The Hunger Games and Feminism

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I watched Hunger Games the movie awhile back when it first hit theaters in in 2012 and I and enjoyed it. I knew that there was a book that the movie was based off but I never had a desire to read it. After reading the novel for our literature circle I gained a new respect for books that are turned into film adaptations. Even though I enjoyed watching the movie, I prefer the book version that Suzanne Collins gained popularity for. In her novel Collins creates Katniss Everdeen to be the ideal candidate that portrays feminist qualities which makes her a perfect role model or young girls. Katniss is the novels protagonist and she is the main provider for her small family. This is a very unique characteristic to have in female characters because Katniss is given a traditional male role. Katniss is also a very good hunter and gather which are traits also associated with male characters. In some young adult novels it is normal for authors to sexualize their female leads, but Katniss goes against this standard and instead lack the qualities of wanting romance and being boy crazy. Her relationship with Peeta is only a facade and her romantic interest is only because Katniss thinks that “… is now my ally…it just makes sense to protect each other. And in my case—being one of the star-crossed lovers from District 12—it’s an absolute requirement if I want any more help from sympathetic sponsors.” Katniss as always been a survivor even before the games and Peeta is another pawn for survival. It is a common stereotype that women are more emotional than men but Peeta is a character who is seen showing strong emotion throughout the novel, worked in the bakery (kitchen) majority of his life vs Katniss surviving in the wilderness, and has been saved by Katniss in the arena multiple times.

Comments

  1. Griffin ThomasOctober 18, 2019 at 1:04 PM

    Hey Tiara, great post! You made me remember a lot of things about the book that I had forgotten, I didn't realize how much I had forgotten but it has been like six years since I read Hunger Games. I never even thought about the fact that they did not sexualize Katniss. It happens so often in media it can be a breath of fresh air when a piece of work exemplifies traits other than appearance to females. I feel that any sexualization, especially in the first book, of Katniss would have completely changed her as a character.

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