Tonight I went to a movie on opening night; something I have never done before. If you have not seen the latest Hunger Games movie, SPOILER ALERT! You have been forewarned.
This week in class, we have been reading A Rose For Emily by William Faulkner and analyzing the short story using feminist criticism. As I watched The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2, I tried to also watch for examples of feminism. The entire Hunger Games series, especially this final movie, is clearly a part of the Third Wave of Feminism.
The protagonist of the movie is Katniss Everdeen, a young female, living in a dystopian society. She is a strong female character that holds power in society over not only the rebels but the capitol. As the “Mockingjay” she represents the movement for change in the corrupted society. All the rebels hold great respect for Katniss and all she has done in the games and for the fight against the Capitol. When she walks into a district that is preparing for the war, everyone immediately holds up three fingers as a sign of respect. The Capitol is the corrupted but powerful government that is controlling and ruining the lives of everyone in the districts. The Capitol is scared of almost no one, but views Katniss as a serious threat to their totalitarian state, as she has become a symbol of the fight against the Capitol to all of the districts. Katniss, a woman, is truly empowered as she holds so much influence and power in society.
She also does not need “saving” by a man. Actually, it is the men in the movie that rely on her and need her help. Often in stories and movies, it is the female character that is portrayed as the weak one who needs saving by a man but, Peeta, who is one of the male leads is taken in and brainwashed by the Capitol; not Katniss, the female lead. Katniss throughout the movie is able to help Peeta overcome his trauma as he recovers from being brainwashed. She is always there for him to help remind him of who he is and help him distinguish between what is real and what is false. She reminds Peeta for example that his favorite color is orange, but specifically the orange color of a sunset.
When the leader of Katniss’ unit in the war dies, he entrusts her with the device that finds all the dangerous pods. Whoever is in charge of this device must lead the group. He could have turned over the leadership of the group to one of the many men in the unit, but instead gives Katniss, the woman, the responsibility.
The two “love interests “in the movie, Gale and Peeta, both vie for Katniss’ affections. Instead of both men competing for her love like in a romantic knight’s tale or choosing amongst themselves who will “get” Katniss, they give the power to her. They both acknowledge that they like Katniss, but decide that Katniss will be the one who gets to choose which of them she wants to be with. The female protagonist has the power to choose rather than the male characters.
The defining moment for Katniss that truly exudes pure feminist power is at the end of the film. She is the one who is supposed to kill Snow, the former, corrupt leader of the Capitol. However, the new President of Panem is already exhibiting behavior that indicates that she is going to become just as ruthless and corrupt as Snow. When Katniss prepares to shoot Snow as planned, she uses the opportunity to kill the new President which leads to all the former rebels also killing Snow. This entire event leads to Panem becoming a true democracy with a real election that will ultimately lead to a brighter and less corrupt future for all citizens. The corrupt and totalitarian world is ultimately overturned as a direct result of Katniss’ actions.
Katniss is a strong and powerful leader and woman in the dystopian society of Panem. This last installment of the Hunger Game film series especially showed the power of feminism and the benefits of not having a patriarchal society, but rather a society that values people based on their abilities and personal qualities.
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