
demonstrates these programs through the behind the scene makeovers, the interviews with
Caesar Flickerman, or competing in the games itself. Caesar Flickerman is an example of the
typical, witty television show host, in a way poking fun at the hosts we watch on TV.
The Hunger Games encompasses everything we value in reality television, and
basically points out that worse things are happening around us (making comparisons to when
9/11 occurred, a type of reality television, the news, that is live, emotional, and life
changing) , making The Hunger Games a form of revolutionary art.
Reality television today and in Panem can also be analyzed through feminine analysis.
Most television we watch enforces stereotypes; whether it is the classic high school TV show
or selling a product. Not only that, but some media demeans men or women, usually women,
by using their body to sell something. That is not the case in Panem. Gender stereotypes are
not seen during the games, all the boys and girls participating must go through the same
tragedies and struggles. Women do not have it easier than men or the other way around, all of
them must train before the games and all of them must fight to survive and even kill during
the games. This too shows the creativity that Suzanne Collins used to show equality in a
dystopian society, giving it a Utopian quality even if overall if it is not a perfect society.
A Comparison Between Film and Novel
The movie and the book of The Hunger Games had both similarities and differences,
but overall thought the movie stayed true to the major themes of the book. The beginning
explained why the games were occurring, mostly for those viewers who have never read the
books, it may have not been from Katniss's point of view like the book, but it thoroughly
explained the events that took place before the Hunger Games began. Even though there are
differences, the general flow of events is the same throughout the movie. There will of course
be differences in the movie because things need to be edited or changed to fit the time limits
of the movie as well as what is humanly and technologically possible to create into a movie,
yet make it appealing to the eye.
One of the major differences that I noticed between the book and the movie was
Senecas death. In a way it bothered me, because the first time I watched I did not understand
what was exactly happening in the scene where he enters the room alone and looks into the
bowl of berries. It took me a few times to understand that he had to commit suicide because
of the loss of control of the outcome of the games and not foreseeing the possibility that
nightlock could be used for suicide. Since nightlock was the choice of death Katniss and
Peeta attempted to use to take advantage of the games, Seneca is locked into an empty room
with a bowl of nightlock, he has no other choice but to commit suicide. The book is very
different, no mention of Senecas death is addressed until the second book, Catching Fire,
which isnt described at all in the way the movie portrays it. This was a more creative
approach that the film makers created, which is most likely why the creators chose to show
Senecas death is such a way. I actually like the movies version more than the books
version; it allows us to draw our own conclusions of what happens to Seneca and makes the
audience imagine what happens to him instead of just saying he died. Although this was not
mentioned in the book and only briefly shown in the movie, I feel like it is an eye opening
scene. It shows us even those with high power are still defeated.
A similarity between the book and movie is the depiction of the Capitol; everything
from the food, to the people, to the design and architecture. The film creators made the movie
very similar to way I imagined it based on the descriptions in the book. The novel clearly
paints a picture of Panem, All the colors seem artificial, the pinks too deep, the greens too
bright, the yellows painful to the eyes, like the flat round disks of hard candy we can never
afford to buy (Collins 59) The film has very bright colors and extreme amounts of
makeup on each of the Capitol citizens, it looks like Halloween. Perhaps the creators chose to
do this because it would give the audience a strong image of how materialistic the Capitol
citizens are. Even though it is not my personal taste, and it is almost blinding how eccentric
some of them are dressed I did like the approach the creators took to show what the Capitol
was like. It gives a true image that the citizens clearly only worry about one thing:
appearance.
Both the novel and the movie show feminism through stereotypes, equality, power
and culture. The characters, Katniss, Peeta, and Gale, all have strong personalities and
qualities that are either very feminine or very masculine. The way the book describes them
gives the reader a clear picture of Katniss being protective, strong and independent which
tend to be our cultures more masculine qualities, she is often shown hunting or protecting
others. Peeta is more reserved and takes the less aggressive approach to survival. The film
shows this when he paints himself to look like a rock after being attacked, rather than fight
Cato back or seek revenge. Gale is the stereotypical male, like Katniss, he hunts and takes
care of his family; he is definitely a provider. Other roles in the film are fairly neutral, men
and women are the sponsors, the mentors and the game makers.
A Radical Female Hero From Dystopia
By A. O. SCOTT and MANOHLA DARGIS
Published: April 4, 2012
KATNISS EVERDEEN, the 16-year-old Hunger Games warrior who has torn through the
box office, is one of the most radical female characters to appear in American movies. The
films stunning success can partly be explained by the print sales of Suzanne Collinss trilogy
of young-adult novels, which jumped to more than 36.5 million in March from 16 million in
November, suggesting that the anticipation for the film was feeding demand for the books. At
the same time theres more to Katniss fever than page-screen synergy. Manohla Dargis and
A. O. Scott, the chief film critics of The New York Times, examine this complex, at times
contradictory character.
MANOHLA DARGIS One reason Katniss may be speaking to so many is that she doesnt
just seem to be a new kind of female character but also represents an alternative to an
enduring cultural type that the literary critic R. W .B. Lewis described as the American
Adam. Lewis saw this type as an individual emancipated from history, happily bereft of
ancestry, untouched and undefiled by the usual inheritances of family and race; an individual
standing alone, self-reliant and self-propelling, ready to confront whatever awaited him with
the aid of his own unique and inherent resources. Katniss, by contrast, is never liberated
from history or ancestry, but deeply formed by them and they, as much as her awesome
archery skills, help her through the slaughter of the games.
A. O. SCOTT I see the outlines of a future American Studies dissertation emerging in the
mist. In your review of The Hunger Games you perceptively align Katniss with James
Fenimore Coopers Natty Bumppo, one of the archetypal figures in the literature of the
American West. He is a socially marginal figure, a loner who defends the fragile society of
the frontier without ever becoming part of it. His mythic descendants include the righteous
loners of classic westerns: Shane, John Wayne, Clint Eastwood.
And also now Katniss. She is different, though, not only because she is a woman but also
because she is anything but a free, rootless figure of the wilderness. The paradise she comes
from has been colonized and enclosed. It looks like Daniel Boones Kentucky, but it has been
given the soulless bureaucratic name District 12. She is transported to an artificial garden
where the beasts are special effects, and cameras record every moment of solitude or
intimacy. There she fights for her life, and for kin and home, cruelly pitted against other
children who are doing the same.
All of this means that, as she sprints through the forest, Katniss is carrying the burden of
multiple symbolic identities. Shes an athlete, a media celebrity and a warrior as well as a
sister, a daughter, a loyal friend and (potential) girlfriend. In genre terms she is a western
hero, an action hero, a romantic heroine and a tween idol. She is Natty Bumppo, Diana the
chaste huntress of classical myth, and also the synthesis of Harry Potter and Bella Swan
the Boy Who Lived and the Girl Who Must Choose.
Ms. Collinss novels are able to fuse all of these meanings into a credible character embedded
in an exciting and complex story. I think, in spite of some shortcomings, that the movie also
succeeds where it counts most, which is in giving new and die-hard fans a Katniss they can
believe in.
DARGIS Certainly the character is strong enough to survive Gary Rosss direction and the
miscasting of Jennifer Lawrence, who turned 21 around the time the film wrapped. My
problem with her in the role (which, needless to say, isnt her fault but that of those who hired
her) is that she looks like the adult woman she is instead of a teenager who, a few years
before the story starts, as Katniss says in the first book, had been skin and bones and, as a
consequence of those hungry years, looks like a young girl. Its hard not to wonder if the
producers cast an adult to make the violence more palatable; its also hard not to think that
they cast a woman with a rocking body instead of a young girl partly because they were
worried that guys wouldnt turn out for a female-driven story.
Yet Katniss is such a sensational character that she fires up your imagination, even when Mr.
Ross seems intent on dampening it, and to embrace all those identities you mentioned. That
she embodies these different roles at the same time makes her feel new, particularly because
in contemporary American cinema, female characters are (still!) often reducible to type
(mother, girlfriend, victim). Thats worth looking at, as are the ways she differs from other
heroines, including one of the greatest, Ripley in the Alien series. Katniss isnt locked into
gender. She has assumed her dead fathers responsibility as the family provider and is also a
mother surrogate for her sister, Prim. But Katniss doesnt shift between masculinity and
femininity; she inhabits both, which may mean that neither really fits.
SCOTT Im not sure that both means neither. The confusion of gender identities has
been a staple of movies since before Marlene Dietrich first put on a top hat and tails. Whats
interesting about pop-culture heroines like Katniss and also Lisbeth Salander of The Girl
With the Dragon Tattoo and its sequels is how many different and contradictory gender
codes they absorb. Lisbeth is a feminist avenger, an antisocial nerd, a survivor of abuse and
an avatar of autonomous, polymorphous sexuality. At least in David Finchers recent movie
adaptation of Dragon Tattoo, she was also pretty clearly a male fantasy, to be ogled and
exploited by the cool, predatory gaze of his camera.
Katniss is not quite that. Yes, Jennifer Lawrence is beautiful, but I dont think she is miscast.
For me the key to her performance is her face. Her features are grave and somewhat
inscrutable, and she is at once a watchful, reactive presence in the world of Panem and a
determined, free-thinking actor within it.
This makes her a perfect surrogate for the reader turned viewer, who perceives this dystopian
world through her eyes and who also imagines him- or herself in Katnisss place. I say him or
her because The Hunger Games allows or maybe compels a kind of universal
identification that is rare, or maybe even taboo. Its generally assumed that girls can aspire to
be like Harry Potter or Spider-Man, or can at least embrace their adventures without
undermining their own femininity. But at least within marketing divisions of the culture
industry, it is an article of faith that boys wont pretend to be princesses.
Unless, maybe, the princesses are armed. Just look at Kristen Stewart in those posters for the
next Snow White movie, looking more like a killer Joan of Arc than a Disney ingnue. The
female warriors of an earlier generation Sigourney Weavers Ripley and then Linda
Hamiltons Sarah Connor in the Terminator movies were vessels of maternal rage,
grown-ups weaponizing their protective instincts. Katniss and her cohort seem to be
channeling a different kind of anger and playing to a different set of fantasies.
DARGIS Theres a playful side to how performers like Dietrich wittily, subversively, take on
gender, sure, which acknowledges that it is a construction. But theres something different
about how Katniss un-self-consciously blends characteristics that, even today, tend to be
identified in mainstream cinema with either men or women. For me Katniss recalls Ripley in
the first Alien in that they do the jobs they need to do and just happen to be female. By
contrast, in the later Alien movies and in the Terminator series, the maternal partly helps
rationalize female violence. The definitive encapsulation of this occurs in the second film
when Ripley, in protecting a little girl, clomps up to the alien and says, Get away from her,
you bitch!
SCOTT Im not sure that the issue today is the subversion of gender norms as much as a
widespread confusion about what those norms might be and whether they should even exist.
Thats what makes these movies so interesting and so open to interpretation. Attempts to
decode the nongender politics of The Hunger Games, to place it in the real-world
ideological landscape of tea parties and occupiers, have been predictably and amusingly all
over the map. And Katniss herself, in the ways weve been discussing, is very much an open
book.
After I saw the movie, my 13-year-old daughter asked me if I was team Peeta or team Gale,
referring to the District 12 boy who is Katnisss star-crossed lover in the Hunger Games
arena and her hunky best pal back home. The question also evokes Twilight, of course,
which has gotten a lot of fan-girl mileage out of the competitive objectification of Jacob and
Edward.
For the record I always thought Bella should ditch the pouty, sparkly bloodsucker and run
with the wolves, though as a grown-up film critic I know Im supposed to remain neutral. But
I have to say that it did not occur to me, watching The Hunger Games, to think very much
about who Katnisss boyfriend should be. She seemed to have more important things to
worry about and also, to bring it back to Leatherstocking and his kind, to be a
fundamentally solitary kind of heroine.
DARGIS By suggesting that Katniss occupied feminine and masculine positions (and is
therefore not locked into either), I was inching toward the idea that gender absolutes are less
confusing than inapt. I mean, is killing masculine? Is nurturing feminine? Katniss nurtures
and she kills, and she does both extremely well. Katniss is a fantasy figure, but partly what
makes her powerful and, I suspect, what makes her so important to a lot of girls and
women is that shes one of the truest feeling, most complex female characters to hit
American movies in a while. She isnt passive, she isnt weak, and she isnt some random
girl. Shes active, shes strong and shes the girl who motivates the story.
Katniss does evoke the American Adam, and she charts her own course. Shes a rugged
individualist who picked herself up by her fashionable bootstraps, but at the same time shes
rooted to her home and to her friend Gale, who gives her companionship, and to her sister,
Prim, who gives her love and a reason to live. And while the Hunger Games register as the
ultimate social Darwinian nightmare, Katniss triumphs by changing the rules and by forming
bonds with other tributes, specifically Rue and Peeta. Last, Rue (whos played by a biracial
actress in the film and is described in the book as having satiny brown skin) may
narratively function somewhat like Leatherstockings Indian companions, yet she is far from
the clichd noble savage type.
Some racist moviegoers, who may be reading white-supremacist fantasies into the survivalist
aspect of the story, have complained that Rue looks black (whatever that means). In truth
Rue, Katniss and Peeta exist in a new kind of frontier that is a dystopian nightmare but one
that has its utopian moment which may largely account for the films popularity in that
race and gender stereotypes have become seemingly irrelevant.
Gender portrayal in The Hunger Games
Posted on April 24, 2012 by Andrea
By Jasmine
A few weekends ago, I went to see The Hunger Games based on Suzanne Collins
national bestseller of the same name. Unlike die-hard fans, I had never read the book, but
couldnt be more pleased with the movies movement towards depicting strong female
protagonists.
The movie plays with stereotypes associated with gender in film, mixing ideals of
masculinity and femininity in the character of Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence). She is
the movies heroine and is no damsel in distress. When her bread-winning father passes away
leaving her mother heartbroken and paralyzed, Katniss takes over her his role and hunts in
order to support her starving family. Moments before Katniss departs for the Capitol to
participate in the games, about to face what she assumes to be her death, she assures her sister
she will be alright and forces her mother not to cry. During the games, Katniss is not afraid to
meet force with force; in the final scene, she unhesitatingly sends Cato falling to vicious
beasts below despite his desperate pleas. And while heroines of other films are stick-thin and
coated in make-up apparently to enhance their sex appeal, Katniss has a sturdy figure and
wears minimal make-up. The portrayal of mainstream masculinity in Katniss character is
indisputable.
But filmmakers play with film feminine ideals as well. Katniss is caring; she
volunteers as tribute for the Hunger Games to protect her younger sister Prim, whose name
had been initially called. Despite seeming to shy away from groups, Katniss demonstrates the
sociability typically associated with women; she takes great joy in her companionship with
young girls, later seen when she allies with young tribute Rue. And although Katniss comes
out of the games as victor, she avoids violence, having only killed two tributes.
