Remember who the real enemy is [302961]

Remember who the real enemy is!

The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins;

War of Paradigms under Surveillance in the Dystopian Society of Panem.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………………………2

BETWEEN MYTHOLOGY AND MODERNITY…………………………………6

Panem et circenses…………………………………………………………………6

The Cornucopia……………………………………………………………………8

Theseus and the Minotaur…………………………………………………………9

REMEMBER WHO THE REAL ENEMY IS!…………………….……………11

Tribute or prisoner?…………………………………………………………………12

Strategies used against the masses of Panem………………………………………13

The Rebels versus the System………………………………………………………15

Identity: Individual versus Collective………………………………………………16

Districts versus the Capitol…………………………………………………………43

Technology versus Nature…………………………………………………………43

A HEROINE AT WAR WITH HERSELF…………………………………………34

CONCLUSION ………………………………………………………………………… 47

BIBLIOGRAPHY ………………………………………………………………………49

INTRODUCTION

As a [anonimizat], [anonimizat] a society in the future. The word dystopia is formed from the Greek roots δυσ (dys), [anonimizat] τόπος (tópos), which can be translated as place. The dystopia is the opposite of utopia (Fig. 1), which was first introduced in 1516 [anonimizat]. While utopia imagines a [anonimizat], [anonimizat]. If we think of a utopia as a desirable, distant, [anonimizat] a dystopia as a distant, attainable and undesirable future. [anonimizat], reveals an important contradiction of XXIst century society: “it illustrates a [anonimizat], coexisting with the worst forms of moral oppression of people.” The dystopian literary works are usually carried out by a self-[anonimizat]. Usually, [anonimizat] a [anonimizat]. Hence, [anonimizat]: socialism, capitalism, [anonimizat], [anonimizat]. M. [anonimizat]: A [anonimizat] “a potent vehicle for criticizing existing social conditions and political systems”, which I find to be the most accurate definition for this genre of literature.

The reason why I [anonimizat] I am going to discuss the motivation of each characteristic of this concept in Collins’ [anonimizat]. [anonimizat] (paradigms) interact throughout the novel and how their relationship (of war) evolves and eventually ends.

[anonimizat], [anonimizat]ea of study, can be taken into consideration from several possible points of view: from the actual warfare described textually, to the multiple conflicts between rebels and the system, illustrating the dissimilitude between the paradigms of the rulers and the rebels, and even to the unexplainable split between the initial ideological plan of organizing the society (theoretical basis of the concept) and the consequences of imposing its new paradigmatic rules tested in literature, namely, the concept of Panopticism, which I metaphorically emphasized through the representative phrase: under surveillance; this phrase is also an arrow pointing towards the technological contribution that will not disappear for a second throughout the entire trilogy. Other chapters include the nature of the trilogy and its sources, the discrepancy between the people and lifestyle of the Capitol, departed from nature and dominated by technology, and the physically miserable living of the districts in nature, as well as I will be concerned with individual and collective oriented approaches; all of these establish a form of conflict in their relationship with one another, while they all revolve around the same major concept of dystopia.

As an effect, I do not include Dystopia versus Reality as one of the chapters of the present paper, as I firstly intended, but I rather use it as the Introduction – Conclusions thematic cycle, since we need an in-depth analysis of the trilogy in order to determine what is actually real and what is not. This study is aimed to revolve around oppositions exclusively, and when we hear oppositions, we think of a negative relation, of a war of paradigms explicitly. All the oppositions that I will be exploring thoroughly represent the only major themes that interact accordingly, which results into realizing that there is no sign of war between the traits of a dystopia and reality. On the contrary, Collins manages to blend their features harmoniously into such a wonderful piece that you get lost in and even causes addiction to the reader. It almost feels achievable.

