Reading Response 1

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Upon reading the Hunger Games for a second time, I was curious about whether it was a “feminist novel” or not.  When I read it the first time, I honestly was not thinking about it that way and was only reading it for the story, which I found emotionally engaging.  After reading it a second time, I’m honestly not sure.

From the beginning of the book, protagonist Katniss Everdeen does not conform to traditional gender norms.  She takes on the role of provider for her mother and sister after her father’s death.  Her best friend, Gale, is a boy who is also the provider for his family after his father’s death.  Katniss is tough—she hunts, kills, and guts animals, has no room for sympathy (wanted to drown a kitten, pg 3), and bargains on the black market Hob.  She is jealous when other girls talk about Gale—but only because she doesn’t want to lose a good hunting partner (pg. 10).  She also mentions that she doesn’t want to have children.

However, these qualities seem to come more out of her difficult lifestyle than out of a need to challenge the gender norms.  Life in Panem seems to be more centered on class than on gender—for example, both boys and girls compete together in the Hunger Games, and their capabilities seem to come more from their class/district status than anything else (each of the “Careers” is a worthy opponent, regardless of gender).  Also, Katniss’ entire life has been so difficult and harsh that it’s not difficult to imagine why she wouldn’t want to have to worry about protecting a child from the harsh life in District 12.

Although she may not want to ever have children, by the end of the novel, she isn’t sure about her feelings for Peeta Mellark, the other District 12 tribute who at times seemed to be her ally and at other times, her opponent.  Encouraged by Haymitch, she pretends to have feelings for Peeta in order to garner support from the public audience and wealthy sponsors.  These feelings faked for the cameras, and while in the arena, Katniss mostly competes thinking only of herself, not of her staged feelings.  She doesn’t want to kill Peeta, as she feels indebted to “the boy with the bread”, but at the same time, doesn’t want to be killed by him and his “allies”, the Careers.  This changes when it is announced that they can both win.  She takes care of Peeta, and continues to act out their romance; oblivious to the fact that Peeta isn’t acting.  By the time she does discover that, and as they return to District 12, Katniss realizes just how ambiguous her feelings are.

I was originally annoyed that Katniss “needed” to fall in love or feel some emotions for a male character—it seemed too cliché for a female protagonist.  But at the same time, it’s not like she does fall in love.  She does what she needs to do to survive.  She acts the part; she keeps Peeta alive; and she continues the story to keep the Capitol satisfied.  When watching the carefully curated film of their time in the Games, she sees Peeta looking out for her and she “sees” herself fall in love with Peeta.  She and Peeta have also been through one of the most stressful times imaginable—being hunted and hunting in order to stay alive, while on live TV.  She could easily develop “misappropriation of arousal”, the adrenaline rush of the Games associated forever with Peeta, her one lifeline during this highly stressful time.  It’s also easy to forget that they are still teenagers dealing with such physically and mentally strenuous issues.  The film and the psychological stress and bonding could easily influence Katniss into experiencing feelings that she may or may not truly have, and I think it’s totally reasonable to have this happen as part of the novel.