These combined masculine and feminine film traits creates an interesting hero in
Katniss she is the best of all worlds. Its rare to find that in the movies: women characters
who are both assertive and nurturing at the same time. This is something I hope will speak to
young women: femininity shouldnt be read as weakness and women need not be pressured to
disavow feminized traits to compete, even in male-dominated workplaces.
The portrayal of men in The Hunger Games is also a place where stereotypes about
gender are played with. Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), Katnisss fellow tribute for her
district, is highly feminized in the film. He does not allow his desire to survive in the games
conflict with his strong ethics; he tends to follow the rules and as a result experiences greater
risk of death. When injured by Cato, rather than fighting back, Peeta chooses to hide by
camouflaging himself among the rocks, taking a less aggressive approach to ensure survival.
Although I couldnt help but be drawn in by his sensitivity and devotion to Katniss, I
was disturbed by the way Peeta is portrayed as helpless in the movie. Peeta is solely
dependent on Katniss when injured and would have died if it were not for her nursing him
back to health. The filmmakers try to emphasize Peetas inferiority to Katniss when she
allocates him the duty of gathering berries while she hunts and when she yells at him,
outraged that he could be so foolish as to gather Nightlock, lethal berries.
I left the theatre with the character of Peeta on my mind. What was the purpose of
feminizing Peeta to such an extreme? Was it to target audience members like myself who
are drawn to the sensitive male, or could it be a simple foil to emphasize Katniss
masculinized strength and aggressiveness? Just as the portrayal of Katniss combines the type
of male and female traits often shown in movies to create an idealized cross-boundaries
hero, would it not have been possible to to do the same for Peetas character? Why should a
feminized male be so unfavourably portrayed?
The feminized male phenomenon is certainly not unique to The Hunger Games.
The trailer for soon-to-be-released film What to Expect When Youre Expecting features a
group of husbands strolling in sync, pushing strollers, infants crawling on their arms,
equipped with baby gear. Despite the message that movies like The Hunger Games and What
to Expect When Youre Expecting seem to suggest, I do not believe that the ascent of a more
sophisticated, gender-stereotype-busting idealized media image of women needs be built on
the oversimplified portrayal of feminized men.

Identity Construction and the Gaze in The
Hunger Games
By Allison Layfield
When asked about her inspiration for The Hunger Games, the best-selling Young
Adult dystopian novel series, author Suzanne Collins said:
I was very tired and I was lying in bed channel surfing. I happened upon a reality
program, recorded live, that pitted young people against each other for money. As I
sleepily watched, the lines of reality started to blur for meI am fearful that today
people see so many reality shows and dramas that when the real news is on, its impact
is completely lost on them. (Blassingame 727)
This description of Collins' experience hints at two common concerns regarding the
way Reality TV has changed how we watch television: first, we have shifted into a moment
when we want television to be "real" and the lines between "reality" and "reality tv" have
become indistinguishable; second, Collins worries that the effects of these Reality TV shows
change the viewers themselves.
These concerns are not new to the academic discourse of Reality Television, but have
usually been discussed in terms of surveillance, rampant consumerism, commodification and
the effects of late capitalism. Yet these themes are rarely discussed in relationship to Reality
TV's target audience, young adults. The very separate discourse of media influence on
adolescent identity construction often focuses on television portrayals of adolescence that
address issues of marginality, race, class, gender and cult television (Ross 9-18). Reality
television rarely enters into this conversation; both discourses miss the opportunity to better
understand how media communicates with an adolescent audience regarding identity
formation. I propose that The Hunger Games is a key coming-of-age narrative that shows us
how interactive media marks a distinctive shift both in how subjects construct themselves and
how the act of viewing itself has permanently changed.
While The Hunger Games is a dystopian novel about life under a despotic
government, it is also a bildungsroman in which we follow Katniss Everdeen and her
transformation from ordinary girl into Reality TV hero (Nayar). This transformation occurs
when she is pulled from her home in a coal-mining district and forced to participate in the
Hunger Games, an annual event in which children fight to the death in an arena. The structure
of these games follows the Reality TV format and is broadcast across the nation. By
following Katniss through her character-building transformation, we can explore the
relationship between identity construction and Reality TV as a genre: her journey is an
example that shows us how Reality TV has changed the way we watch television. The
Hunger Games also asks its adolescent audience to think critically about the way television
influences their own identity construction process.
Reality TV has set itself apart from previous television viewing practices by
introducing two new features to television programming. First, the "reality" element of the
show comes from the contestants, who are selected from among the viewing audience. Unlike
the stars of fictional television shows, Reality TV stars are not actors. Part of the Reality TV
game's appeal is the democratic selection of contestants, which offers an opportunity to close
"the gap between the unfulfilled passive viewer and the impossible fullness of the screen
idol/advertising model. Reality shows promise to collapse the distance that separates those on
either side of the screen by cultivating the fantasy that 'it really could be you up there on that
screenjust send in your head shots and a homemade video, or call this number now'"
(Andrejevic 9). The "reality" part of the show thus begins before the show is aired; rather
than entering the Reality TV program in the first episode, contestants enter the narrative
during the audition or video interview, when they have to convince producers that they can
provide the necessary drama to keep viewers interested. To do so the contestant must show
casting directors and producers that s/he fits the mold of the stock personas needed to make
the show function dramatically. But this is not an acting audition. Contestants do not
showcase their acting abilities; they work to prove that they are "genuinely" that persona, that
their "real" selves neatly fit the persona slot that casting directors are looking to fill. This
genuineness is necessary, as Jrme Bourdon has pointed out, because "participants have no
choice but to expose themselves [their genuine selves] as they do not know what will be
edited from the shooting" once the show has started (68-69). The show may choose to use
audition footage as part of the show, and so the audition tape itself has to feel authentic in
order to win over viewers from the first moments on air. But while contestants must be
"genuine," they also know which persona archetypes are selected for shows and they
construct their "true selves" as representative of a particular Reality TV persona that will be
valuable for producers.
The second major feature of Reality TV is its use of voter participation. Voters,
through participating in the selection of contestants and winners, receive a television
experience that is "mass customized" for them; they transition from a more passive position
as viewers to a more active role through which viewers can effect the outcome of narratives
(Andrejevic 11). These features of Reality TV"real" people chosen from the viewing
audience and the use of voter participationmark a shift in the relationship and identity
construction for both viewers and the on-screen idols they watch.
Before Reality TV existed, Laura Mulvey identified the relationship between viewer
and on-screen idol as related to scopophilia: spectators experience pleasure in looking, in
subjecting people to a controlling gaze (16). However, that was in 1975, and while Mulvey's
ideas about the Male Gaze are (sadly) still applicable to film and television today, the Reality
TV format has fundamentally changed how spectators gaze. To understand how Reality TV
has led to a new kind of gaze, it is important to understand how Mulvey's "male gaze" works
directionally: the spectator does not gaze directly at the objectified female body on screen; he
must first re-direct his scopophilic pleasure through a male protagonist because the woman
on screen can never fall in love with the non-diegetic spectator (Mulvey 21). The spectator's
gaze moves in one direction only: from his position outside the film, through the male
protagonist, toward the object of desire.
With the advent of Reality TV, the spectator's gaze is less controlling and more
interactive. No mediation through a character is necessary; the spectator interacts directly
with the objects on screen to change what occurs as well as who leaves the narrative. In this
new viewing practice, "interactive gazing," the audience and contestants gaze at and interact
directly with one another. Spectators interact with contestants through voter participation, and
contestants interact with spectators by taking advantage of the narrative and filming
techniques of Reality TV to influence how viewers will vote. Where Mulvey's gaze was
motivated by scopic and erotic desire, this "interactive gazing" in Reality TV transforms
desire into the audience's search for what Jrme Bourdon calls "the authentic intimate"
within the narrative.
In Reality TV the relationship between spectator and contestant revolves around the
spectator's search for "moments of authenticity" when contestants are "'really' themselves in
an unreal environment" (Bourdon 70). Both producers and the audience know that exposure
of the authentic intimate will lead to a show's success; the real draw of the Reality TV game
is therefore not so much the structured game of the show, but the emotional game that
contestants inevitably play because of their constant interaction under stressful
circumstances. While we want to know who will win the show, we watch the show week-to-
week because we want to see how contestants negotiate their relationships with one another;
watching their interactions allows the audience to "share an intimate acquaintance with the
performers" (Bourdon 68). Within this emotional game spectator and producers turn to two
key situations for the authentic intimate: lovemaking and conflict, moments during which it is
assumed that a person exposes "the naked self" (70). This search for the authentic intimate
via interactions between spectators and Reality TV contestants provides an interesting space
in which to think about how identity construction works. The desire of the Reality TV
audience is not merely scopic, it is also a desire for validation of social norms that we assume
are true to human nature. When we search for "the naked self" in Reality TV performances,
we are really looking for "real" people to act according toor in opposition toour moral
codes.
In relation to The Hunger Games, this search for the "naked self" is further
complicated by the layers of audiences who "watch" Katniss progress through the games.
There is the Panem audience, consisting of viewers in the different districts from which the
tributes are collected. Then there are the actual readers of The Hunger Games novels, who
watch the games through Katniss's perspective and "see" the filming of the games through
written description. Finally, there are the viewers of The Hunger Games film adapted from
the first novel. For each of these groups, the "real" Katniss is determined by distinctly
different layers of representation. For the sake of this discussion, I will refer to Katniss's
diegetic audience as "Panem viewers" when considering the audience who watches the
Reality TV game show within the novel. "Readers" refer to the novel's audience, both adult
and young adult readers, who filter their experience through Collins' written descriptions. The
term "audience" refers to both of these groups as a collective.
Constructing one's identity according to the process and desires of the entertainment
industry is a matter of life and death for Katniss, who we watch move through identity
construction by adhering to the Reality TV process of molding her "true self" to a reality TV
persona. Katniss does this by creating moments of authenticity for the audience during
moments of conflict. Through voter participation and the seemingly democratic selection of
contestants from the "real" viewing audience, Reality TV games ritualize a process "whereby
both performers and audiences are in effect governed through the unreflexive naturalization
of particular behavioral norms" (Couldry 58). This naturalization of norms as related to the
authentic intimate is apparent when Katniss performs moments of authenticity for Panem
viewers who will sponsor her with life-saving gifts. Her successful identity construction will
be either validated or rejected by these viewers who reward or punish contestants based on
their actions.
The first of these moments comes when she runs from a forest fire deliberately set by
the Gamemakers in order to force Katniss to engage with other contestants. As she examines
a resulting wound Katniss admits, "I almost fainted at the sight of my leg. The flesh is a
brilliant red covered with blisters" (Collins 178). Katniss recognizes that this is a moment in
which her true character will be revealed to Panem viewers: "I force myself to take deep,
slow breaths, feeling quite certain the cameras are on my face. I can't show weakness at this
injury. Not if I want help. Pity does not get you aid. Admiration at your refusal to give in
does" (179). Katniss's reaction to her injury is familiar to both Panem viewers and readers of
The Hunger Games, two audiences whose heroes are characteristically defined by an
unwillingness "to give in" to pain or to ask for help. Katniss is thus defined as a hero for us;
she validates the heroic code as natural, as part of her real self. Because readers have seen
Katniss in her home environment where she bravely defies Capitol law to hunt for food
illegally, we know that her bravery in the face of adversity is genuineand so her character
formation is less constructed by the television show than it is nearly compatible with it. The
challenge for Katniss is not to act brave when she feels afraid (she is brave) but to force
herself to perform for the camera by using ritualized expressions of bravery and heroics in
order to show Panem viewers and producers that she fits the persona of the hero.
As Katniss engages in this interactive relationship with Panem viewers, the camera
itself mediates her identity and her survival as she uses surplus footage to demonstrate her
ability to be a key dramatic player in the structured conflict of the Hunger Games. When
cornered by other contestants who want to eliminate her from the game, she climbs a tree to
escape from them; she quietly hides while the Careers (contestants who trained to enter the
Hunger Games) kill another girl nearby. As Katniss watches, it is revealed that her ally Peeta
has joined the Career Pack. Although surprised at this revelation, Katniss recognizes that she
has an opportunity to win back the audience's support. She tells us: "While I've been
concealed by darkness and the sleeping bag and the willow branches, it has probably been
difficult for the cameras to get a good shot of me. I know they must be tracking me now
though. The minute I hit the ground, I'm guaranteed a close-up" (Collins 163). As Pramod
Nayar points out, the Hunger Games, similar to other Reality TV shows, "valorize individual
skill, utility and individual thinking." These characteristics are also definitive of the
action/military hero, and Katniss has solidified her appeal as an action hero within the Reality
TV show of the Hunger Games. But she has also given us a peek at the ideological function
of Reality TV games in general: these shows piece together narratives that "both affirm
prevailing beliefs and naturalize them by embedding them in contexts that represent
themselves as real" (Henthorne 96). Katniss's injury, and her ability to move past this injury
to utilize the camera to present herself as emotionally strong are without a doubt real in the
sense that her actions are unscripted and she is actually injured. However, the gamemakers
have significant agency in constructing her as hero given that they have created the fireballs
and indeed the entire world of the arena. Katniss can make decisions, but only within the
gamemakers' constraints (Risko 81). While she has utilized cameras to imitate the action
hero's nonchalance in the face of danger, the public expression of her identity is only partially
under her control and is also constructed by the entertainment industry and the state.
When Katniss jumps out of the trees and smiles at the camera, we understand that she
is aware of the cameras and how surplus footage will be edited for Panem viewers. Surplus
exposure reassures spectators that the artifice of the show does not negate its authenticity; it
also helps convince Panem viewers that the contestants are revealing their "true" selves, even
though they know that the show is edited.? In the moment of high emotional tension
surrounding her revelation with Peeta, Katniss must show that she is worthy of the audience's
attention, and that she is able to compete in the structured game of the show. Katniss is not
only aware of how the show will edit and produce this moment, she is able to imagine the
audience's reaction and use it to her advantage:
The audience will be beside themselves, knowing I was in the tree, that I overheard
the Careers talkingI need to look one step ahead of the game. So as I slide out of the
foliage and into the dawn light, I pause a second, giving the cameras time to lock on me.
Then I cock my head slightly to the side and give a knowing smile. There! Let them figure
out what that means!" (Collins 163)
Her ability to recognize an audience's reaction stems from her knowledge of the
Reality TV game genre (Fisher 28). Because she watched the Hunger Games throughout her
childhood, she knows how Panem viewers react to plot twists, as well as that these twists can
be used for her own survival on the show (Wright 102). This is the interactive gaze at work:
Katniss imagines how Panem viewers watch her, and she behaves accordingly. She watches
their gift-giving behavior and uses her own actions to influence their future behavior. This is
possible because she has previously been a spectator. And so a cycle of interaction occurs:
she learns how to be a contestant from having been a Panem viewer and having participated
in the audience/tribute relationship in the past (Wright 102). She also acknowledges the "real"
relationship with Panem viewersshe is performing for them; they know she knows how to
manipulate Reality TV conventionsand that her performance here will make her moments
of authenticity all the more real later in the games. Eventually, Katniss is rewarded with the
Panem viewers' "vote" of approval that arrives in the form of medicine to help heal her burn.