While reading a trilogy written in the XXIst century, it occurred to me that most of its themes constitute actual issues that the modern society has to face nowadays, therefore they have to be approached in a way as modern as possible. The so-called war of paradigms is surrounding each and all of us every day, in all the mass-media bullets that we encounter day by day, in all the white screens that we stare at, in the political system we are ‘stuck in’ and the political discourse that we hear every day, each of them acting at the subconscious level of the society without their consent. This trilogy is not a mere literary dystopia, but a harsh depiction of reality of the XXIst century that nobody dares to admit.

Fig. 1. Utopia Dystopia – Artwork by Dylan Glynn, 2010. Source: https://dylanglynn.blogspot.com/2010/07/utopia-dystopia.html

BETWEEN MYTHOLOGY AND MODERNITY

In the Capitol, most of the residents have their names based on a legend, historian, mythological or literary character, completed by an English name that also has a particular meaning each, representative for their unique personality. For example, Plutarch Heavensbee is based on a Greek historian known as Plutarch, while the name of the main antagonist, Coriolanus Snow, is based on the protagonist of a play by William Shakespeare, also inspired by a Roman general who is said to have lived in the Vth century BC: Gaius Marcius (Caius Martius) Coriolanus. The name of Seneca Crane comes from the one of Lucio Anneo Séneca, a Roman philosopher, politician and teacher of Nero; and even Katniss’ stylist, Cinna who was fond of Katniss and showed signs of dissatisfaction with the Panem politics resembles a “Lucius Cornelius Cinna, who rebelled against two successive Roman dictators”. It can be safely assumed that the Greek and Roman cultures strongly influenced what the Capitol is. Not only did Collins use names of people or things (e.g.: Cornucopia), but she also used common expressions, myths, ideas and everything that she could find suitable for her story to emphasize the idea that times change, but people stay the same.

Panem et Circenses

I find it essential to begin with placing in time and space of the narration in question, along with the necessary explanations: Suzanne Collins, in The Hunger Games, depicts the society of Panem in the XXIst century, the name of the setting itself suggesting its fictionality. Furthermore, it denotes bread in Latin, and so it is suggested the ironic manner in which the author labels the country that she created, since Panem is, in fact, a very poor country, whose inhabitants can barely feed themselves and even have to work to provide all sorts of goods for the Capitol citizens, who rule the country and live an ignorant, indifferent life in luxury. As a first encounter with an ancient paradigm, John M. Cunningham relates in Encyclopædia Britannica that Collins herself explained in an interview how she came up with this name, explicitly from Juvenal’s original Latin’s phrase: panem et circenses, which means bread and circus, and is highly representative for the only concerns of the Capitol: food and entertainment. This is the real reason why The Hunger Games take place first of all, only as a means of entertainment for the Capitol people, as opposed to the reason they claim to have behind: as a punishment for an uprising of the districts against the Capitol that occurred in the past – the Dark Days (Collins, 19), as they call it. I think that the heroine of the story, Katniss Everdeen, is being quite straightforward when it comes to the threatening social and political paradigmatic practices, fact that we are being let known through the consistently used free indirect discourse and, after finding herself in the position of volunteering as a tribute in the arena in order to save her younger sister Prim, she defines the Games as follows: “Taking the kids from our districts, forcing them to kill one another while we watch — this is the Capitol’s way of reminding us how totally we are at their mercy. How little chance we would stand of surviving another rebellion.” (Collins, 19). The same source (Cunningham) reveals and also justifies that:

Taking place in an outdoor “arena,” the Games bear a distinct resemblance to the gladiatorial games of ancient Rome, in which slaves and criminals engaged in bloody and sometimes-fatal combat before large crowds of riveted spectators. [Fig 2.] Those in the outlying districts of Panem watch the Games in a state of tense anticipation, since the home district of the eventual victor is rewarded with food and other gifts by the Capitol (“bread”). Those in the Capitol, with nothing at stake, watch purely for pleasure (“circuses”).

