CONTEXTUAL STUDIES: Gender Representation - The Hunger Games

As a task for Thursday's seminar Louis asked us to look at a television programme or film which interests us in terms of gender representation. The film I have looked into is 'The Hunger Games', directed by Gary Ross, which shows the events of a televised competition between the twelve districts of Panem and the relationship between Katniss Everdeen, Peeta Mellark and Gale Hawthorne.

This film in particular because Katniss, being the main character and female, is mainly represented as having masculine qualities throughout the film. She has more 'male' traits by being a hunter, she doesn't show her emotions quite like a woman would and she kills more often. Katniss is also more dominant by the way she is more commanding and doesn't listen to other people, such as when Peeta tells her not to go for her bow but she does anyway. Peeta also tries to dominate Katniss by telling her he isn't letting her go but again she doesn't listen. However, there are parts when Katniss is portrayed more feminine, such as when she is with her sister, Prim, she is very nurturing and is a mother-figure towards her. In the part when the ship appears over the woods, Gale puts his arm around her, protecting and comforting her, clearly he is the more dominate and masculine here. 

The other main character, Peeta, is the opposite as he is more emotionally open - he lets everyone see him cry, he is more romantic and is better with his words. His only kill was an accident, he tells Katniss how he feels about her when he knows the world is watching. He also likes painting and baking while Katniss is more physical and her hobby is archery. Peeta is physically strong being a man but in a different way to Gale, who is considered the more traditional male lead model. 

Katniss and Prim lost their dad when they were younger in the film so it could be said that Katniss develops a masculine trait as well as being feminine to take the place of her father so her sister had a strong figure in her life to look up to. So as you would expect the usual stereotypes to be the women as the emotional and caring person and the male as the strong and protective person, Ross decides to swap the gender dynamics for the main characters which is one of the most interesting aspects in 'The Hunger Games'. 

Katniss can be seen as a feminist character because during the games she learns to recognise and embrace feminine strengths, finding the strength in other women and supporting them in return. When Katniss befriends another volunteer in the district games, Rue, she forms an group of women to support each other in the face of oppression. I previously said about Katniss being a mother-figure to Prim, well she later becomes a surrogate sister for Rue while in the games, an act of blind emotion which literally saves her life. 

- Sullivan, E. (2014). The Hunger Games. Available: https://www.slideshare.net/ellesullivan310/the-hunger-games-representation. Last accessed 8th March 2017

- Cipriani, C. (2015). Why Katniss Saving Peeta in the Hunger Games is so Important. Available: https://www.bustle.com/articles/124760-why-katniss-saving-peeta-in-the-hunger-games-is-so-important. Last accessed 8th March 2017

- Stark, R. (2012). Why is Katniss a Feminist Character. Available: http://www.tor.com/2012/03/21/why-katniss-is-a-feminist-character-and-its-not-because-she-wields-a-bow-and-beats-boys-up/. Last accessed 8th March 2017