This moment also establishes her agency within the show. She knows that producers will edit
her narrative, and so she constructs a moment that is full of mystery and drama so that
producers cannot ignore her; thus she begins to take control of her narrative.
Katniss also delivers moments of authenticity through her love story with Peeta. Upon
the announcement that, in this particular Hunger Games, two tributes from the same district
can win, Katniss immediately thinks, "Two of us can live. Both of us can live" (244); this
realization leads directly into her understanding of "us," and that Katniss and Peeta can
survive the games together. She then says, "Before I can stop myself, I call out Peeta's name"
(244), which ends the book's second section, "The Games." The next section, "The Victor,"
begins with Katniss' realization that this instinctive reaction to find Peeta is both authentic
and dangerous: "I clap my hands over my mouth, but the sound has already escapedWhat a
stupid thing to do! I wait, frozen, for the woods to come alive with assailants" (247). This
uncontrolled vocal outburst parallels an earlier moment in the story when Katniss volunteers
to take her sister's place in the Hunger Games. In both situations, Katniss screams aloud and
places herself in danger by voicing her compassion for others. Because of this parallel
between Katniss's pre-Reality TV actions and her filmed actions, the audience understands
that she has genuine feelings for Peeta and this authentic moment will validate their
upcoming love scene.
After searching for Peeta and finding him mortally injured, Katniss cleans his wounds
and they take shelter in a cave. Certain he will die, Peeta begins to discuss his death. Katniss
reacts: "Impulsively, I learn forward and kiss him, stopping his words. This is probably
overdue anyway since he's right, we are supposed to be madly in love" (261). Her immediate
reaction to talk of his death is an expression of love, and while it's followed by thoughts of
how the kiss plays into their Reality TV narrative, Panem viewers read this as a moment of
authenticity, once again rewarding Katniss with a gift of broth to help Peetaand their love
storysurvive. In realizing they will only survive the games if Panem viewers support them
as a couple, Katniss turns her moment of authenticity into a performance (Henthorne 102). To
maintain the authenticity of the love scene she imagines a formulaic love narrative for the
audience: "If I want to keep Peeta alive, I've got to give the audience something more to care
about. Star-crossed lovers desperate to get home together. Two hearts beating as one.
Romance" (261). From this moment on, Katniss and Peeta perform their love story for the
cameras as a direct communication with Panem viewers. However, here Katniss' relationship
to the audience differs from her earlier performance in the tree: as she engages in a
relationship with Peeta to satisfy Panem viewer expectations, she begins to conflate reality
and performance. As the games continue, and even after Peeta and Katniss eventually win
and exit the arena, she is uncertain about her love for him; the public identity she has created
cannot be separated from how she understands her inner self.
A contestant's conflation of reality and the show's narrative is necessary in order to
win the Reality TV game; a contestant must deliver not only moments of authenticity but also
a final, "hyper-real moment" defined by "a sense of revelation, of supreme authenticity of the
naked self" (Bourdon 71). These moments in which the true self is exposed happen through
two kinds of narrative tension, love and conflict, because we understand love and conflict as
potentially revelatory (71). Here, I would like to extend the idea of "revelation" in Bourdon's
definition: the hyper-real moment must have the potential to transcend the enclosed "reality"
of Reality TV, extending the revelation into the contestant's real life; it must be normal-life-
changing in order to reach "supreme" authenticity. When Katniss gives Peeta a handful of
poisonous berries and the couple agrees to kill themselves, she is delivering the hyper-real
moment to her audience. But she is also exercising the little agency she has as an individual
controlled by the Capitol (Henthorne 102). The self she has constructed transcends the show's
narrative; once commodified as a love object and built to fit the soldier-hero persona, Katniss
has no "genuine" self to go back to in "real life." She realizes this as she renames herself on
the train home from the Hunger Games: "Katniss Everdeen. A girl who lives in the Seam.
Hunts in the Woods. Trades in the HobI try to remember who I am and who I am not"
(370).
The identity construction process that Katniss undergoes during the Reality TV show
is not limited to her as a contestant; Panem viewers experience a similar process. Because
contestants are genuine people and not actors, Reality TV spectators thus watch Reality TV
strategically; watching the show means learning to understand how you too might be able to
critically look at your performance in "real" life, before categorizing yourself as a Reality TV
persona who might be able to participate and win. While spectators gaze at and interact with
contestants, they also have the opportunity to construct themselves as possible contestants.
Thus the identity construction process transfers from the diegetic world of the show to the
non-diegetic "reality" of spectators' lives, giving Reality TV the potential to re-shape how we
construct our identities, as possible products valuable in the entertainment market.
Katniss is not the only one permanently changed by the Hunger Games; Panem
viewers have changed how they participate in the games as well. Traditionally, the twelve
districts of Panem only support (vote) for the child tributes from their own district, as
sponsoring others could potentially aid in the killing of their own district's children. But when
Katniss tries to save Rue, the tribute from District 11, the district responds with a gift of food.
In the second book of the series, Catching Fire, details from Katniss's Hunger Games
costume become the symbol of the rebel fighters as her actions inspire small rebellions in the
districts of Panem. This interaction, which occurs through the televised Hunger Games,
transcends the diegetic/non-diegetic boundaries of television narratives and the identities
constructed through the show have the potential to permanently change both Panem viewers
and the contestant who engage in the show together. Finally, Katniss's transformation process
not only affects Reality TV viewers within the novel, it positions adolescent readers of the
novel in a critical space that asks them to question how Katniss' struggle for agency in her
identity construction process might relate to readers' own world outside of the novel.
While the novel creates a space for adolescent readers to compare their own lives to
the lives of characters in The Hunger Games, teachers can help students make use of this
critical space by guiding them towards a comparison in several ways. One way to do this is to
help students recognize that Katniss is not a natural-born hero. She may be courageous, but
she becomes a Reality TV star because she knows how to perform the role of the hero in a
way that her audience can understand. By asking students to recognize Katniss's extreme self-
awareness under the eye of the camera, along with the way she fits herself into the persona of
the soldier hero, teachers can help students reflect on the "personas" they are expected to
perform in their own world through critical reading and writing activities.
Another way is to use The Hunger Games novels series as a way to introduce social
justice projects into the Language Arts/English classroom. Amber M. Simmons suggests that
the use of such projects can help students relate to and fight against real-world issues of
hunger, poverty, forced labor and the use of child soldiers, and in doing so help them develop
a critical consciousness about the world in which they live (24). Thus the trilogy both serves
as an introduction to and gives students the ability to talk about important issues with which
they may not have experience. This might help students see beyond an often-accepted
rhetoric that everyone is equal and individual (Simmons 26). As a result, students can begin
to find ways to help those in need, through organizing events like hunger or loose-change
drives that support charities. These projects both show students that their actions can affect
change, helping them to overcome a feeling of helplessness and futility that may accompany
the development of their critical consciousness regarding real-world issues (24).
While this second pedagogical approach does a wonderful job of using literature to
help students become involved with real-world projects, teachers can further develop this
social-justice approach by asking high school and college-level students to reflect not only on
real-world issues but their own subject position in relation to these issues. Simmons proposes
that students research forced labor and the blood diamond industry in Sierra Leone alongside
The Hunger Games as part of a social-justice project. In such a project, I would add that it is
vital for students to recognize that the blood diamond industry depends on a demand for
diamonds. We could, for instance, ask students to reflect on their own relationship to
diamonds: What are diamonds used for? How do we commonly see diamonds in our part of
the world? How does culture/media encourage us to use diamonds? After learning about
Sierra Leone, how can they change their own relationship to the diamond industry?
Incorporating reflective writing assignments that ask students to consider more than their own
individual identities, and focus on their choices and subject positions in the world can help
them better understand how inequalities around issues like hunger and labor are created and
maintained by our own actions. By combining a social justice approach with reflective
writing activities, teachers encourage students to think in terms of solidarity rather than
simple charity; and it is the impossibility of solidarity which usually divides the social world
in dystopian fiction such as The Hunger Games (Fisher 27). While this might be too
overwhelming and broad-reaching a concept for younger students, it can help high school and
college-aged students see the world not as a self/other dichotomy, but as a system in which
they are a functioning part and therefore possess the potential to change the world by helping
others and by changing their own behaviors and habits.
Works cited:
Andrejevic, Mark. Reality TV: The Work of Being Watched. Lanham, Md: Rowman &
Littlefield Publishers, 2004. Print.
Blassingame, James. "An Interview with Suzanne Collins." Journal of Adolescent and Adult
Literacy 52:8 (2009) 726-727. Print.
Bourdon, Jrme. "Self-Despotism: Reality Television and the New Subject of Politics."
Framework: The Journal of Cinema & Media 49.1 (2008): 66-82. 30 March 2012.
Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic Press, 2008. Print.
Couldry, Nick. "The Ritualized Norms of Television's 'Reality' Games." Reality TV:
Remaking Television Culture. Ed. Susan Murray and Laurie Ouelette. New York: New York
University Press, 2004. 57-74. Print.
Fisher, Mark. "Precarious Dystopias: The Hunger Games, In Time and Never Let Me Go."
Film Quarterly 65.4 (2012): 27-33. JSTOR.
<http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/FQ.2012.65.4.27>. 18 March 2013.
Henthorne, Tom. Approaching the Hunger Games Trilogy. London: McFarland & Company,
Inc., 2012. Print.
Mulvey, Laura. " Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema." Visual and Other Pleasures.
Bloomington, In: Indiana University Press. 1989. 14-26. Print.
Nayar, Pramod K. "Growing Up Different(ly): Space, Community and the Dissensual
Bildungsroman in Suzanne Collins' the Hunger Games." Journal of Postcolonial Networks,
JPN Reviews 2. 12 May 2012.
http://postcolonialnetworks.com/2012/05/08/nayar_on_collin/24 Dec. 2012>. 24 Dec. 2012.
Pharr, Mary, and Leisa A. Clark, eds. Of Bread, Blood, and the Hunger Games: Critical
Essays on the Suzanne Collins Trilogy. Jefferson, N.C: McFarland & Co., Publishers, 2012.
Print.
Risko, Guy Andre. "Katniss Everdeen's Liminal Choices and the Foundations of
Revolutionary Ethics."Of Bread, Blood, and the Hunger Games: Critical Essays on the
Suzanne Collins Trilogy. ed. Pharr, Mary and Clark, Leisa A. Jefferson, N.C: McFarland &
Co., Publishers, 2012. 80-88. Print.
Simmons, Amber M. "Class on Fire: Using the Hunger Games Trilogy to Encourage Social
Action." Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy 56.1 (September 2012): 22-34. Print.
Wright, Katheryn. "Revolutionary Art in the Age of Reality TV."Of Bread, Blood, and the
Hunger Games: Critical Essays on the Suzanne Collins Trilogy. ed. Pharr, Mary and Clark,
Leisa A. Jefferson, N.C: McFarland & Co., Publishers, 2012. 98-107. Print.


Is Katniss Everdeen Actually A Strong
Female Character?
Posted: 06/11/2014 8:02 am EDT Updated: 06/12/2014 12:59 pm EDT
The "strong female character" is having a moment in popular culture. Equally, it is the
subject of criticism by many, including Sarah Dunn at PolicyMic, who says, "Enough With
the 'Strong Female Characters', Already," and Sophia McDougall who simply wrote, "I Hate
Strong Female Characters." Natalie Portman has also weighed in, and was quoted by
PolicyMic as saying:
The fallacy in Hollywood is that if youre making a feminist story, the woman kicks ass
and wins. Thats not feminist, thats macho. A movie about a weak, vulnerable woman can be
feminist if it shows a real person that we can empathize with.
In a recent study entitled "Violent Female Action Characters in Contemporary American
Cinema," academic Katy Gilbatric conducted a content analysis of violent female action
characters shown in American action films from 1991 through 2005. The analysis focused on
three aspects: gender stereotypes, demographics, and quantity and type of violence. In a
section quoted in Wired, she writes,
The [violent female action character] is a recent addition to contemporary American cinema
and has the potential to redefine female heroines, for better or worse. This research provides
evidence that the majority of female action characters shown in American cinema are not
empowering images, they do not draw on their femininity as a source of power, and they are
not a kind of "post woman" operating outside the boundaries of gender restrictions.
According to the abstract, the authors findings suggest continued gender stereotypes set
within a violent framework of contemporary American cinema. Taking this as an indication
of the climate into which Katniss (as a star movie character) was born, lets take a look at
reactions in the media. Jezebels Melissa Silverstein commented on the sheer exposure of The
Hunger Games the day before the movie premiered. Over 2,000 screens were sold out ahead
of opening weekend, and the writer points out that the film was due to open on approximately
4,000 screens, while Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (Bill Condon, 2012, the fifth movie
instalment in the saga) opened in a mere 62 screens more. (She also gives credit to Twilight
for "setting the table" for The Hunger Games.) Silverstein argues both sides: why its good
that little attention was focused on the films female protagonist as a point of importance; and
why, at the same time, it is remarkable. She observes that the romance element of the story
was not focused upon until the final week of marketing, stating that, "Im sure it is a
testament to the book, but it is also a testament to the diversity of fans." On the negative side,
however, she writes that
at the same time it DOES matter that Katniss is a girl and people men, women, boys and
girls are all interested in seeing this film. This has the potential to show Hollywood where
honestly it is already a hit even before it opens and finding the next potential franchise is on
everyones mind, that having a strong female character is not something to try and avoid, it is
something to be seen as a potential success.
While female-led franchises are often seen as box office poison, or follow a hyper-
sexualized, violent female protagonist dressed in masculine qualities and tight clothing (think
Catwoman [Pitof, 2004], Salt [Phillip Noyce, 2010] and Aeon Flux [Karyn Kusama, 2005]),
Katniss, on the other hand, is not sexualized which well come back to in detail in a
moment. Despite this, Jennifer Lawrence still came under media scrutiny; more specifically,
her looks did. In her review of The Hunger Games, New York Times film critic Manohla
Dargis wrote, "A few years ago Ms. Lawrence might have looked hungry enough to play
Katniss, but now, at 21, her seductive, womanly figure makes a bad fit for a dystopian fantasy
about a people starved into submission." Many more comments were made in the media
about Lawrences size and height relative to her co-star and Katnisss male love interest,
Peeta, played by Josh Hutcherson. Slates L. V. Anderson was quick to respond, asking,
"why havent they been more consistent in their critiques of actors bodies? [...] I havent
seen much concern about Liam Hemsworths muscular frame, even though his character in
The Hunger Games occupies the same food-strapped world as Katniss." Further, she argues,
Movie critics suspend their disbelief all the time and when they suddenly refuse to do so for
a female actor whose body looks more like an average womans body rather than less, its
hard to see that as anything but sexist.