This interpretation is quite self-explanatory: the inhabitants of Panem are seen as slaves by the Capitol, therefore their lives do not really matter. The spectators are mostly the Capitol people, who need a source of entertainment and have found the perfect means to make fun of other people’s struggle to survive, as long as they are safe; the districts are spectators too, but they are morally compelled to watch the Games, as if the Capitol enjoys even more seeing the whole population suffering by scores for their less fortunate gone tributes, and eventually rewarding them stingily.

Fig 2. Painting : Pollice Verso by Jean-Léon Gérôme (1872).

The Cornucopia

The Cornucopia used in the Hunger Games is in fact a symbol of abundance in Greek culture. It originates from two Latin words: Cornu meaning "horn" and Copia meaning "plenty", resulting in the name: Horn of Plenty, which refers to a horn that hosts any supply you need, an abundance. According to ancient Greek mythology, Amalthea was a goat who nursed with her milk and raised Zeus since he was an infant, while hiding from his father, Cronos, up in the mountains of Crete, and helped him become a powerful god. When Zeus accidentally broke one of Amalthea's horns, he decided to repay her by using his godly powers to ensure that the horn will be always filled with everything Amalthea wished – eternal abundance (Fig. 3). (Malburg: https://www.brighthubeducation.com/history-homework-help/126590-what-is-a-cornucopia/ ). In the first book, Katniss describes the Cornucopia as she sees it in the first sixty seconds after she is being thrown in the arena, because that was her only chance to look around and observe, before she is forced to make a move that will not get her killed in the blood bath.

[…] the Cornucopia, a giant golden horn shaped like a cone with a curved tail, the mouth of which is at least twenty feet high, spilling over with the things that will give us life here in the arena. Food, containers of water, weapons, medicine, garments, fire starters. Strewn around the Cornucopia are other supplies, their value decreasing the farther they are from the horn. For instance, only a few steps from my feet lays a threefoot square of plastic. Certainly it could be of some use in a downpour. But there in the mouth, I can see a tent pack that would protect from almost any sort of weather. (Collins, 147)

The description resembles perfectly the original Horn of Plenty in Greek mythology. It looks like there are things that she is not even sure how they work, but she knows they are all useful. The Cornucopia is grandiose and vital for all the tributes in the arena, but it is not accessible at all, except for the careers, who manage to seize it up until the creators of the Games force all the tributes to participate in a Feist at the Cornucopia, in order to obtain the thing they need the most to stay alive. Inevitably, Katniss makes up a plan to go, despite of Peeta’s implorations to stay safe, but she does that in order to save his life, so she cannot be stopped. The Cornucopia is also important because it is the place where the final scene in the arena and the announcement of the winners take place, where the cheating occurs; it is where the revolution begins.

Fig. 3. Statue of Zeus holding the Cornucopia.

Theseus and the Minotaur

Predictably enough, I went on digging into this interview with Suzanne Collins and found that she has revealed her source of inspiration: “It’s very much based on the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur,” she explains, since some of her interests consisted on Greek and Roman mythology. She goes on to make it clear how the myth sounds: “As punishment for displeasing Crete, Athens periodically had to send seven youths and seven maidens to Crete, where they were thrown into the labyrinth and devoured by the Minotaur (…). The cycle doesn’t end until Theseus volunteers to go, and he kills the Minotaur. In her own way, Katniss is a futuristic Theseus.” I find this representation very relevant for the clash of paradigms that I attempt to demonstrate, especially after looking at the differences between the myth and a modern adaptation of it, that implies futuristic weapons, architecture, characters and so on. Imagine the Reaping Scene as Katniss’s name being pulled out by Effie from the very beginning, it would have been simplified much: no family sacrifice, no intention to protect her little sister, no volunteering and no unpredictable. The effect is not the same for sure over the reader’s emotions and impressions. Collins allegedly wanted to recreate a moment of volunteering in her attempt to emphasize moral values that the heroine possesses, just like the way it happens in the original myth. “I volunteer as tribute!” (Collins, 23). These are the words that will haunt the mind of the participants at the Reaping, with a somewhat relief, the mind of the readers and the mind of the Capitol people, including the leaders. Nobody forgets a girl who dares to say such words in a crucial moment, this is why she makes the ideal Theseus, volunteering for a mission that he has no idea how he will deal with, but only knows that he wants to change something in the society that he lives in. This is the proof that frustration – not personal, but collective, for the hero does it in the name of the population in pain – generates change in a dystopian society and this has always been the same ever since the Ancient Greece up to the day we live in.

