The Hunger Games

In class, we were required to read The Hunger Games for its view on feminism. The story is set in the future, where North America is separated into, originally, 13 districts. One day, the districts revolted against The Capital, and one of the districts was completely destroyed. The Capital demonstrates their power by having an annual Hunger Games so the districts never revolt again. The main character, Katniss, lives in District 12, one of the poorer districts. Katniss lives with her mother and her sister who need help supporting themselves. She helps out her family by hunting for food. Usually, hunting is a man’s’ job, but Katniss is known to be a great hunter at the beginning of the book. She is shown to be an expert with a bow and arrow, much better than her friend Gale. When Katniss’ sister is picked for The Hunger Games she bravely steps forward, without hesitation, to take her sister’s place. After the ceremony, Katniss and Peeta are heading towards The Capital; Katniss acts calm while Peeta is crying. Usually, the hero is a male who has the save the useless damsel in distress, but in the Hunger Games Katniss is better off than Peeta and can take care of herself. Later, Peeta is interviewed and he admits to having a crush on Katniss. Katniss responds aggressively, by shoving Peeta into a wall and becoming angry. During the games Katniss acts smart to keep herself alive by setting traps and using her environment all together. She is just overall a smart, levelheaded, strong willed woman who can fend for herself.