Misogyny in the media seems inevitable, and this charge demonstrates a real-world hang-up
on the physical portrayal of femininity. This leads us to Suzanne Collinss own handling of
masculinity and femininity in The Hunger Games. Every well-rounded character in fiction is
likely to embody some traits from each gender (as they are typically understood and
stereotyped). Katniss is particularly interesting because not only does she demonstrate both
masculine and feminine traits, but the scales tip in favor of the more masculine. In "Katniss
and the Politics of Gender", Jessica Miller outlines Katnisss leaning towards masculine traits
thus:
Bucking the popular culture trend of the helpless girlfriend who needs to be saved by
her man, Collins presents Katniss as the strong one. Yet Katniss still needs Peetas
warmth and decency. Even their postwar domestic life bucks gender expectations:
Peeta begs for children and Katniss relents; Peeta bakes and Katniss hunts. The
romance between Katniss and Peeta offers a welcome foil to the many romances in
popular culture that hew closely to the expectations of stereotypical femininity and
masculinity.
Kelsey Wallace of bitchmagazine.org takes this further, delving into the relative femininity of
Peetas primary characteristics in direct opposition with Katnisss more masculine ones.
While Gale, as the third point of the triangle, is conventionally masculine and, as Wallace
puts it, "follows the 'masculine' logic that men form bonds through shared activity as opposed
to shared feelings (the womans way of bonding)", Peeta, on the other hand, possesses many
traits we associate with femininity hes artistic, hes intuitive, he cries in front of people, he
wears his heart on his sleeve hes emotionally vulnerable in a way we dont think of heroes
as being emotionally vulnerable. Pretty and sensitive.
A few weeks after Dargiss review in which she concerned herself with Lawrences
appearance as Katniss, she took part in a discussion with colleague A. O. Scott in a piece
entitled "A Radical Female Hero from Dystopia". Here, Dargis questions our stereotypical
ideas of what is masculine and what is feminine thus:
I mean, is killing masculine? Is nurturing feminine? Katniss nurtures and she kills, and she
does both extremely well. Katniss is a fantasy figure, but partly what makes her powerful
and, I suspect, what makes her so important to a lot of girls and women is that shes one of
the truest feeling, most complex female characters to hit American movies in a while. She
isnt passive, she isnt weak, and she isnt some random girl. Shes active, shes strong and
shes the girl who motivates the story.
Throughout the books, Katniss appears unemotional at times. She is often disconnected from
emotional triggers or is actively screening herself from painful thoughts and situations. This
runs counter to Peetas relative vulnerability and Gales emotionally charged (read: angry)
rants against the Capitol. While Katnisss stereotypically masculine solemnity is derided by
many, Peetas more feminine sensitivity often goes without comment. This reversal of
traditional gender roles confronts many of our preconceptions about gender and, by doing
something unusual, creates conflict within the story and brings out a great deal of debate in
the real world.
Katniss is a tomboy, and her masculine traits often act as a protective barrier against the
world. What she must come to terms with are her feminine traits, which are presented as a
double threat as she navigates the feminine sides of both her personality and her physical
appearance under public gaze. As Peeta and Gale discuss in Mockingjay, Katniss will choose
a partner based on her best chance of survival, rather than for love, which also hardens
audiences perceptions of her. In contrast to Katniss, Finnick is a strong, handsome character
with deep sensitivity like Peeta. He is presented in a way that is unlike other male characters:
for example, he is a prostitute for the Capitol, an unusual storyline for a male. His love story
is also set in opposition to Katniss and Peetas: while the starcrossed lovers story is filled
with artifice, Finnick and Annies enduring love is rewarded with a wedding free of Capitol
contrivance. While the majority of love and marriage stories focus on the bride, Finnick is
front and centre. Meanwhile his wife-to-be is shown as a highly vulnerable, very feminine
character, as sweet and helpless as Prim was at the beginning of The Hunger Games. Despite
having won the Games herself, Annie is ruined by the experience and her mentor Mags, like
Katniss, volunteers in Annies place.
Katniss is also wary of being portrayed as physically feminine, and much of this is tied up in
the performative aspect of the Hunger Games, from being selected to how she thinks shell be
portrayed on-screen in the Arena. For example, she keeps herself from crying at the Reaping
so as not to appear as an easy target. During her Capitol makeover, she describes the action as
though it is happening outside of herself, like she is not an active agent in the beautification
of her face and body. During the Hunger Games interview process she demonstrates a
flourish of femininity, as mentioned above, but it does not last. This interplay between her
mental and physically masculine traits comes to a head at the end of this process: when Peeta
announces his love for her, she argues that he has made her look weak; Haymitch counters
that Peeta made her desirable. These moments, much as she hates them, allow Katniss to
draw power from her feminine traits and are most instrumental in her growth as a character.
As Collins and the film-makers are breaking the binds of traditional gender roles, Katniss
also takes on roles beyond her gender which she must learn to navigate. These go beyond the
Capitols punishment in all its forms (poverty, imprisonment, compulsory fights to the death,
and even physical beautification), and into the murky arena of identity. A.O. Scott places
Katniss many identities both in terms of the story and the larger cultural context thus:
as she sprints through the forest, Katniss is carrying the burden of multiple symbolic
identities. Shes an athlete, a media celebrity and a warrior as well as a sister, a daughter, a
loyal friend and (potential) girlfriend. In genre terms she is a western hero, an action hero, a
romantic heroine and a tween idol [...] and also the synthesis of Harry Potter and Bella Swan
the Boy Who Lived and the Girl Who Must Choose. Ms. Collinss novels are able to fuse
all of these meanings into a credible character embedded in an exciting and complex story.
Believing in Katniss is a major element in the story; its what makes us empathize and root
for Panem at large. In "Will the Real Katniss Everdeen Please Stand Up?" Victors Village
contributor Satsuma also addresses the issue of Katnisss identity or, rather, identities, all of
which she must embody to ignite the fight against the Capitol:
And much like the overall story offers different things to different people, so does its heroine,
Katniss Everdeen. Marshall Bruce Mathers III created not just one persona, "Eminem", but
also the "Slim Shady" persona as a spinoff of that. Well, Katniss, along the course of the
story, also acquires several different personas. The Girl on Fire. The Star-Crossed Lover. The
Mockingjay.
Before the Games, Katnisss life relied on activities directly correlating with subsistence:
hunting, trading, taking care of Prim, and so on. Not only is her day-to-day life redefined by
action, but personas and identities are bestowed upon her. The Girl on Fire and the Star-
Crossed Lover from District 12 go hand-in-hand, but are also opposing identities. When she
behaves in the mould of one identity at the expense of another, it creates opportunities for
ridicule, making her life a constant compromise between personas and identities. This
includes fluctuations in the distribution of her masculine and feminine characteristics, the
reactions to which are not limited to the storyworld, but also take place in the public
discourse.
Katniss is certainly a character who reaches beyond this faux feminist, "strong female
character" Hollywood fad. Her masculine traits are not simply active and violent, they are
coping mechanisms, instincts to protect and survive. When she breaks emotionally, it is not
with irrationality or loss of control, but with empathy, believability and grace. It is without
sexualization, with flaws and with multifaceted gendered traits that Katniss becomes the
"strong female character" who stands out against Hollywoods army of female action
characters which fail to empower. She is The Girl on Fire, the Mockingjay, and the leader of
a revolution.
Tested by a Picturesque Dystopia
The Hunger Games, Based on the Suzanne
Collins Novel
By MANOHLA DARGIS
Theres a short anxious scene in the new film The Hunger Games when its 16-year-old
heroine, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), races through a deep, dark forest; falls down
a hill; and rolls and rolls, only to rise up and thrust herself again into the unknown. Katniss,
the lethally tough linchpin from Suzanne Collinss trilogy and now a rather less imposing
film heroine, is a teenage survivalist in a postapocalyptic take on a familiar American myth.
When she runs through that forest, and even when she falls, theres something of the
American frontiersman in her, as if she were Natty Bumppo reborn and resexed.
For as long as this brief scene lasts, it seems possible that Gary Ross, the unlikely and at
times frustratingly ill-matched director for this brutal, unnerving story, has caught the heart-
skipping pulse of Michael Manns Last of the Mohicans if not that films ravishing
technique and propulsive energy. Alas, Mr. Ross, the director of the genial entertainments
Pleasantville and Seabiscuit, and whose script credits include Big, has a way of
smoothing even modestly irregular edges. Katniss, who for years has bagged game to keep
her family from starving, was created for rough stuff for beating the odds and the state, for
hunting squirrel and people both far rougher than Mr. Ross often seems comfortable with,
perhaps because of disposition, inclination or some behind-the-scenes executive mandate.
It may be that Mr. Ross is too nice a guy for a hard case like Katniss. A brilliant, possibly
historic creation stripped of sentimentality and psychosexual ornamentation, armed with
Dianas bow and a ferocious will Katniss is a new female warrior, and she keeps you
watching even while youre hoping for something better the next time around. (Mr. Ross is
onboard to direct the follow-up, Catching Fire.) For some fans of the three novels, the
screen version will inevitably be disappointing, especially for those keeping inventory of the
details, characters, grim thoughts and cynicism that have gone missing. For others the image
of a girl like Katniss taking up so much screen space with so few smiles may be enough to
keep faith.
The screenplay by Mr. Ross, Ms. Collins and Billy Ray hews dutifully close to its source
material, at least in wide strokes. Katniss lives in District 12 of Panem as in panem et
circenses, Latin for bread and circuses a totalitarian state that has risen from the postwar
ashes of North America. Every year a boy and a girl ages 12 to 18 are chosen from each
Panem district to compete in the gladiatorial games of the title, a fight that owes something to
that ancient Roman blood sport and something else to the Greek myth of the Minotaur, the
part man, part bull that devoured Athenian youths given in tribute. The Minotaur is
eventually slain, but thats getting ahead of Katniss.
The film takes off at the selection ceremony, or reaping, a nationally televised event complete
with armed soldiers and a bubbly bubblehead M.C. (Elizabeth Banks), during which
Katnisss younger sister, Primrose (Willow Shields), is chosen. Katniss quickly volunteers to
take Prims place, becoming, with Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), District 12s tributes. The two
are whisked off to the Capitol, where theyre plucked and primped by a team of gaudily hued
stylists (overseen by a gilt-lidded Lenny Kravitz as Cinna), a potentially razor-sharp sequence
that should underscore the Capitols decadence but here comes across as a variant on
Dorothys cheery wash- and brush-up when she enters the Emerald City. Katniss may not be
in Kansas, but neither does she seem in palpable danger.
That changes once she and Peeta are transported to the outdoor arena where, with wits and
weapons, they battle the other tributes and assorted perils generated by the game makers
(including a dandified Wes Bentley), who dole out death via computer touch screen. There, in
a rapidly cut massacre that pits boy against girl and finds youngsters killing and falling and
dying in a frantic, fragmented blur, Mr. Ross and his editors, Stephen Mirrione and Juliette
Welfling, set the stage and stark mood. For her part Katniss, though frozen in fear, follows
the advice of her and Peetas mentor, Haymitch (an overly cute Woody Harrelson), and runs
in the opposite direction. Its a strong, visceral scene that quickens the pace and pulse, and
distills the storys horror suffer the little children to enter the arena in blunt visual
terms.
Nothing else in the arena comes close to that initial fight in its sheer primal impact. Working
with Tom Stern, Clint Eastwoods longtime cinematographer, Mr. Ross tries to find mystery
in the forest, in its canopy of trees and thick undergrowth, but never locates a deeper dread,
despite the computer-generated fireballs and hounds, and especially the other tributes. Part of
what makes the Hunger Games books so effective is that they literalize the familiar drama
of adolescence, translating the emotional assaults, peer pressure, cliques and the tortured rest
into warfare. Buffy the Vampire Slayer did the same on television, except there the villains
were supernatural demons. In The Hunger Games the real enemies are adults, including, of
course, the parents catching the show on TV.
Fans of the Japanese cult film Battle Royale may see some overlap with its allegory about
students sent to an island to fight to the death, and others may be reminded of Orson Scott
Cards science-fiction novel Enders Game, about children trained to battle an alien
species. If youve seen the pint-size assassins in the recent action flicks Kick-Ass and
Hanna, which feature prepubescent girls who lock, load and shoot without batting a lash,
you may think youve also seen it before. You havent, not really. Although the girls in those
movies are vaguely sexualized, their age exempts them from the narrative burdens of
heterosexual romance. They dont have to bat those lashes at the boys, and they dont need to
be saved by them either, as in the Twilight series.
What invests Katniss with such exciting promise and keeps you rapt even when the film
proves less than equally thrilling is that she also doesnt need saving, even if shes at an age
when, most movies still insist, women go weak at the knees and whimper and weep while
waiting to be saved. Again and again Katniss rescues herself with resourcefulness, guts and
true aim, a combination that makes her insistently watchable, despite Mr. Rosss soft touch
and Ms. Lawrences bland performance. One look at District 12, which Mr. Ross conceives
as a picturesque old-timey town filled with withered Dorothea Lange types in what was
once Appalachia and its clear that someone here was enthralled with the actresss
breakout turn in Winters Bone as a willful, resilient child of the Ozarks.
A few years ago Ms. Lawrence might have looked hungry enough to play Katniss, but now,
at 21, her seductive, womanly figure makes a bad fit for a dystopian fantasy about a people
starved into submission. The graver problem is a disengaged performance that rarely suggests
the terrors Katniss faces, including the fatalism that originally hangs on her like a shroud.
What finally saves the character and film both is the image of her on the run, moving
relentlessly forward. Unlike those American Adams who have long embodied the national
character with their reserves of hope, innocence and optimism, Katniss springs from
someplace else, a place in which an American Eve, battered, bruised and deeply knowing,
scrambles through a garden not of her making on her way to a new world.
The Hunger Games is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). Brutal child-on-child
violence and death.
The Hunger Games
Opens on Friday nationwide.
Directed by Gary Ross; written by Mr. Ross, Suzanne Collins and Billy Ray, based on the
novel by Ms. Collins; director of photography, Tom Stern; edited by Stephen Mirrione and
Juliette Welfling; music by James Newton Howard; production design by Philip Messina;
costumes by Judianna Makovsky; produced by Nina Jacobson and Jon Kilik; released by
Lionsgate. Running time: 2 hours 22 minutes.
WITH: Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss Everdeen), Josh Hutcherson (Peeta Mellark), Liam
Hemsworth (Gale Hawthorne), Woody Harrelson (Haymitch Abernathy), Elizabeth Banks
(Effie Trinket), Lenny Kravitz (Cinna), Stanley Tucci (Caesar Flickerman), Donald
Sutherland (President Snow), Wes Bentley (Seneca Crane), Toby Jones (Claudius
Templesmith), Alexander Ludwig (Cato), Isabelle Fuhrman (Clove), Amandla Stenberg
(Rue) and Willow Shields (Primrose Everdeen).
The Archetypal Hero Katniss Everdeen
A fictional novel written by Suzanne Collins, called The Hunger Games, reveals a
heroic teen, Katniss Everdeen, as she encounters a courageous journey. Only heroes can save
the day in the middle of any tragedy, destruction, or catastrophe because they hold the
courage to embrace their skills through courageous and difficult actions. In the book of
archetypal criticism, The Hero and the Outlaw, Margaret Mark and Carol Pearson states
There are infinite variations on this story, but in every one the Hero triumphs over evil,
adversity, or a major challenge, and in so doing, inspires us all (Mark and Pearson 105).