In her essay: “She has no idea. The effect she can have.” Katniss and the Politics of Gender, Jessica Miller explains exactly how Katniss resembles such mythical characters as Theseus – or Spartacus – through her male-like traits and personality. She is bold, strong, and knows how to haunt, thanks to her father, something that only men know how to do well. It is safe that we assume she has got all these masculine features from her father and the fact that she has been left with her mother and sister only, she has no choice but to act like a man, be the head of the family.

Through multiple retellings over the centuries, the tales of Theseus and Spartacus have come to represent the inherent dignity of the human person and its potential to inspire opposition to oppressive regimes. Like the male—and very masculine—heroes on which her character is based, Katniss instinctively asserts her own basic human dignity, which serves as a spark that catches fire and changes the course of history for the people of Panem. (Miller, 149)

Furthermore, Miller offers the greatest example of Katniss’ rigid character: during the training session; the day she has to show off her skills to the Gamemakers who are not even paying attention to her but still make her go through a series of strong emotions of confusion, frustration, anger and then ingeniousness through her spontaneity, causing her instant reaction to be impeccably hitting the apple in the mouth of the pork served at their table with her arrow. A similar example that I found completes the association with Theseus perfectly:

I believe Cato could easily lose his judgment in a fit of temper. Not that I can feel superior on that point. I think of the moment I sent the arrow flying into the apple in the pig’s mouth when I was so enraged. Maybe I do understand Cato better than I think. (Collins, 320).

There is no doubt that there is something inside her that is not delicate and feminine at all. The fact that she finds herself understanding a male like Cato, who is well-known for his strength, ambition and rigor, who is fighting side by side with the winner of the Hunger Games, that must make her a quite reasonable Theseus in this whole modern myth recreated by Collins.

REMEMBER WHO THE REAL ENEMY IS!

It is necessary that I mention the two names that cannot be omitted when approaching a theme like that of Panopticism: Michel Foucault and Jeremy Bentham. “The Panopticon functions as a kind of laboratory of power” (204), Foucault declares in his analysis: Discipline and Punish, in which he dedicates a chapter to Panopticism, unveiling the causes and the effects that occurred onto the axis of Panopticism and explaining them. The chapter includes an architectural drawing of the Plan of the Panopticon by J. Bentham as well [Fig. 4], which shows how the Panopticon penitentiary was designed in such a way that all the cells were circularly structured around a single watchman who was able to observe (-opticon1) all the inmates (pan-2 ) of the prison. It functions at the psychological level of the prisoners only, as Bentham himself describes it: “a new mode of obtaining power of mind over mind, in a quantity hitherto without example.” (Bentham 39), but the fact that they do not know which one is being viewed makes them all feel watched constantly. However, Foucault argued that it was one of the most effective ways of an institution to discipline the society of the XVIIIth century, dominated by the plague, and this can be a starting point for investigating several literary works that may picture a similar social and political system, more or less accurate; as it is the case for The Hunger Games Trilogy.

