"I mean, she saved my life."[1]
To what extent does 'The Hunger Games' trilogy subvert
traditional gender representations?
‘The Hunger Games’
opened up opportunities for “a host of girl power films”[2]
since in its opening weekend it was the “third best in the box office history”[3]. The film explores how different characters develop and their
role to the film through their behaviour, thought and emotions. The film
uses the binary opposition good versus evil as a narrative base whilst also
adding a unique touch that draws in the audience. Judith Butler has been
an icon for the “third wave feminism”[4]
for the last couple of years, challenging conventional ideas of gender. There have been several ways in which women have fought to be
seen and represented as equals. One way in that which this has been done
is through film. Women in film are often represented as sex objects and there for
the pleasure of men, which is argued by Mulvey in regard to the ‘male gaze’[5]. This is evident in films
like ‘Tomb Raider’ (2001), which reinforces the zeitgeist of that time and traditional stereotypes that reinforce the idea
that women are meant to be looked at. Over the recent years these
representations have been subverted and women are now beginning to make a whole
new image for themselves, with films such as ‘Divergent’ that came out after
the first Hunger games film, showing similar characteristic in terms of the
female lead character whilst “empowering us to be the agents of change”. [6]The extent
to which this may be true is unclear in the sense that there are still women
being portrayed in this stereotypical way. However, we see that there has been
a massive development in not only how women are represented in films but also
men. Men are becoming more in tune with their emotional side in film and it is
not just about their masculinity and strength anymore. Gender representations
in ‘The Hunger Games’ trilogy have brought light to the different ways in which
gender is stereotyped and how this has exceeded those in the past.
In a dystopian world
where the 12 districts are being controlled by the capitol and children are set
off to fight for their life. Katniss Everdeen volunteers as tribute to save her
sister from this fate. This is the first sign that we as an audience receive
that shows that Katniss is subverting gender stereotype with “heroism, a
stereotypically masculine quality”. [7]It
is this simple action that intrigues us as it is not often we see a young
female character taking the lead role and not being portrayed as a damsel in
distress compared to men who “are active, forwarding the story”[8].
“She is strong but soft”[9].
Katniss Everdeen is a complicated character and maybe that’s why an audience of
both genders are drawn to her. She is able to show binary opposites within
herself by portraying a vulnerable and real side that allows the audience to
connect and identify, whilst also being presented as strong and courageous. She
is a “21st century heroine”[10].
In the film she portrays a dominant character that is smart and a symbol
of a revolution that isn't passive compared to Bella Swan in
‘Twilight’ where the narrative is driven by her feelings for the Edward. This is
something that may interest young females even more because it’s not something
that is often seen in films, “a strong stereotypically masculine and atypically
gender defined hero”[11]
and has changed the way women are presented in modern films. However, it would
be wrong to say that the film is completely immune from the “male gaze”[12].
This is specifically evident when Katniss is being introduced as the ‘Girl on
fire’. She comes on stage wearing a figure revealing vibrant red dress. This
emphasises the fact that she is there to impress, to look good and show off her
female figure for the audience within the film and the audience watching the
film.
Jennifer Lawrence
almost seems like the perfect fit for this character. She portrays herself as
outspoken and self confident through her “strength of personality”[13]
in the film industry. Other film actresses tend to portray the ‘ideal’ body
image. Whereas Jennifer Lawrence allows herself to make sure that her “body is
healthy-looking”[14].
This emphasises how Jennifer has become a role model for young teen females.
This is evident in the way that she advocates wanting to be physically healthy
which subverts the stereotype of females in the film industry are
conventionally thin. This can be used as a way to please men in the “male gaze”[15]
as they would find this ‘ideal’ body shape visually pleasing. In recent events,
there has been a change in women confidence within Hollywood. In light of the
allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, women, even men, are
tweeting their stories with the hashtag #MeToo, which became a “cry against
sexual assault and harassment”[16].
There is power in
femininity. In the first film we see Katniss meet Rue in the arena. Rue helped
make sure Katniss stayed alive whilst she was unconscious. In return Katniss
offered her company and protection. This subverts stereotypes of women as it
shows that they are not dependant on a man to save them. They are dependent on
each other if not themselves. Rue becomes a “feminist archetype”[17]
when she befriends Katniss. They build their strength based on their sisterhood
relationship and mutual support for each other. It is when women embrace their
femininity and nurturing nature that has shown to benefit them in their
survival and that fighting against this strengthening bond will get them killed
just like it did with Clove. This is because “Sisterhood is powerful.”[18]
This is a continuous motif throughout the film especially since it’s what
motivated Katniss to volunteer as tribute. Her duty towards her sister sparked
the courage within her to volunteer despite knowing the possible outcomes. The audience are sutured within the film using close ups of the
characters Katniss and Primrose to show their affection for each other and
their closeness which is used as a technique to emphasise the role of
sisterhood and the protection that Katniss offers. This gives femininity and
alternative representation of how it would have been described in the past
where it would be considered as a weakness. There
is strength within females and not just when trying to be equal to men. This
highlights that females do not have to adopt an aggressive form in order to
show that they can be strong. In fact being in touch with their feminine and
caring side and showing that they can band together in order to be powerful.