Throughout history the use of archetypes has been put into many of the worlds best stories.
In every story these characters appear in they tend to give it more life and interest. There are
several characters in the novel The Hunger Games, portrayed as different archetypes; the
protagonist Katniss Everdeen is portrayed as an archetypal hero.
Katniss Everdeen is a hero in the sense that she risked her own life for her family,
friends, and district. Heroism has existed since the beginning of storytelling. Heroes stand up
for the weak and innocent, and clash with wickedness. A hero may also be known as a
courageous figure, the one who's always running in and saving the day (Understanding
Literary Archetypes 2002). The hero typically undergoes a journey or quest that begins when
something traumatic happens in their life forcing them to leave home, and is prepared to
make sacrifices to make sure that others are kept safe. Throughout history, archetypes have
been a part of stories, myths, journeys, and tales. These stories that contain archetypal heroes
have similar plots, along with characteristics that are comparable to the individual archetypal
hero. In many of the worlds best stories, archetypes make the story more entertaining and
enjoyable. Ultimately, Katniss displayed true heroism in this novel as she put her life in
danger while she made sacrifices for the well-being of others. She portrays what a true hero
is, one that is prepared to give up everything for the safety of others and the victory over evil.
Katniss is great example of a hero, because throughout the story she sacrifices herself by
taking her sisters place in the games to keep her sister safe. Doing this, she entered a world
of both emotional and physical pain and violence.
In the novel Katniss Everdeen is the lead female hero that was born in the country of
Panem, a poor coal mining district, also known as District 12. Throughout the story Collins
portrayed Katnisss character as a traditional male archetype but she also accepts female
archetypal characteristics. Katniss taking on the role of hunter, provider, and protector are
typically designed for the male gender. A hunter goes out to capture or kill food to make sure
the family is fed. A provider is an individual that ensures that the familys needs are met, like
food, water, shelter, and overall health. The protector watches over the family to keep them
out of harms way: She is driven by the will to survive and through her hunting learns to
provide for her family on her own. Normally parents provide for their children, but for
Katniss the roles were reversed, which causes her to mature faster than most teenagers.
(Jimenez 31). In The Hunger Games, after the death of her father, Katniss embodies the
features of protector for her family. She risks her live going into the woods hunting for food
to put on the table to protect her family for survival; Katniss stats Inside the woods [animals]
roam freely, and there are added concerns like venomous snakes, rabid animals, and no real
paths to follow. But theres also food if you know how to find it. My father knew and he
taught me some before he was blown to bits in a mine explosion (Collins 6).
The young female archer in The Hunger Games, the protagonist, is interesting
because of her individual strength and the recognition she puts forth that she needs to survive,
which creates a purpose for people to want her to stay alive. Archetypal heroes usually
contain a special weapon that symbolizes the quality and skill the hero embodies. In most
cases, the hero is the only individual able to use the weapon and it is usually acquired from
the mentor (Jimenez 22). In the book, Katnisss special weapon is a bow and arrow crafted by
her father: My bow is a rarity, crafted by my father along with a few others that I keep well
hidden in the woods, carefully wrapped in waterproof covers (Collins 6). Katniss absolutely
embodies heroism as she faces nearly an impossible task with endless amounts of courage;
that keeps others alive with her skills as hunter, caretaker, and provider. For those of you who
have not read the story, the hero is forced to go against 23 other young people to attempt to
win a horrible competition called The Hunger Games. She has to try her best to stay alive,
while the other 23 contestants die. The Capitol created The Hunger Games so that the
Districts would remember their complete hopelessness they have under the Panems rule.
Every year one teen boy and one teen girl are chosen from each District to go forth as tribute.
The 24 contestants are put in a wilderness arena and forced to fight to the death until there is
only one left standing. The tributes from each of the 12 districts are pampered with food and
other items the capitol provides, and they can receive sponsorship throughout the games
determining on how well they fight and survive. The District that wines for that year is
indulged with wealth and favor.
A general archetypal hero also has a tendency to leave his or her loved ones because
of a tragic event that normally leads him or her to a quest where he or she could face many
task along the way to search for someone or something. In The Hunger Games when Katniss
volunteers herself for the reaping, to take her sister place is a good example because she is
forced to leave her family to compete in The Hunger Games. Katnisss younger sister,
Primrose Everdeen, is the name that Effie Trinket actually pulled out of the glass bowl for the
girls. From Collins novel, Katniss says, Effie Trinket crosses back to the podium, smoothes
the slip of paper, and reads out the name in a clear voice. And its not me. Its Primrose
Everdeen. (Collins 14).When delicate 12 year old Prim, Katniss's younger sister, is selected
from the reaping, Katniss does what any big sister should do, volunteers to take her place.
She goes to the Capitol with male contestant Peeta Mellark, where they are trained and
pampered for the big event. Katniss and Peeta are trained by Haymitch, who concocts a
romantic scenario between the two of them to help build their onscreen personas and
overcome District 12's underdog status. Haymitch is District 12's only Games survivor, and a
raging alcoholic. It's never openly stated, but we know this is because he never got over his
trauma, and has to relive it every year by training up a couple of kids he knows will die.
There are parallels with another archer: our namesake, the Greek goddess of the
wilderness and of fertility, Artemis. We chose Artemis as our symbol for some of the same
attributes that Katniss embraces; she represents strength, accuracy, nurturing and protection.
As in The Hunger Games, research is often about trying to make sense of a challenging
environment. Strength of focus and accuracy in interpretation are critical. Our work is often
used to help nurture a growing brand, or to protect an existing one. We love the meaning of
our namesake Artemis, and so, despite the gruesome theme of The Hunger Games, we love
the modern-day evocation of the virtues that make the image of this archer so strong.

The Hunger Games Katniss Everdeen: The
Heroine the World Needs Right Now
By Angela Watercutter
In The Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen embarks on a heros journey armed only with her
bow, her arrow and her wits: She must survive a televised death match against 23 other
young people if shes to return home and continue hunting to provide food for her family. But
in the real world, the character Katniss Everdeen faces an even greater challenge: Proving
that pop culture will embrace a heroine capable of holding her own with the big boys.
Its a battle fought on two fronts. First, The Hunger Games must bring in the kind of box
office numbers that prove to Hollywood that a film led by a young female heroine whos not
cast as a sex symbol can bring in audiences. And second, for Katniss to truly triumph, she
must embody the type of female heroine smart, tough, compassionate that has been
sorely lacking in the popular culture landscape for so very long.
At bookstores shes already proved her mettle Suzanne Collins book series already has
some 24 million copies in print in the U.S., according to publisher Scholastic but at
multiplexes her fate has yet to be determined. However, early projections show that The
Hunger Games could bring in between $70 million and $100 million on its opening weekend.
Theres a glass ceiling cinematically. Theyll say women dont want to see action or men
dont want to see women. And Im like, Men dont want to see women? Ninety percent of us
really do!
Hitting a bulls-eye at the box office would be momentous because it would prove that a
major motion picture starring a female hero (in this case played by Jennifer Lawrence, who
Rolling Stones Peter Travers noted gives us a female warrior worth cheering) can bring in
as much money as any Thor ($65.7 million opening weekend) or Iron Man ($98 million).
Such a strong opening could turn heads and change minds in Hollywood, where female
superheroes rarely get considered.
Theres a glass ceiling cinematically, The Avengers director Joss Whedon, a man known
for his strong female characters, said in an interview with Wired last week at South by
Southwest. There is not a major studio that is out there that is trying to make a movie about
a female superhero. Theyll say, This is guy stuff. Theyll say women dont want to see
action or men dont want to see women. And Im like, Men dont want to see women?
Ninety percent of us really do!
Granted, Katniss Everdeen isnt a traditional superhero she possesses no special power
and didnt come from a comic book but her success could pave the way for those that are.
Provided the film remains as true to the book as early clips and filmmaker comments have
suggested, the movie could prove revolutionary for portraying a true female hero who is
emotionally and physically strong, and isnt romantically involved with a male hero
counterpart. (Katniss also doesnt fall into the troubling pattern of women in action movies
who sacrifice themselves, like Trinitys death in the Matrix trilogy, or Wolverine killing Jean
Gray in X-Men: The Last Stand.)
For those who havent read Collins young-adult novels, heres the gist of Katniss Everdeens
hero CV: Her father died when she was very young and her mother was a bit of hot mess
thereafter, leaving Katniss to provide for her family. To do so (and to avoid selling her body
for food) she began hunting a survival skill that makes her an excellent markswoman. In
the future dystopia in which she lives, what was North America is now called Panem and has
been divided into 12 Districts controlled by a ruthless Capitol located near present-day
Denver. Each year, as retaliation for a previous attempt at rebellion by the poor, the Capitol
randomly selects a boy and a girl from each District to compete in the Hunger Games and
fight to the death in a gruesome reality television show that the oppressed are forced to watch
live.
Katniss is the chosen girl theyre called Tributes from District 12. Her struggle to come
to grips with the option of using her archery skills to survive the Games and continue feeding
her family or kill other poor children she has no beef with is the emotional thrust of the tale.
(In a prescient moment that probably got her the part, Lawrence told the movies director,
Gary Ross, during her audition, Please remember that after Katniss shoots a bow and kills
someone, her face cannot be badass. She added in an interview with Vanity Fair, Shes a
hunter but not a killer.) Her actions in the Games that hand gesture youve seen her make
in the trailer means a lot more than Holla atcha girl! in Panem turn her into something of
an accidental revolutionary. Suddenly, the Girl On Fire (shes from the District that mines
coal) sparks something bigger than herself.
Her brain is as sharp as the arrows in her quiver and her heroism isnt necessarily something
thats played up as sexy.
Throughout the book series, Katniss exemplifies what sociologist Kathryn Gilpatric calls a
true action heroine a rare sort of character in Gilpatrics studies. In essence, shes not a
heroine because she fights next to a male hero in fact she feels compelled to protect the
boy Tribute from her District, Peeta (played by Josh Hutcherson in the film). Her brain is as
sharp as the arrows in her quiver she outsmarts the Gamemakers more than once and
her heroism isnt necessarily something thats played up as sexy. (Lawrence is a beautiful
girl, but shes a good Katniss because shes an incredibly multifaceted actress, not because
she looks good holding a weapon in spandex.)
I think Katniss really breaks down gender stereotypes, Gilpatric said in an e-mail to Wired.
[At one point in the book] she stares in the mirror and tries to remember who she is and
[says] the presence of Peetas arm around her shoulders feels alien. Its a great line that
really captures her strong sense of self and undermines stereotypes of female dependency.
At first glance, The Hunger Games may seem like young-adult fluff, what with the female
lead, the two male leads and packs of screaming teen fans, but at least at this turn those teen
fans are screaming for something that might actually turn out to be empowering (love you,
Bella Swan, but youre kind of milquetoast). In a study published in 2010 in the journal Sex
Roles, Gilpatric examined the way female action heroines were treated in films with an eye
on determining how those representations can inform gender stereotypes in popular culture.
Looking at 157 different heroines in films released from 1991 to 2005 (though Sigourney
Weavers Lt. Ripley in 1979s Alien is cited as an archetype for a positive heroine) and found
that only 15.3 percent were depicted as the main heroine and a depressing 58.6 percent were
presented as being submissive to the male hero. She also found that 30 percent of them died
by the end of the film, 47 percent were evil characters, who died for their crimes, and many
died disturbing, heart-wrenching deaths. No wonder girl geeks feel they have so few ladies to
look up to, most of them are dead.
The violent female action character is a recent addition to contemporary American cinema
and has the potential to redefine female heroines, for better or worse.
The [violent female action character] is a recent addition to contemporary American cinema
and has the potential to redefine female heroines, for better or worse, Gilpatric wrote in her
study. This research provides evidence that the majority of female action characters shown
in American cinema are not empowering images, they do not draw on their femininity as a
sources of power, and they are not a kind of post woman operating outside the boundaries
of gender restrictions.
Katniss Everdeen arguably does, and its not a total coincidence: Since Collins set her books
in the future, it doesnt seem so out of place that a 16-year-old girl would think she could do
everything a young man her age could presumably gender equality has advanced in the
intervening years (think of Starbucks swagger in the modern Battlestar Galactica). Also,
Collins came up with The Hunger Games after a night spent flipping channels between reality
television and footage of the Iraq war. And when her agent once suggested she not kill off a
beloved, innocent young character, she replied flatly, This is not a fairy tale; its a war, and
in war, there are tragic losses that must be mourned.
That level of brutality in Collins books gives them a gravity that could make them
inspirational on other fronts. Katniss actions in the Hunger Games arena that inspire a
revolution in the book and movie could easily been seen as a future, fictional version of the
leadership of Asmaa Mahfouz, an April 6 Youth Movement founder who posted a video
online calling young women to flood the streets of Cairo to protest Hosni Mubaraks rule in
Egypt last year. Her call worked: Hundreds of thousands of Egyptians, men and women,
joined the movement and Mubarak stepped down in early February 2011, just weeks after
Mahfouz posted her video.
Occupy should adopt the Mockingjay symbol.
While Katniss Everdeen is a fictional character, not a real-life revolutionary like Mahfouz,
its not inconceivable that young people could read her tale and be inspired to sociopolitical
involvement (or at least not feel intimidated to investigate a cause they believe in). Even the
films stars acknowledge the political potency of the Hunger Games film Hutcherson
noted in a recent interview there were parallels between the story and the real-world
disconnect between the people who run the country and the people who live in the country
and an astute commenter on this very blog even recently noted Occupy should adopt the
Mockingjay symbol. (The Mockingjay is the result of cross-breeding between mockingbirds
and genetically engineered jabberjays, which were created by the Capitol to spy on rebels,
who simply fed the flying moles lies. The existence of the birds is an in-joke in the Districts,
a failure of the Capitol thats easy to, well, mock. The symbol becomes a logo of revolution
after Katniss wears a Mockingjay pin in the arena during the Games.)
Having the main character from a young adult novel be the new face of the Occupy
movement or the Arab Spring may be a stretch shes no Guy Fawkes, after all but
young women reading a series of books and opting to care about something cant be a bad
thing. Also, the self-empowerment inherent in young women identifying as Team Katniss
instead of, say, Team Edward or Team Jacob is extremely refreshing.
Katniss possible ripple effect on the movie industry and the wider culture will depend, at
least in part, on how well the film does when it is released in theaters this weekend. As Drew
Goddard, director of upcoming horror-comedy The Cabin in the Woods (and a former Buffy
the Vampire Slayer writer) told Wired, Hollywood execs look at what did or didnt work in
the last year, and their business-driven observations quickly become conventional wisdom. If
a female-led movie like Hunger Games underperforms, the weak box office will be used as
an excuse not to make similar films. But hes hopeful heroines will re-emerge.
These things are cyclical, they will come back, Goddard said. But its unfortunate that we
have to battle against that.
