Marisol Ramos

Dr. Kendra Parker

ENG 113-03. Academic Writing: Feminisms

7 November 2017

The Hunger Game Franchise Stands Out Among Other Feminist Films.

Introduction

Oftentimes, when we think about feminism in the media we think about kick-ass women

that are fearless, brave, and unrealistic. We make peace with the idea that these women are how

real feminist are supposed to look like and we overgeneralize the feminist group. We make the

assumption that to be a feminist you need to be a woman, hate men, kill off all of your feelings,

become angry, and disassociate yourself with your faith. According to bell hooks, feminism

is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression (hooks 1). She argues that

people do not understand what sexism is because they are not properly educated. She says, The

feminism they hear about the most is portrayed by women who are primarily committed to

gender equality equal pay for work, and sometimes women and men sharing household chores

and parenting (hooks 1-2). This kind of feminist values is what is presented in feminist

movies and though it is not fully wrong it sends the wrong message to people. In comparison

with these feminist films, The Hunger Games franchise does a good job in portraying a realistic

definition of feminism. For example, the main characters are a dominant woman and a fragile

man. The film also touches on both women and men struggles which is something that most

films that try to portray feminist attitudes do not achieve. The multiple feminist attitudes about

change in gender roles, double standards, and stereotypes in the Hunger Games film franchise

are helping break/bring attention to dominant gender stereotypes while portraying 21st century-
cultural worries and anxieties such as gender roles, sexism, and double standards through

characters in the Hunger Games.

Methodology:

When I address feminist attitudes, I refer to change in gender roles, double standards, and

stereotypes. The Hunger Games franchise does not have an order in which these appear in the

film because they tend to leak into each film or they make a reappearance into the films.

Therefore, I will first talk about the characteristics of each character and how they break the

gender norms of contemporary society. Then I will analyze the breakage of double standards in

the film. The Hunger Game society, Panem, is different than the society in which we live in

because they do not make a big deal when a man or woman shows their emotions or when a man

or woman wear dramatic makeup. Instead, they tend to praise these kinds of characteristics. Then,

I will talk about labor distributions, and how they defy our stereotypes that men do all the heavy

work while women do all the light work. I will also go into how the Hunger Games characters

portray 21 century-cultural worries and anxieties such as gender roles, sexism, and double
st

standards. I will bring attention to the fact that many people are not able to act themselves for

fear of what their society might think about them or do to them. I will also discuss and analyze

the different societies. For example, in the United States during the time the films were released

and even today, many people do not believe that men can also be victims of rape and be sexually

exploited. I will also talk about how our societies are responsible for nesting and nursing

different gender roles, sexism, and double standards.

Feminism in the hunger games expose reverse gender roles between Katniss and Peeta. In

todays society women are looked at as the weaker and vulnerable gender, and men are seen as

the strong and dominant gender. In Female Focalizers and Masculine Ideals: Gender as
Performance in Twilight and The Hunger Games, Lykke Guanio-Uluru recognizes that Katniss

is portrayed as Lethal physical fighter in tight control of her display of emotions. Women are

typically known for being emotional all the time, but Katniss is able to break that gender

stereotype. Katniss does not seem to meet the standard view of a woman because she displays

stereotypical gender roles of both men and women. In the Metamorphosis of Katniss Everdeen:

The Hunger Games, Myth, and Femininity, Kathryn Strong Hansen suggests that the imperfect

alignment between Katniss and these mythic figures suggests that she does not effectively

embody either mythic womans form of femininity. Ultimately, this misalignment helps her to

reject both of these roles Katniss is not a regular woman character. She is portrayed as

someone with strong masculine traits while still holding her femininity. Katniss takes on the role

of a father figure for Prim and her family. In Discourses of Masculinity and Femininity in The

Hunger Games: scarred, bloody, and Stunning, Vera Woloshyn argues that female

characters may take on masculine tasks and roles, they often only do so in exceptional

circumstances usually involving the absence of a father figure Katniss rejects gender roles

based on how a traditional household setting. Katniss continues to reject gender stereotypes of

women having to act feminine. In the article, The Katniss Factor: What the Hunger Games

movies say about feminism, and war? Steven Zeitchik emphasizes that Katniss displays

unsmiling, efficient and male-like appearances. Her appearances reject standard womanlike

behavior. In modern day American women are forced to smile because it makes seem more

approachable and feminine, and men are not held to this standard.

The roles of the characters from the Hunger Games franchise call attention to dominant gender

stereotypes which communicates that anyone can break an imposed gender stereotype. In the

first film, Katniss Everdeen, is seen as the non-domestic girl. She is usually out hunting, caring
for her family, and providing for her family. All while Peeta, the male character, is seen as a

domestic boy that bakes, cooks, and cleans. They made him seem more fragile and weak. These

characters are not like your tradition film characters. Instead Katniss is breaking the gender

stereotype that women are supposed to be the domestic ones that cook, bake, and clean for their

family. This change in gender roles sets an example for those watching. The film helps release

the pressure that men always have to be the strong and fearless figures or that men have to act

manly in order to be respected and appreciated. It also releases the pressure that women need to

dress, walk, speak, act like a lady in order to be found attractive. This positive view that women

can be strong and dominant and that men can be weak and vulnerable allows people to be more

comfortable with who they are, and creates an opportunity to break these false stereotypes.