Katniss
is a role model for young girls. She sees emotion as a weakness and does not
want to be “associated with its connotations”[19] but then later on in the
film she realises that empathy/love doesn’t have to mean weakness but can also
bring strength, “Katniss is what Jacobson calls “feminine ferocity””[20]. This opens up the
opportunity for Katniss to be portrayed as a “psychologically rounded” [21]woman.
When it came to saving Peeta she was required to remember what her mother would
do. She learns to accept the value of “feminine strengths”[22] which in turn
helped her win her first Hunger Game. She is the symbol of
rebellion for the districts and she inspires a revolution during a time where
the people are suffering. She is a strong female lead/heroine and every aspect
of her has an opportunity for the audience to identify with her and also have a
personal relationship with them. Katniss Everdeen is shown to be a
lot more subverted as she also takes up a masculine role in the film in the
sense that she is the one that takes care of the family in a very
protective manner which she is inclined to as her father is no longer
present. “Katniss is a hunter”[23]
which helps her look for food in order to serve as the role of the breadwinner.
She can be seen as “tough and hostile”[24]
because all she wants to do is survive. Her concerns, at first, is not with how
nice people are and especially in the first film she doesn’t allow herself to
be clouded by love, the fact that her relationship with Peeta was a front for
the audiences and to gain sponsors highlight that relationships are not her
priority. It is clear that this is the average young adult movie where the
narrative is usually based around love and relationships. This challenges traditional
stereotypes where women are automatically associated with being the love
interest in a film.
Not only have there
been improvement on the representation of females. There have been some changes
in the way men are represented. In The film we see that Peeta plays the very important
secondary role to Katniss. Peeta’s affectionate nature is first seen when we
see flashback of him giving Katniss a loaf of bread. Typical masculine traits
are said to be considered a “provider, capable of love but not made vulnerable
because of it”[25]
compared to now where masculinity includes being able to show sensitivity,
vulnerability and fear. Peeta encourages Katniss to be more open. They can be
considered binary opposites, since she is more restrictive compared to him who
is more open. He can be seen as “Katniss’ perfect ‘movie girlfriend’”[26].
This shows gender subversion through ‘Propp’s character roles’[27]
where in the past I was mainly male lead roles who were very masculine and
strong, whereas now “masculinity is something more fluid.”[28] The Hunger
Games is challenging stereotypes by “empowering boys”.[29]
This is a film that is female dominated and therefore appeals to girls than
boys. However, the fact boys are also reading the book shows that they are
being empowered to read things that are typically more girly since girls are
not judged for doing things that boys do but boys are. This encourages them to step out of this stereotype since
“gender policing is much stricter with boys than girls”[30].
This film has made it easier for “boys to embrace a female perspective”[31].
Peeta sets the example for this as his skill is that physically he is strong
but then on the other hand he tells Katniss that “he’d rather stay true to
himself”[32].
This emphasises the change in how men are represented since the 1970s. He has a
“sense of self-preservation” [33]which is evident towards
the end of the first film where he is injured but instead of being hyper
masculine and trying to attempt any “feats of bravery”[34],
he chooses to hide. This goes against the conventional stereotypes of men and
is quite interesting to see how the female lead and the secondary characters
are binary opposites that complement each other when brought together in a
scene.
When
looking at the change in gender representations over the years, you can see
that there have been some major changes especially since the release of ‘The
Hunger Games’. Tomb Raider’s (2001) Lara Croft is seen to be a very over sexualise
despite being portrayed as a strong
character. She wears tight, figure hugging clothes that are revealing which
emphasises her body shape. She is highly objectified especially in the shower
scene despite being the lead role which highlights the zeitgeist and importance
of the “male gaze” [35]in
the film industry during those times. Despite
the fact that she is a ground breaking female action hero, her sexual
objectification in order to appeal to the male audience seem to be a part of
the film that is heavily focused on. However in the Hunger Games, this isn't
the main focus, in fact, it could be argued that Katniss Everdeen is not
sexualised in this film, Although in the poster it does show her to have a
curvy figure and skin tight clothing that shows of the figure which would
suggest an argument that that could be a form of sexualisation of the
character. However during her fighting scenes it can be seen that she is a
strong female character and that she can take care of herself. This can be used
to highlight the dominant ideologies then where females in Hollywood adopt a
sexualised front in films for the film to bring some form of success. Princess
Leia in ‘Star Wars’ (1977) she is speaking
directly to the antagonist Dark Vader which highlights a sense of bravery and
confidence. This emphasises the second wave feminism in
which we begin to see a change in the way women are portrayed in film. Women
were becoming less of a passive character within films although they have not
yet secured lead roles and are “given less screen time”[36]. This change in cinema
from films always focusing on “male heroes”[37] compared to now where in
films females have “become tougher”[38]. These two examples show
how the films are a zeitgeist as it shows how the different values of society
at the time, the fact that different things were considered important. The
change in how females are represented and how that change has affected how
gender roles and portrayals have now been altered.