Perhaps in the future, the cycle will stop and audiences can expect an annual superheroine
summer blockbuster as much as they expect any other popcorn flick. In documentary Wonder
Women! The Untold Story of American Superheroines, director Kristy Guevara-Flanigan
traced the impact Wonder Woman had on whole generations of women, from the 1960s to the
Riot Grrrls of the 1990s. The impact of the Amazonian superheros existence proved
incredibly far-reaching and thats just one comic book character.
Girls actually need superheroes much more than boys, when you come right down to it.
I think when youre little, and looking at peoples knees, youre so powerless and so unequal
that its really helpful to be able to think yourself into someone who is powerful, activist
Gloria Steinem says in the documentary. Girls actually need superheroes much more than
boys, when you come right down to it and whats revolutionary, of course, is to have a
female protector, not a male protector.
Steinem was speaking of the importance of Wonder Woman, but she could just as easily have
been speaking of Katniss Everdeen. And, as the culminating montage of Wonder Women!
shows, Katniss is just one of a few powerful young female characters who have surfaced in
recent years (hacktivist Lisbeth Salander in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Hit Girl also
get nods). But Guevara-Flanigans money is on Katniss.
Im thinking The Hunger Games, probably, she told Wired when asked what the next great
heroine story would be.
The answer to whether Katniss Everdeen becomes the heroine pop culture needs and deserves
isnt very far off midnight screenings of the film begin Thursday night but for the sake
of girl geeks everywhere, lets hope the odds remain ever in her favor.
The Hunger Games Novel & Katniss
Everdeen
It should come as no surprise that Im always on the look-out for dynamic, engaging, and
strong female characters in pop culture and the latest fictional female representation that has
everyone talking is Katniss Everdeen, the dynamic protagonist of the Hunger Games novels
written by Suzanne Collins.
For those unfamiliar with the trilogy, the novels are set in a future dystopian North America,
in a country called Panem. The title of the book is a reference to an annual event organized
by the oppressive government in which 24 children are selected at random to participate in a
televised death match.
In the Hunger Games, as theyre called, the children are forced to brutally murder one
another until only one is left standing.
For the purposes of this video, Im going to set aside the fact that some of the analogies
Collins is trying to draw to reality TV, professional sports, and war begin to fall apart when
scrutinized closely. I appreciate her attempt to critically comment on social issues, I just dont
buy that parents would passively give up their children to be slaughtered on national TV
without a serious fight. The death match as spectacle theme is really only believable if the
players have been dehumanized or othered by society, either as convicts or slaves for
example, it doesnt work when its just randomly selected children from the general
population.
That said, in this video Im going to focus mainly on the portrayal of Katniss character in the
first book and the movie adaptation.
I thought the first The Hunger Games novel, published in 2008 was a captivating, engaging
and riveting read and really I enjoyed being immersed in the science fiction world that
Collins creates.
If you havent read the book or seen the movie yet fair warning.
The story follows Katniss, a 16 year old from a poor, coal mining community in district 12.
She struggles to provide for her family in the absence of her father and later to survive the
brutality of the Hunger Games. She is a tough, no-nonsense, responsible, young woman who
uses her smarts to support her family in an oppressive, and seemingly hopeless situation.
Katniss is not reduced to her gender, meaning her behaviours and actions arent attributed to
her being a woman, she is not sexualized and she is not objectified in the book.
Her real world concerns and priorities of family and survival are put in sharp contrast to the
superficial values imposed on her by the Capitol government as she is being groomed for the
Hunger Games media spectacle.
These preparation scenes provide a critique of the beauty industry and also of the decadence
of the wealthy in contrast to poor and working class districts who can barely afford enough
food to feed their families. Katniss demonstrates empathy and compassion for those around
her including her friends, family, and those oppressed and underprivileged in Panem. Later
in the arena she also builds a trusting and supportive relationship with Rue, the young tribute
from district 11. Later, when Rue is tragically killed, Katniss treats her death with honor and
respect.
The romance elements of the first book were only slightly grating, much of it was Katniss
uncertainty about Peetas feelings for her and her confusion about whether he was being
genuine or just acting. It was clear Collins was setting up a love triangle between Peeta,
Katniss and Gale ala Edward, Bella and Jacob.
This is nothing new in novels targeted at girls and women and I could look past the clich of
it since it wasnt central to the plot in the first book. Katniss naivety when it came to dating
and relationships make sense given her age and her difficult economic, social and family life,
her naivety and confusion is an understandable part of her characters growth, but only in the
first part of the trilogy, unfortunately the love triangle takes a much more prominent role in
books 2 and 3.
Theres been some understandable criticism of the rather extreme levels of violence in the
novel, especially considering its marketed to young adults. I think this is a fair point
however the way Katniss perceives and uses violence makes her somewhat
unique. Especially in comparison to other so called strong female characters whose
strength often stems from their ability and willingness to use violence. Although, Katniss
does possess the hunting and tracking skills to survive in the harsh terrain of the arena, she
remains troubled and disturbed at the idea of personally murdering another human being even
within the context of the death match. Admirably she cant bring herself to wish death on her
opponents or even her enemies. Knowing full well that if they remain alive she can never
return home. These moments illustrate that Katniss hasnt become completely desensitized to
violence and suffering even though shes forced to participate in a horrifically violent system.
That said, I do wish Collins was more consistent in writing Katniss responses to death.
When Rue is killed the event is written as deeply traumatic and emotional for Katniss.
Katniss is not made to run off seeking revenge and is instead allowed to mourn in a really
human way. We follow along as she struggles through the process of grief. She appropriately
feels shock, pain, guilt and temporary depression. To Collins credit, she writes this
emotional process as a testament to Katniss strength as opposed to a weakness.
Yet when Foxface is accidently yet tragically killed via poisonous berries, Katniss doesnt
even bat an eye. She shows no emotional reaction whatsoever despite the fact that this young
tribute from district 5, hasnt hurt anyone during the games. Although, Katniss doesnt have a
personal relationship with Foxface, her death should still be represented as tragic and
upsetting. It should go without saying that in reality, violence is traumatic and it has very real
and lasting consequences for everybody involved. So Im not arguing for stories to be
completely free of violence, but I am arguing for violence to be portrayed consistently and to
reflect its emotional and physical repercussions. In a media culture that sensationalizes and
glamorizes violence, its refreshing to see a character like Katniss, react to violence in a more
honest and genuine way, at least most of the time.
I appreciate that Collins doesnt have Katniss emerge from the arena unscathed. She
experiences serious physical and emotional consequences and by the end of the games, her
sense of safety and trust have been shattered.
When the game makers announce that there can only be one victor after all Peeta throws his
knife away in protest and Katniss automatically assumes that hes about to attack her, so she
loads her bow and aims an arrow at his heart. Later when the Capitol doctors are operating on
Peeta, Katniss has a panic attack, and believes for a moment shes back in the arena. She
imagines the medical staff as a pack of muttations attacking her friend.
These examples are evidence of the delusion and paranoia that Katniss understandably suffers
as a result of the extreme trauma she experienced during the Hunger Games.
These scenes help to separate her from many of the so called strong female characters in
popular culture who just replicate the stoic, unemotional, unaffected, macho archetype where
somehow they go through extreme violence and trauma with no visible effect at all. So its
refreshing that Katniss is allowed to go through a period of post-traumatic stress and that the
emotional experience ultimately works to make her a stronger character, rather than a weaker
one.
Some people have been asking is Katniss then a feminist character? Because of her
compassion, empathy, cunning, resourcefulness and intelligence, I think she embodies many
feminist values, at least over the course of the first book.
The Hunger Games Study Guide
The Hunger Games opens with an interview between Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci) and
Seneca Crane (Wes Bentley). This interview helps to create an opposition between the
opulence of the Capitol and the poverty of District 12 right from the beginning of the film.
The scene features high key studio lighting and a three camera set up typical of reality
television. The set itself is reminiscent of programs like Big Brother and The Biggest Loser.
Flickerman and Crane are dressed in expensive suits and ties, their hair styled immaculately.
At first it was a reminder of the rebellion, says Crane. It was the price the Districts had to
pay. But I think it has grown from that. I think its aIts something that nets us all
together. Partway through the interview Ross cuts abruptly to an establishing shot of District
12 and the terrified scream of Primrose Everdeen (Willow Shields). This establishing shot is
a stark contrast to the bright, artificial world of the television studio. There is a ramshackle
wagon in the foreground, a dilapidated house and old power lines stretching into the distance.
From this establishing shot, Ross cuts to a handheld shot of Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer
Lawrence) comforting her younger sister Primrose. The use of handheld camera movement in
this scene reinforces the difference between The Capitol and District 12. The Capitol is slick
and polished whereas the Districts are earthy and real. The colours in this shot are desaturated
and pale. Mise en scene the use of costume, colour and props also contributes to the
difference between District 12 and the Capitol. In this scene, Katniss is wearing an ill-fitting
shirt, Primrose a threadbare nightgown. Their costumes couldnt be more different from the
expensive suits worn by Flickermann and Crane. As Katniss prepares to leave the house, the
audience is given a glimpse of the poverty that they live in. The walls of the house are
wooden and poorly painted, daylight seeping in through the small windows.
ACTIVITY 1
1. In the opening sequence of The Hunger Games, how does director Gary Ross create
a contrast between the wealthy Capitol and the impoverished District 12?
Play this sequence several times, paying particularly attention to how camera
techniques, mise-en-scene and lighting are used to establish The Capitol and District
12.
Think about the opening shots of Caesar Flickerman and Seneca Crane. Think
carefully about the use of mise en scene. What kind of costume, colours and make up
are used? How does the camera move? What sort of lighting is used in this shot?
What does this tell the audience about The Capitol?
Describe the opening shot of District 12. What can you see in this shot? What type of
colours have been used? What does this convey about District 12?
As Katniss leaves to go hunting, there are a series of shots showing District 12. What
is in each of these shots? What does the use of colour, lighting, costume and make up,
tell us about the people who live in District 12?
When you start to answer the question, use a topic sentence this: In the opening
sequence of The Hunger Games, director Gary Ross uses a combination of camera
techniques, mise en scene and lighting to create a contrast between the opulent
Capitol and District 12.
When youre describing the difference between The Capitol and District 12, consider
using these words:
Bright vivid, gaudy, vibrant.
Dull, desaturatated, dreary, drab, subsued, muted.
PREPARING FOR THE REAPING
After the scene where Katniss stalks the deer, Ross cuts to a shot of Effie Trinket arriving for
The Reaping. Again, costume is used to create a distinction between the wealth of the Capitol
and the poverty of District 12. The camera starts off at ground level, showing her high heels
and tilts up to reveal a pink, ruffled dress, floral scarf, highly styled hair and umbrella. She
looks slightly to the left, scowling slightly, then surveys the men setting up for The Reaping.
Meanwhile, Katniss and Gale (Liam Hemsworth) discuss The Hunger Games. Gale suggests
that everyone should stop watching. You root for your favourite, he says. You cry. When
they get killed. Its sick. He suggests that if everyone boycotts it they dont have a game.
He also suggests that they could simply run away and live in the woods. Katniss is more
pragmatic and says they wouldnt make it five miles before the government caught them and
cut out our tongues or worse.
Later that day, Katniss exchanges some of the berries she scavenged from the forest for a ball
of yarn. The shots of the market helps to reinforce the poverty of District 12. As shes about
to leave, Katniss picks up a small, golden pin on impulse. Whats this? she asks the
woman. Its a mockingjay, she replies, allowing Katniss to take it.

WHAT IS A DYSTOPIA?
There are many science fiction writers who have imagined what the future might be like.
These visions of the future are often bleak very bleak and depressing. These dystopias often
that lack freedom and are ruled by ruthless, totalitarian governments. Often, these writers are
responding to issues or concerns in their own place and time. There are many science fiction
writers, for example, who have imagined worlds that have almost been destroyed by nuclear
weapons or some kind of environmental disaster.
FOUR FAMOUS DYSTOPIAS
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury imagines a world in which knowledge is considered
dangerous and fire departments spend their time burning books. One of these firemen
accidentally reads a line from one of the books and starts wondering if theyre doing the right
thing.
1984 is a classic dystopia, a future society completely devoid of freedom in which people are
monitored by a ruthless government and walls are plastered with the ominous message Big
Brother is Watching You.

In Aldous Huxleys Brave New World, there is a single global government. People are born
and raised in factories and divided into different classes. The Alphas are the elite, ruling class
while the Epsilons work in factories and perform menial labour.
In The Chrysalids, John Wyndham describes a world devastated by nuclear war and a society
ruled by religion, in which anyone affected by the radiation is cast out into the wastelands.
ACTIVITY 2
1. Explain how the world depicted in The Hunger Games is a dystopia, providing
examples from the film.
Extension Activity: Read one of the novels listed above.
THE REAPING
Director Gary Ross continues to build sympathy for the residents of District 12 as they
prepare for The Reaping. After the scene at the market, Ross cuts to a shot of a family
standing on their front porch, as a mother does up the buttons on her sons grubby shirt.
There is a sudden jump cut as they embrace. This jump cut contributes to the sense of
uncertainty and dread. There is a brief shot of two Capitol Peacekeepers patrolling the
district. Their clean, expensive uniforms contrast starkly with the squalor of District 12.
The sympathy for the residents of District 12 continues to build as Ross cuts back to the
Everdeen family, Katniss and Primrose preparing for the day. Oh look at you! Katniss says
when she sees Primrose dressed in her best clothes. You look beautiful but you better tuck in
that tail little duck. The camera pans left as Katniss tucks in the back of her shirt. After a
brief montage of shots as Katniss washes, there is a shot of a blue dress laid out on her bed.
Ross cuts to a shot of Katniss as she looks down at the dress with an expression of dread. A
siren interrupts them as theyre preparing and a look of dread crosses their faces. This acting
contributes to the sense of sympathy the audience is starting to feel for these characters.
Katniss presses the mockingjay pin into Primroses palm. To protect you, she says. And as
long as you have it, nothing bad will happen to you.
Camera techniques
contribute to the sense of
sympathy that the
audience feels for the
children.
Ross cuts to a series of
shots as the children of
District 12 file nervously
into the assembly area.
Here, camera angles, framing and focus all contribute to the ruthlessness and control of The
Capitol. Ross cuts to a shot of several peacekeepers watching emotionlessly as the children,
out of focus, walk past. When he cuts to the children, he shows their hands first, tilting down
to reveal their old, mud-flecked shoes. When he finally cuts to a shot of their faces, the
camera is positioned at a high angle, looking down on them which contributes to their sense
of powerlessness. In this scene, there is a point of view shot as one of the children looks up at
a Capitol peacekeeper standing on raise platform, this low angle shot contributing to their
sense of power and further encouraging the audience to identify with the plight of the
children. Ross cuts to a series of shots, showing the concerned, downcast faces of the
children. The erratic handheld camera movement and whip panning contributes to the
growing sense of anxiety that the audience feels.