The characters of the Hunger Games seem to poke fun at the double standards that Americans

have on whether men can wear make-up. In the Panem society, the Capitol is who/what rules

mostly everything. They make the trends in their society and dress in a very peculiar manner. For

example, many people from the capitol wear drag makeup, creative outfits, and crazy wigs.

People should not be treated differently or be told that it is wrong to wear makeup or dress

differently just because their gender is associated with a certain norm. Penney Miyan from Her

Campus At George Washington says:

If you are a guy, you should be able to wear makeup too. It is a personal preference and it

shouldnt matter what other people thinkTo all people who judge people for wearing makeup

or not wearing it, it is not really your problem in the first place. We shouldnt have to apologize

for wearing makeup or apologize for not wearing makeup, its this ridiculous double standard

that you cant win

In Panem, men are not undermined for wearing makeup. In their society, makeup is not

something meant for only girls it is meant for everyone to express themselves. The Hunger

Games characters are a close example of what breaking a double standard should look like. No

one questions the way someone else is trying to express themselves. These behaviors bring

awareness to the acceptance of people for who they are, and shy away from the idea the people

are supposed to behave how their society wants them to behave.

The cultural worries and anxieties such as gender roles, sexism, and double standards portrayed

through characters in the Hunger Games simultaneously suggest a contemporary view of

feminist values in the United States during the years 2012 to 2015 which communicate

awareness of gender roles, sexism, and double standards. In the first and second film, Katniss

seems shove her emotions away because she is afraid she might seem weak and vulnerable to her

society and to the other players in the hunger games. On the contrary, Peeta shows his emotion

throughout the movies. He even confesses his love to Katniss on live TV for everyone to see.

This moment upset Katniss because she believed that Peeta made her look weak. In our society,

when a woman shows emotion it is normal. Nothing is wrong with that because there is a stigma

that women are supposed to be emotionless and weak and men are supposed to never show their

emotions, or they will look weak. Having these broken stereotypes is significant because it is

bringing more and more awareness to the equal treatment of people. People need to be aware that

these social worries and anxieties are true and real, and they need to be stopped because if not

there will always a stereotype that men and women are supposed to behave a certain way.

Breaking these stereotypes will communicate the message that they are not alone and that their

chains can be broken, and they do not have to limit themselves to the traditional way they are

expected to behave like.

The Hunger Games franchise does a good job in highlighting large differences in Panem and in

the United States. In the United States, many people do not believe that men can be sexually

exploited. In the United States some people claim that women are often raped because their

beauty rituals provoke men. In the Hunger Games franchise, Finnick, a citizen of the Capitol

shares his story and opens up about his own sexual exploitation. This change in gender

experiences draws attention to the fact the men can also be victims to a crime that most people

believe only affects women. It is important to draw attention to this because it is part of the

process of breaking stereotypes, gender roles, and double standards.

All in all, gender stereotypes, gender roles, and sexism have a reversed affect in the Hunger

Games. They draw attention to the problem the United States Faces with gender stereotypes. I

believe that the use of reversed gender, gender stereotypes, gender roles, and sexism in films

help spread the idea that they are wrong, and people do not have to abide by them.

Works Cited

Guanio-Uluru, Lykke. Female Focalizers and Masculine Ideals: Gender as Performance in

Twilight and The
Hunger Games. Childrens
Literature in Education, vol. 47,
no. 3,
2015, pp. 209224.,
doi:10.1007/s10583-015-9263-1. The MightyFind.
hooks, bell. Feminism Politics:Where We Stand. End South Press, 2000, pp. 1-2, Accessed 7

November 2017

Hansen, Kathryn Strong. The Metamorphosis of Katniss Everdeen: The Hunger Games, Myth,
and Femininity. Children's Literature Association Quarterly, The Johns Hopkins University
Press, 15 May 2015, muse.jhu.edu/article/581694.
The Double Standards of Makeup. Her Campus, 10 Nov. 2016,
www.hercampus.com/school/gwu/double-standards-makeup.
Woloshyn, Vera, et al. Discourses of Masculinity and Femininity in The Hunger Games:
"Scarred," "Bloody," and "Stunning". International Journal of Social Science Studies,
redfame.com/journal/index.php/ijsss/article/view/21/52.
Zeitchik, Steven. The Katniss factor: What the 'Hunger Games' movies say about feminism, and
war. Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov. 2015,
www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-with-hunger-games-mockingjay-part-2-
theaters-katniss-feminism-lawrence-20151119-story.html.