It was not long after
the release of the first ‘Hunger Games’ when the “gender pay gap”[39]
was recognised publicly using the hashtag #AskHerMore. This shows how women are
standing up for the injustice
that they are facing during this “fourth wave feminism”. [40]With
this help of social media platforms it is now being spread more easily and
quickly. It suggests that ‘The Hunger Games’ has sparked a new way of thinking
whether it is subtly or directly. We are seeing
more dominant female political leaders in recent years. For example Hilary
Clinton running for President which highlights the fact that females are
stepping up for the more dominant jobs and not settling for whatever they can.
This indicates towards the change in society which is also evident throughout
the Hunger Games film series. Despite that, Katniss rejects having “the power”[41] she is still seen as
someone with a lot of influence which is evident in the last scene in ‘The
Hunger Games’ trilogy where she is to kill President Snow and you can see that
the districts have gathered behind her.
In conclusion, the way gender is
subverted in ‘The Hunger Games’ can be considered a refreshing and “lovely
reversal”[42]
of roles especially between Katniss and Peeta. This
representation of women and men shows the different attributes within a gender
and that there is no one specific and conventional way of portraying gender.
Throughout the film Katniss “rejects dated ideas regarding gender roles”[43]. Over time traditional
views of gender have been developed and changed to fit the gradually changing
society and ideologies. Yes, traditional stereotypes, such as the “traditional
exhibitionist role” [44]of women, are still
present in this film however; those stereotypes are almost overshadowed by the
subversion of those stereotypes and ideologies. Where the audiences are
introduced to a hyper masculine character, the film also introduces a more
sensitive male character to create almost a balance within the film.
Bibliography
Work cited
Books
- Balkind, N. (2014). The hunger games. Bristol, UK: Intellect Books.
- Gauntlett, D. (2002). Media, gender, and identity: An introduction. London: Routledge
- Hooks, B. (2015). Feminism is for everybody: passionate politics. New York, NY: Routledge.
- Wood, J. T. (1994). Gendered lives: Communication, gender, and culture. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Pub.
- Hall, S., Evans, J., & Nixon, S. (2013). Representation. London: SAGE.
- Mulvey, L. (1975). Visual and other pleasures. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
Websites
- Bell, L. M. (2015, January 20). How 'The Hunger Games' Is Challenging Gender Stereotypes - by Empowering Boys. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/laura-m-bell/hunger-games-gender-stereotypes_b_6185320.html
- Ellis, S. (2014, August 12). Why The Hunger Games' killer Katniss is a great female role model. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2014/aug/12/why-hunger-games-killer-katniss-is-a-great-female-role-model
- Khomami, N. (2017, October 20). #MeToo: how a hashtag became a rallying cry against sexual harassment. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/20/women-worldwide-use-hashtag-metoo-against-sexual-harassment
- Moore, S. (2013, November 27). Why The Hunger Games' Katniss Everdeen is a role model for our times | Suzanne Moore. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/nov/27/why-hunger-games-katniss-everdeen-role-model-jennifer-lawrence
- Rankin, S. (2017, April 19). How The Hunger Games Revolutionized Female-Led Blockbusters. Retrieved from http://www.eonline.com/news/837977/how-the-hunger-games-revolutionized-female-led-blockbusters
- Schwarzbaum, L. (2013, November 26). Culture - The Hunger Games: Action-film feminism is catching fire. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20131126-a-movie-heroine-revolution
- Seltzer, S. (2013, December 12). The Hunger Games' Gender Role Revolution. Retrieved from https://rewire.news/article/2013/12/12/the-hunger-games-gender-role-revolution/
- Stark, R. (2015, March 25). Why Katniss is a Feminist Character (And It’s Not Because She Wields a Bow and Beats Boys Up). Retrieved from https://www.tor.com/2012/03/21/why-katniss-is-a-feminist-character-and-its-not-because-she-wields-a-bow-and-beats-boys-up/
Magazines
- Gray, C. (2016, February). The Fourth Wave? Feminism in the Digital Age. Retrieved from https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B0i5diL3vrEiSGxRNHIyZmM4Ums
- Dixon, T. (2011, April). Marty, Bob and Leo: the Changing Nature of Masculinity. Retrieved from https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B0i5diL3vrEiSGxRNHIyZmM4Ums
- Stringfellow, S. (2013, April) The Gender Politics in The Walking Dead and The Hunger Games. Retrieved from https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B0i5diL3vrEiSGxRNHIyZmM4Ums
Moving image text
- Ross, G. (Director). (2012, March 23). The Hunger Games. Lionsgate
- Burger, N. (Director). (2014, April 4.) Divergent. Red Wagon Entertainment.
