VaszlavikLENS4

Brittany Vaszlavik Lens 4 - reader response March 20, 2012

//The Hunger Games// is an incredibly moving story that I think empowers women to finally fit in a new category. When looking back on the series I began to think about what has been said about current literature and media through the eyes of feminist criticism and Katniss falls in none of the typical archetypal roles set for women. She is not overly sexualized, weak, or dumb. There is minimal focus on her appearance and more placed on what she is capable of. In Theory of Criticism we recently watched “//Miss//representation” and it made me look at how the majority of popular media is not centered on women and if it is that female is dressed in a very sexual manor or they may be trying to reach goals and do incredible things but much of the focus is given to her relationship with a man. I began to realize that I had been taught to place a certain image with power. If I think about it my first instinct is to think of a white man when things like high offices of power, doctors, lawyers, etc. are mentioned. I think Katniss is a wonderful role model to girls. Her focus isn’t on the relationship and what I love about that is Collins does not fall into that mold of making Katniss hate men or put them down in order to rise, she is not bitter, she simply has other goals at the time. The emotions are there but it isn’t the majority of what Katniss thinks about. Collins makes an incredible commentary on our current society with the capitol about how it values appearances. Collins created such a rich story with a heroin that young adults can look up to. I mean I want to be Katniss Everdean, but during my current time period and setting I could do without having to go through the hunger games. I’m very curious to see what the movie will do to her character this coming Friday. Cinna places her in outfits that were beautiful and interesting, not revealing. I’m really hoping that they stick closing to the book with her final outfit as well which makes her look like the young girl that she is. There seems to be a large push for high schoolers to dress provocatively and I think the book showed that character can be more stunning than any outfit, hopefully the movie follows suit.