When Primrose Everdeen is drawn from the list of names, Katniss steps forward and
volunteers for The Hunger Games. Effie Trinket calls for a round of applause. The audience
responds by silently raising their hands in the air, a show of support and rebellion.
ACTIVITY 3
Effie Trinket steps onto the stage and introduces a short propaganda film explaining why The
Hunger Games is necessary.
This was the uprising that rocked our land, intones the voice of President Snow (Donald
Sutherland). Thirteen districts rebelled against the country that fed them, loved them,
protected them. Brother turned on brother until nothing remained. And then came the peace,
hard-fought and sorely won, a people rose up from the ashes and a new era was born but
freedom has a cost. The traitors were defeated. We swore as a nation, we would never know
this treason again and so it was decreed that each year, the various districts of Panem would
offer up in tribute one young man and woman to fight to the death in a pageant of honour,
courage and sacrifice. The lone victor bathed in riches would serve as a reminder of our
generosity and our forgiveness. This is how we remember our past, this is how we safeguard
our future.
1. What is propaganda?
2. What sort of images are used to depict The Hunger Games in this propaganda
video? How does the music and voice over contribute to this message?
3. Describe how Effie Trinket and the audience respond differently to the video.
JOURNEY TO THE CAPITOL
After Katniss and Peetas names are drawn, theyre isolated from their families in preparation
for the journey to the Capitol. Katniss is given a few teary minutes with her sister, who hands
back the mockingjay pin and says, To protect you. Katniss turns to her mother. You cant
tune out again, she says. Not like when Dad died. I wont be here anymore. Youre all she
has. No matter what you feel, you will be there for her.
Katniss also has a brief conversation with Gale who urges her to find a bow when she enters
the arena. They just want a good show, he insists. Thats all they want.
As they are taken to the train, Effie Trinket explains that Katniss and Peeta are in for a
treat. As she chatters about chandeliers and platinum doorknobs, the sound of her voice
fades out and is replaced by James Newton Howards melancholic score. In the foreground of
this shot, Peeta is slightly out of focus and close to tears while Katniss stares impassively out
of the window. There are a series of erratic, handheld shots as Katniss and Peeta are herded to
the train. There is a sustained point of view shot which, in combination with the music,
makes the audience feel a keen sense of sympathy for Katniss. When shes on the train, Ross
shows a close up of Katniss face as she slowly walks into the carriage, an expression of
astonishment crossing her face. Ross cuts to a shot of the lavish carriage, pulling focus to
Katniss face as she looked back towards Trinket. He tilts down as her hand hesitantly
touches a polished tabletop, then cuts to several shots panning across the tables of food. Ross
dollies into a close up of Katniss as she stares at the luxurious carriage in wonder. The sense
of wonder that Katniss feels upon entering the carriage contributes to the a contrast between
District 12 and The Capitol.
Peeta unsuccessfully tries to start a conversation with Katniss. As she looks at him, Ross cuts
to a flashback of Peeta tossing bread to some pigs behind his house when, it is later revealed,
he shared some of the scraps with Katniss and her starving family. Haymitch Abernathy
(Woody Harrelson) stumbles into the carriage. He admits that theres not much he can do to
help them. Embrace the probability of your immanent death, he says, and know in your
heart that theres nothing I can do to save you. Katniss indignantly asks him why hes there.
Refreshments, he says, raising a glass of whiskey.
After their encounter with Haymitch, Ross cuts to a shot of Katniss sitting on her bed,
hugging her knees, the light of a television screen flickering across her face. When he cuts to
the reverse shot, the audience sees Caesar Flickerman and Claudius Templesmith (Toby
Jones) discussing The Hunger Games against a split screen of tributes clashing violently.
There is footage of a previous tribute with a bloody brick in his hand as the hosts discuss the
moment a tribute becomes a victor. Katniss is clearly shocked and disgusted, quickly
turning the screen off. Although The Hunger Games is a film about violence, it doesnt
glorify this violence, choosing to represent it as disturbing and criticising this dystopian
society for encouraging it. Apart from the beginning of the film, this is the first time that the
audience is given a glimpse of how The Hunger Games is broadcast to the residents of The
Capitol. In many ways, The Hunger Games is a criticism of reality television which pits
contestants against each other in humiliating and often degrading competitions for the benefit
of viewers.
You really want to know how to stay alive? Haymitch asks at breakfast the next morning.
You get people to like you. Oh. Not what you were expecting. When youre in the middle of
the games and youre starving or freezing, some water, a knife or even some matches can
even make the difference between life and death. And those things only come from sponsors.
And to get sponsors, you have to make people like you. The parallels between The Hunger
Games and reality television, in which people often vote for contestants, are obvious.
The conversation is interrupted when Peeta leaps from his chair and looks at the approaching
city which gleams in the distance. The view disappears and moments later, the sound of a
cheering crowd rises before appearing through the window. The crowd is filled with
colourfully dressed people whose faces are covered with makeup. The difference between
The Capitol and District 12 could not be more profound. Peeta waves to the crowd and
Haymitch declares that he knows what hes doing.
PREPARING FOR THE GAMES
When they arrive in The Capitol, director David Ross cuts to an establishing shot of the city,
then to several shots of citizens walking through the street. Again, the use of mise en scene
including the colourful costumes and make up creates a stark contrast between The Capitol
and District 12. There is a montage of shots as Katniss is prepared for the Tribute Parade.
Laid out on what appears to be an operating table, she is plucked and waxed and hosed down.
Katniss overhears Flavius say something. Oh, we were just saying we might need to hose
you down again before we take you to Cinna, he says.
Cinna is the kindest character that Katniss encounters in The Capitol. Im sorry that this
happened to you, he says, but Im here to help you in any way that I can. He tells her that
hes there to help her make an impression. Ross cuts to several shots of the trito a close up of
Katniss as she ng for the parade. There are several shots of the brightly dressed audience
talking loudly and drinking. The camera dollies in on a dias above the parade ground. The
production design in this scene helps to spell out the parallels between Panem and Ancient
Rome, where gladiators fought to the death in The Colosseum. In addition to the characters
with Romannames like Claudius, Favius and Cinna the architecture in this sequence is
reminiscent of Rome. Much like Rome, the tributes also emerge riding chariots. As the crowd
applauds, Caesar Flickerman and Claudius Templesmith provide a running commentary,
discussing how the stylists have managed to make them look wonderful. This commentary
makes The Capitol seem even more cold and uncaring given that, in a few days, the tributes
will be required to kill each other. As the District 12 tributes emerge, Ross cuts to a close up
Katniss watching in shock as the crowd applauds her. Throughout this sequence, Ross cuts to
multiple shots of the audience cheering manically. These close ups contribute to the
overwhelming sense that The Capitol is a brutal and uncaring society.
After the ceremony, Katniss returns to her room and sits on the bed. Director Gary Ross pans
down to a shot of her hand as it runs hesitantly over the unfamiliar texture of the quilt.
Picking up a small controller from the bedside table, she flicks through a number of different
views on the wall screen, breathing in sharply when she comes across footage of a forest that
looks like home. She slowly approaches the screen, staring at it while James Newton
Howards melancholic music plays in the background. She throws the controller down in
frustration when she realises that shell never experience that freedom again.
The reality of the situation Katniss finds herself in is reinforced when Ross cuts to a shot of
several sharp weapons displayed on racks. In two weeks, twenty three of you will be dead,
says Atala. A training montage follows as the tributes try their hand at the weapons. This
scene helps to establish Rue (Amandla Stenberg) who later plays an important role in the
narrative. When an argument breaks out between two tributes over a missing knife, Ross cuts
to a shot of Katniss who looks up. Through a point of view shot, the audience sees Rue
hanging from the ceiling, grinning.
In the subsequent scene, Haymitch explains that the argument was started by a Career from
District 1 where all children are trained in an academy. Although theyre pretty lethal,
Haymitch says that their arrogance can be a big problem, glaring at Katniss. Frustrated and
upset because he doesnt have a chance of winning, Peeta reveals that his own mother thinks
Katniss has a better chance of surviving than he does. Here, a flashback explains the
relationship between Katniss and Peeta. After being berated by his mother, he tosses a loaf of
bread to the starving Katniss. Perhaps realising that Peetas compassion wont do much good
in The Hunger Games, she leaves the table in disgust.
The Hunger Games is a criticism of violence and the ruthlessness of a totalitarian
government. This is illustrated in the scene where Haymitch watches miserably as he watches
two children engaging in a mock battle. The scene begins with several shots of a board
showing the odds that each tribute has of winning The Hunger Games. Director Gary Ross
cuts to an over-the-shoulder shot of Haymitch watching two children unwrapping presents.
He cuts to a shot of Haymitch looking on in disgust, then to a shot of the boy, who received a
toy sword, chasing his sister around cheerfully. Haymitch exhales, clearly upset.
In the next scene, Katniss is asked to demonstrate her unique skills to attract sponsors.
Frustrated that theyre not paying attention, she impulsively shoots an arrow through an apple
in the mouth of a roasted pig. Haymitch is obviously impressed with the display of
disobedience and defiance. I would have given anything to see it, he says. Shortly
thereafter President Snow and Seneca Crane discuss the incident. She shot an arrow at your
head, the president observes dryly. He explains that The Hunger Games has a winner to give
the districts hope and keep them in line. It is the only thing stronger than fear, he explains.
A little hope is effective. A lot of hope is dangerous. A spark is fine, as long as its
contained. He instructs Seneca to contain Katniss.
Soon Katniss and Peeta are introduced at the formal beginning of the 75th annual Hunger
Games. Caesar Flickerman opens the program, standing in front of enormous screens on a set
that is reminiscent of real reality television programs like Big Brother. The camera cranes
across the audience revealing a crowd of well-dressed, smiling citizens. Backstage, Cinna
tells Katniss how beautiful she looks before going on stage. Angered, she responds that she
doesnt know how to make people like you. A montage of shots shows the other tributes
taking the stage and being interviewed by Flickerman in the style of reality television
interviews. Im prepared. Im vicious. Im ready to go, says Cato aggressively.
When its Katniss turn to take the stage, director Gary Ross uses a number of cinematic
techniques to convey her nervousness. Standing offstage, Ross uses a handheld close up of
Katniss bathed in the deep orange and red light of the enormous screens. The handheld
camera movement contributes to her sense of apprehension. A point of view shot also
encourages the audience to identify with her as she peers around the corner of the stage at
Flickerman introducing her. Ross tracks her as she steps onto the stage to the sound of
applause. The sound of applause becomes slightly muted Ross cuts to a series of jump cuts as
the camera pans across the cheering audience. These unsettling jump cuts further help the
audience to understand how nervous and apprehensive Katniss is feeling. Her confidence
increases as the interview continues. Flickerman asks Katniss about her sister. I told her that
I would try to win, Katniss replies. That I would try to win for her.
When Peeta takes the stage, he reveals that winning The Hunger Games wont help him win
the heart of the special girl back home because shes one of the tributes. Katniss responds
furiously. What the hell was that? she screams, throwing him against a wall. You dont
talk to me, and then you say you have a crush on me? You say you want to train alone? Is that
how you want to play? Haymitch and Cinna agree that he did the right thing, making her
look desirable in the eyes of the audience, acknowledging that The Hunger Games is a
public spectacle and winning the admiration of the audience is important. Its a television
show! Haymitch explains. And being in love with that boy might just get you sponsors,
which could save your damn life.
That night, Katniss apologises. Peeta confesses that he doesnt want the games to change him
and doesnt want to be a piece in their game. Although he can see himself killing to
survive, he wants to find a way to show them at they dont own me.
If Im going to die, he says, I want to still be me.
THE CORNUCOPIA
The next morning, the tributes are flown to the arena. Haymitch takes the opportunity to give
Katniss some last minute advice: Theyll put all kinds of stuff right in front, right in the
mouth of the Cornucopia. Therell even be a bow there. Dont go for it. Why not? Its a
bloodbath. Theyre trying to pull you in. Thats not your game. You turn, run, find high
ground, look for water. Waters your new best friend. Dont step off that pedestal early or
theyll blow you sky high. Haymitch glares at the waiting plane another clear indication
that he despises The Hunger Games before turning back to Katniss, smiling and wishing her
farewell.
ACTIVITY 4
1. Explain how director Gary Ross creates suspense as the tributes prepare to enter the
arena (01:02:11-01:05:47). Watch this sequence several times, noting how the use of
camera, acting, mise en scene, editing, lighting and sound all contribute to the
suspense and drama.
2. In this sequence, how are the people in The Capitol depicted? How does this make
the audience feel about this society and its government?
After Katniss flees, Ross cuts back to Caesar Flickerman who announces that the cannon fire
signifies the death of tributes. and Claudius Templesmith grins broadly for the camera. This
moment of acting contributing to The Capitols callous disregard for human life. Ross cuts to
Katniss who quietly counts the number of cannon shots. After catching and cooking some
dinner, Katniss retreats to the safety of a large tree. Noticing something, she peers into a hole
in the bark. Ross cuts to a shot from a small camera inside the tree as it whirs, adjusting
focus. This is one of the clear similarities that The Hunger Games has to modern reality
television programs. He pans away from this shot, revealing a studio filled with people
flicking through live footage of the tributes. After noticing another tribute sitting by a small
fire, Katniss hears a scream as she is murdered by an alliance of tributes, including Cato,
Glimmer and Marvel. Although The Hunger Games is a film about violence, it is not a
violent film and criticises the heartless actions of The Capitol and the career tributes. This
scene demonstrates the way the film criticises this violence. Lingering on a close up of
Katniss, the audience hears the sound of laughter as the alliance of tributes traipses through
the woods. Did you see the look on her face? one of them laughs. Marvel drops to her
knees. Oh, please dont kill me, she says in a mocking tone. Ross cuts back to a close up of
Katniss who looks on with a combination of horror and disgust. She is shocked when she
realises that Peeta is part of the alliance.
After escaping from an orchestrated forest fire, Katniss encounters the alliance of careers.
Here acting again contributes to the films criticism of violence as the career tributes yell and
cheer as they pursue her through the forest. Cato starts to follow her up the tree. Ross cuts to
a mid shot of the other tributes at the bottom of the tree urging him to kill her. Ross whip
pans to a shot of Peeta as he watches on fearfully. After they resolve to wait for her to come
down, Ross cuts to a shot of Haymitch sitting in a public square watching The Hunger Games
on a large screen. His face is lined with concern and he shakes his head, a mournful violin
rising in the background. While waiting in the tree, Katniss tries to treat her wound as well as
she can, a close up emphasising her grimace as she presses down on the raw flesh. Again The
Hunger Games condemns violence, emphasising that it has consequences.
A montage of shots showing Haymitch talking enthusiastically with citizens of the capital
results in a special package helping Katniss to treat her wound. While Katniss is climbing
towards the package, Ross further condemns the heartless career tributes by cutting to a shot
of Clove. He tilts down to show her removing a knife and throwing it emotionlessly at a
nearby lizard. She manages to escape the waiting tributes by dropping a next of deadly
tracker jackers. As she flees, the hallucinating Katniss pauses for a moment before taking the
bow from Marvel who was killed by the tracker jacker venom. Ross cuts to a shot of
Marvels face, then to a close up of Katniss as she pauses in shock, realising that she was
responsible for Marvels death.