- Hardwicke, C. Weitz, C. (Directors). (2008, December 3). Twilight. Summit Entertainment.
- West, S. (Director). (2001, June 11). Tomb Raider. Mutual Film Company
- Lucas, G. (Director). (1977, December 27). Star Wars. Lucasfilm Ltd.
Work Referenced
Book
- Greer, G. (1971). The Female Eunuch. London: HarperCollins.
Websites
- Challies, T. (2016, November 04). What Makes The Hunger Games So Popular? Retrieved from https://www.challies.com/articles/what-makes-the-hunger-games-so-popular/
- Ford, R. (2012, March 22). Why ‘Hunger Games’ Is Not the New ‘Twilight’. Retrieved from https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/hunger-games-twilight-jennifer-lawrence-lionsgate-summit-303338
- Orange, R. (2018, January 06). Hard-hitting film takes aim at Ingmar Bergman’s flawed way with women. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/jan/06/ingmar-bergman-beauty-beast-flawed-way-with-women-great-art
- Peter Bloom Lecturer in Organisation Studies, Department of People and Organisation, The Open University. (2018, January 09). Why the message of the Hunger Games films is dangerous. Retrieved from http://theconversation.com/why-the-message-of-the-hunger-games-films-is-dangerous-35231
- Stanley, T. (2015, November 18). Why Left and Right both love The Hunger Games. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/film/the-hunger-games-mockingjay-part-2/politics-protests-katniss-suzanne-collins/
- A. (2013, November 22). The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins – review. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/nov/22/review-the-hunger-games-suzanne-collins
- Thomson, D. (2012, March 27). David Thomson on Films: Why I Hate ‘The Hunger Games’. Retrieved from https://newrepublic.com/article/102038/the-hunger-games-collins-lawrence-ross-terrible-un-american
Magazines
- Lacey, N. (2010, Deember). Engendering Change: What’s happened to Representations of Women? Retrieved from https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B0i5diL3vrEiSGxRNHIyZmM4Ums
- Lacey, N. (2016, April). Furiosa and the ‘Male Gaze’. Retrieved from https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B0i5diL3vrEiSGxRNHIyZmM4Ums
Moving image text
- Feig, P. (Director). (2016, July 9). Ghostbusters. Columbia Pictures.
- Besson, L. (Director). (2014, July 25). Lucy. EuropaCorp.
- Leitch, D. (Director). (2017, July 28). Atomic Blonde. Denver and Delilah Productions.
- Gavron, S. (Director). (2015, October 12) Suffragette. Film4.
[1]
Ross, G. (2012) The Hunger Games
[2]
Rankin, S. (2017)
[3] Ibid.
[4] Gray,
C, (2016) Media Magazine p. 64
[5] Mulvey, L. (1975)
[7]
Stringfellow, S. (2013) Media Magazine p. 62
[8] Lacey,
N. (2016) Media Magazine p. 16
[9] Schwarzbaum,
L. (2013)
[10] Ibid.
[11]
Balkind, N. (2014)
[12]
Mulvey, L. (1975)
[13] Schwarzbaum,
L. (2013)
[14]
Moore, S. (2013)
[15]
Mulvey, L . (1975)
[16]
Khomami, N (2017)
[17]
Stark, R. (2012)
[18]
Hooks, B (2015)
[19]
Gauntlett, D. (2002)
[20]
Schwarzbaum, L. (2013)
[22]
Stark, R. (2012)
[23] Seltzer,
S. (2013)
[24]
Ellis, S (2014)
[25] Dixon, Tina. (2011) Media Magazine p. 53
[26]
Seltzer, S. (2013)
[27]
Propp, V. (1968)
[28]
Dixon, Tina. (2011) Media Magazine p. 55
[29]
Bell, L. (2015)
[30]
Bell, L. (2015)
[31] ibid
[32]
Ellis, S. (2014)
[33]
Stringfellow, S (2013) Media Magazine p. 63
[34] ibid
[35]
Mulvey, L. (1975)
[36]
Gauntlett, D (2002) p. 52
[37] Ibid. P. 50
[38] Ibid. P. 75
[39]
Rankin, S. (2017)
[40] Gray,
C, (2016) Media Magazine p. 64
[41]
Ellis, S. (2014)
[42] Ellis,
S. (2014)
[43]
Gauntlett, D. (2002)
[44] Mulvey, L. (1989).
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