After her hallucination, Katniss wakes to discover that Rue had treated her tracker jacker
stings with leaves. Its okay, Katniss says finding her behind a tree, Im not going to hurt
you. In the film, the viciousness of the career tributes is condemned while the compassion
and humanity of Katniss and Peeta is praised. Ross cuts to a shot of them sharing some food.
Rue tells her that she was asleep for a couple of days and she changed her leaves
twice. After their conversation, Ross cuts to a shot of Katniss and Rue sleeping at night. Its
clear that the film values their friendship and support over the ruthlessness of the career
tributes. A soft, comforting musical motif written by James Newton Howard plays in the
background.
THE DEATH OF RUE
Rue light fires to distract the alliance of career tributes while Katniss makes a daring raid on
their base. Katniss fires an arrow into the pile of equipment, setting off the repositioned
mines and destroying the cache of supplies. Ears ringing from the explosion, Katniss watches
in horror as Cato snaps the neck of the boy left to defend the camp. Ross cuts back to a mid
shot of a shocked Katniss who stumbles back into the forest. Coming across an unlit fire,
dramatic music rises as Katniss hears the terrified cries of Rue. Finding her pinned
underneath a net, she manages to free her. Marvel appears behind them suddenly. Katniss
quickly fires off an arrow, killing him. Turning back to Rue, there is a moment of silence as
director Gary Ross lingers on a close up of her face before cutting to a mid shot as she
removes a spear from her abdomen. Rue collapses into Katniss arms. Ross cuts between
several extreme close ups of the fatal wounds and Katniss distraught expression. Its okay,
she says, crying. Youre okay. Youre okay. Sorrowful music rises as Rue implores her to
win. A point of view shot from the perspective of Rue pulls in and out of focus as Katniss
sings to her, gradually fading to white. In this sequence, the audience is clearly encouraged to
feel sympathy for Katniss and Rue as well as a deep sense of antipathy towards the brutality
of the career tributes and the uncaring Capitol. Ross lingers on a close up of Rues motionless
face as Katniss closes her eyes. He cuts to a close up of Katniss who cries uncontrollably.
The sound fades out and the music rises as Katniss screams, throwing the spear away. A
montage of shots shows Katniss picking flowers and laying them on Rues body. Throughout
this sequence, the use of acting, music, shot size, focus and editing in this sequence all
combine to create sympathy for these characters and their plight.
After laying Rue to rest, Katniss walks away and looks towards one of the camera, kissing
two fingers and raising them in the air. Ross cuts to a shot of dozens of people watching a
large screen in District 11, then to several shots of the people raising their hands in silence.
Ross tracks one of the men in the crowd as he clashes violently with nearby Peacekeepers.
Dont kill her. Youll just create a martyr, Haymitch begs Seneca Crane. I hear these
rumours out of District 11. This could get away from you. He asks Seneca to play up the
young love angle, hoping to save Katniss.
In the next scene, Seneca tries to sell the idea to a reluctant President Snow. There are lots of
underdogs, he says. Lots of coal, too. Grow crops, minerals, things we need. There are lots
of underdogs. And I think if you could see them, you would not root for them either. This
line further characterises the Capitol and its President as selfish and uncaring.
The regulations requiring a single victor have been suspended, a voice over informs the
tributes in the next scene. From now on, two victors may be crowned, if both originate from
the same district. Peeta and Katniss are subsequently reunited. When she discovers that
Peeta has sustained a serious wound she says, Im not going to leave you, Im not going to
do that. Once again, the film praises compassion over violence, self-interest and cruelty.
Katniss receives a parachute containing soup. You fed me once, she says, offering him a
spoonful of soup.
I think about that all the time, he says. How I tossed you that bread. I should have gone to
you. I should have just gone out in the rain and He starts to recall the first time he saw her
and how he watched her going home every day. Despite his protests, Katniss resolves to go
to the cornucopia to get medicine for Peeta, kissing him. When she makes a run for the
medicine, Clove attacks her. Wheres lover boy? she taunts. I see. You were gonna help
him, right? Well, thats sweet. You know, its too bad that you couldnt help your little
friend. That little girl? What was her name again? Rue? Yeah, well, we killed her. And now
were gonna kill you. This acting and dialogue further reinforces the films condemnation of
violence and brutality. Thresh suddenly appears and kills Clove in retribution for Rues
murder. Just this time, 12, he says. For Rue.
When she returns, Peeta insists on applying the medicine to Katniss before she tends to his
wounds. She smiles and Ross cuts to a shot of The Hunger Games control room where people
look up from their work, clearly moved by the gesture. The next morning, their wounds have
healed and they realise that theres a possibility they could both go home.
THE VICTORS
After the death of Foxface, Ross cuts back to The Hunger Games control room where Seneca
Crane smiles and says, Thats excellent when he sees the holographic image of a mutt. The
narrative pushes relentlessly to its conclusion as Katniss and Peeta are pursued relentlessly by
the mutts. In the climactic scene on top of the cornucopia as the mutts circle below, Cato
urges Katniss to kill him. Im dead anyway, he says. I always was, right? I didnt know
that till now. How is that? Is that what they want? He screams towards the cameras.
Highlighting the injustice of The Hunger Games, he says that killing is the only thing he
knows how to do. Katniss shoots him before he has a chance to hurt Peeta. The victory is
hardly triumphant, mournful music rising, as they watch him be devoured by the mutts.
Katniss chooses to end his suffering by firing another arrow.
When the previous revision allowing two victors is revoked, Katniss and Peeta resolve to eat
the poised berries. Before they do, Seneca intervenes and they are allowed to leave the arena.
Theyre not happy with you, Haymitch says. Because you showed them up. The
ruthlessness of The Capitol and President Snow is underscored when Ross cuts to a shot of
Seneca Crane being ushered into a room containing the poisoned berries.
The film ends with a shot of President Snow watching on as the victors return to District 12.
Dramatic music rises and the film cuts to black.
The Hunger Games
Katniss Everdeen
Katniss Everdeen is a teenage girl who lives in District 12, an impoverished coal-mining
region in the country of Panem. She's a volunteer tribute in Panem's annual Hunger Games,
having taken the place of her younger sister in an act of heroic self-sacrifice.
Likes include: bows, arrows, and lamb stew. Also: a certain guy named Gale.
Dislikes include: Haymitch Abernathy, tracker jacker stings, getting her leg hair waxed, and
the family cat. Also: occasionally her mother.
Katniss the Provider
Ever since the death of her father in a tragic coal-mining accident, Katniss has taken on the
role of her family's head of household. While Katniss's mother was unable to cope with the
loss, falling into a deep depression, Katniss stayed focused and took charge. Filling her
father's shoes, she became the chief cook and bottlewasher, bringing home the food and
income that would save the family from starvation. Katniss describes the process as follows:
It was slow-going at first, but I was determined to feed us. I stole eggs from nests,
caught fish in nets, sometimes managed to shoot a squirrel or rabbit for stew, and
gathered the various plants that sprung up beneath my feet. Plants are tricky. Many
are edible, but one false mouthful and you're dead. I checked and double-checked the
plants I harvested with my father's pictures. I kept us alive. (4.19)
Katniss is the stalwart rock of her family. Hunting, foraging, and providing for her mother
and sister Prim are at the very core of her identity.
While Katniss's role as a provider originated within the context of her family, Katniss is a
strong provider in the arena as well. Her protective instincts extend to her ally from District
11, the young girl named Rue. The two shared food, clothing, and companionship. Katniss
explains that she teamed up with the girl "because she's a survivor, and I trust her, and why
not admit it? She reminds me of Prim" (15.28).
While her alliance with Rue is sadly short-lived, Katniss will also act as provider and
protector of another tribute: her co-tribute from District 12, Peeta Mellark. The daughter of a
coal miner, Katniss is a far more skilled hunter and tracker than Peeta, who is the son of a
baker. He's a whiz at "decorating cakes," sure, but he's really not very good with weapons
(19.25). As the Games near their climax, Katniss will risk her life against the other tributes in
order to bring Peeta the only medicine that can bring him back from the edge of death.
While Katniss sees herself primarily as someone who others can depend upon, both in and
out of the arena, who would Katniss be if she didn't have to provide for and protect the people
around her? As there becomes a likely possibility that she might win the Hunger Games, she
lets herself ask this question:
For the first time, I allow myself to truly think about the possibility that I might make
it home. To fame. To wealth. To my own house in the Victor's Village. My mother and
Prim would live there with me. No more fear of hunger. A new kind of freedom. But
thenwhat? What would my life be like on a daily basis? Most of it has been
consumed with the acquisition of food. Take that away and I'm not really sure who I
am, what my identity is. The idea scares me some. (23.62)
Though the question is left unresolved at the conclusion of The Hunger Games, you can bet
your bottom dollar that Katniss will have to find a new role for herself a new identity
once she returns home to District 12.
Katniss the Survivor
It's been a hardknock life for Katniss. As Peeta's mom comments, rather coldly, "She's a
survivor, that one" (7.31).
Whether she's in the woods of District 12 or the Gamemaker's arena, Katniss is concerned
with one thing: how to stay alive. This, of course, makes her a fierce competitor. She can
hunt, fish, trap, and fight.
While we might be putting money on Katniss to win, some might say that her survivalist
mindset also makes her a hardened character someone difficult to like. We, as readers, want
to see people fall in love and be happy, after all. Katniss, though, doesn't get attached to
people very easily or to things. Warm, fuzzy emotions are a luxury that she just can't afford.
Because she is only focused on the day-to-day work of living, Katniss isn't terribly
sentimental a characteristic that sets her apart from many other girl heroines (think of Bella
from Twilight) and from Peeta. She has no great love for the family cat, Buttercup, for
example. To Katniss, Buttercup isn't a cute and fuzzy playmate, but simply "another mouth to
feed" (1.3). This would explain, we guess, why she tried to drown the poor thing in a bucket
to save him from the slow, sad fate of starvation.
Similarly, Katniss doesn't go gaga for children or babies. She can't even imagine herself
having children, as she tells Gale: "Who would fill those mouths that are always asking for
more?" (1.28). Katniss lives in a world with no future. Why would she bring children into
such a life of pain, sorrow, and poverty?
Katniss the Celebrity
As Morrissey once sang, "Fame, fame, fatal fame. It can play hideous tricks on the brain."
Indeed, in the televised world of the Hunger Games, fame and celebrity can turn your world
completely upside down.
As the girl tribute from District 12, Katniss is thrust into the spotlight when she hits the
Capitol. Cameras are on her every move at every minute; unfortunately, though, she's not
funny or charming or even particularly telegenic. As Haymitch puts it, whenever she opens
her mouth, she comes across as "sullen and hostile" (9.17). She's like a Panem version of
Kristen Stewart.
So, Katniss must learn the importance of public image, celebrity, and creating a persona.
With the help of her stylist, Cinna, she'll wear a series of spectacular gowns with which she'll
be able to woo and wow the crowds at the Opening Ceremonies. Likewise, by following
Haymitch's coaching and advice, she learns to manipulate the at-home audiences of the
Hunger Games by playing up the supposed romance plot with her co-tribute Peeta. Once she's
made into Peeta's object of love, she secures a powerful place in the hearts of the audience.
Haymitch explains:
"It's all a big show. It's all how you're perceived. The most I could say about you after
your interview was that you were nice enough, although that in itself was s small
miracle. Now I can say you're a heartbreaker. Oh, oh, oh, how the boys back home
fall longingly at your feet. Which do you think will get you more sponsors?" (10.24)
Katniss becomes a pro at playing the game of celebrity, and at playing the audiences and
sponsors of the Hunger Games. But she'll also learn that the distinctions between what's real
and what's not can sometimes blur. What are the stakes of living a life based solely on
appearances?
Katniss the Girl on Fire
Cinna is Katniss's fabulous stylist in the Capitol, and the image that he creates for her is
designed around the concept of (drumroll please) FIRE! More specifically, being on fire.
Cinna accomplishes this feat through gowns that shimmer and elaborate capes that are set off
in flames. Take, for example, Katniss's getup at the inaugural event of the Games:
Every head is turned our way, pulling the focus from the three chariots ahead of us.
At first, I'm frozen, but then I catch sight of us on a large television screen and am
floored by how breathtaking we look. In the deepening twilight, the firelight
illuminates our faces. (5.56)
The flaming spectacle has mass appeal and the crowd goes wild. Katniss's girl on fire bit is a
hit.
But, while Katniss might literally be on fire in Cinna's dresses, we should also remember that
she is on fire in other ways too.
She's rebellious, for one thing. Remember when she shot her arrow through the apple in the
pig's mouth during her private training sessions with the Gamemakers (Chapter 7)? Or when
she defiantly covered Rue's body with flowers (Chapter 18)? Or when she attempts a double
suicide with Peeta at the climax of the Hunger Games (Chapter 25)?
Katniss has a temper that just won't quit, and her defiance, she learns, can be a huge asset in
the arena. Being on fire with her own personal brand of rebellion can be even more powerful
than one of Cinna's amazing dresses. Her defiance brands her as spectacular and
appealingand dangerous.
Katniss the Love Object
Who does Katniss love, and who doesn't she love?
Team Gale
Gale is the only person in Katniss's life around whom she can be herself (1.11), and indeed
her memories of her times with Gale hunting at home are her happiest ones (20.40). Katniss
doesn't develop her feelings for Gale, though, because she knows her family counts on her to
survive and that life in the Seam is difficult. Her conversation with him about the need to
provide for her family and her disinterest in having children neatly illustrates that point
(1.23-1.34).
Team Peeta
It's clear that Peeta has always been in love with Katniss, but Katniss won't let herself think
about Peeta romantically because, well, he is her competitor and they're supposed to kill
each other. We think we might see the stirrings of some kinds of feelings when they lock lips
for real (22.75), but you never really know when there's a camera involved. (Welcome to the
surreal life.)
Also, we've heard the complaints out there from the Peeta sympathizers of the world who
portray Katniss as a big old meanie heartbreaker. Let us weigh in on the matter: both Katniss
and Peeta are players of this game. Though we are not privy to Peeta's point of view, we can
safely say that Peeta Mellark brought a great deal of this fake love malarkey on himself by
CONFESSING his so-called crush on Katniss on NATIONAL TELEVISION. In so doing,
Peeta has made a private affair of the heart a hugely public matter.
Is this maybe a teensy bit manipulative? Signs point to yes.
Katniss, in turn, is put in one heck of an awkward situation. As she says later, after a fit of
confusion, "Peeta has made me an object of love" (10.33). Please note the word "object,"
folks. It's a position that can be as disempowering as it is potentially empowering. Having
had her hand forced, Katniss is being asked to play a role in front of an audience that can
either make or break her. How can she possibly reject him in front of the camera when she
knows that her life and Peeta's is on the line?
What, in all honesty, would you do?

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