Fig. 4. Plan of the Panopticon – The works of Jeremy Bentham vol. IV, 172-3. 1843

2.1. Tribute or prisoner?

Despite being a science fiction trilogy, set in a distant future, the plot seems to be quite current: how a powerful nation imposes its will and lives in an atmosphere of luxury and extravagance thanks to the submission of the other nations. People of the districts live poorly, work tirelessly to go hungry and hope that one of the loved ones is not chosen as tribute to participate in the arena, for it means certain death. The games have been taking place for more than seven decades now, to remind people of the consequences of rebelling against those who exercise power. The consequences manifest on the youngest, similarly to what seems to be a reality-show as seen on television today. The choice of the word tribute to designate the participants does not seem that innocent. A tribute is something that has to be given to someone in a higher position: be it money, spices or services, the tribute is given either out of veneration, gratitude or obligation by all those who have to pay it. In this case, what is delivered are bodies, those of the youngest. This is nothing new whatsoever, since many cultures are known to offer the sacrifice of young people in pursuit of a good harvest, to avoid natural catastrophes. The Capitol uses the tributes to feed the circuit of fear and submission. In Discipline and punish, Michel Foucault would agree that:

[…] we can surely accept the general proposition that, in our societies, the systems of punishment are to be situated in a certain ‘political economy’ of the body: even if they do not make use of violent or bloody punishment, even when they use ‘lenient’ methods involving confinement or correction, it is always the body that is at issue – the body and its forces, their utility and their docility, their distribution and their submission. (Foucault, 25)

The power of repression that the Capitol has towards the population generates an inability to have any sort of reaction to save their children. At the same time, the power of this political economy of the body is held by the Capitol, who is responsible for entertaining and distracting the masses, activating the chain of fears and keeping on finding bodies that would be subjected to domination of the Capitol. Domination that goes beyond bodies because what is mastered is taken as a whole: body, mind, soul.

Bentham's Panopticism is notoriously applied to the structure of the location of The Hunger Games, since there are hidden cameras throughout the territory and, depending on the attitudes of the tributes, the Gamemakers will create situations to raise the rating. For example, if a player takes refuge on the top of a tree and stays there for such a long time that the Capitol considers too long, deadly phenomena such as acid rains may appear so that he will be forced to leave and participate more actively in the game. The idea of ​​being watched constantly by the cameras is present throughout the whole story, emphasizing that survival on the playing field is not based on being the best, but rather on being the most popular in order to obtain sponsorship. This also reflects the idea of ​​the Panopticon as it shows that tributes are playing roles and self-regulate their behavior to seduce the sponsors.

The media is an aspect to which contemporary authors attach great importance; the concept of what is given access and what is not; the control of people's thoughts through what they are allowed to see. For example, the murder of the Katniss’ stylist, during the last moments before Katniss entered the arena, for reasons of disobedience never comes to light: he designed a dress to appear on television at the tributes’ presentation, which changed into the appearance of a mockingjay, image of rebellion and symbol of justice. In spite of recording the preparations for the game, capturing every detail on camera, the moment of the injection of the tracker (a substance that allows the Capitol to know the exact location of the tributes) is not even shown or mentioned on the big screens. The dominant ideology makes great use of censorship and attitude restrictions.

Foucault reflects on the ability of the power to exercise control. In effect, he affirms that:

The power in the hierarchized surveillance of the disciplines is not possessed as a thing, or transferred as a property; it functions like a piece of machinery. And, although it is true that its pyramidal organization gives it a ‘head’, it is the apparatus as a whole that produces ‘power’ and distributes individuals in this permanent and continuous field. (Foucault, 177)

Therefore, if there is a never-ending cycle that has been created throughout the years that keeps some sort of balance in Panem, then it definitely has a head. And if it has a head, then it must have subjects under his dominance. In the trilogy, this cycle functions both in space and time: the twelve districts, geographically delimitated, work for the Capitol; and, each year, two tributes of each district are subjected to the fear and/or participation in the arena dictated by the Capitol. As a result, Foucault named this cycle a piece of machinery.

Strategies used against the masses of Panem

The people of districts are working day by day, yet each of them make an important piece in the whole process of production, who is indispensable, for he is the only one who knows how to perform his part, but has no knowledge of the other parts or the final product (the luxurious Capitol). The worker represents a district in itself, since each one produces a certain product and have no access to the other workers (districts) or the Capitol. After all the work is concluded, the ruling class obtains several gains in the production process it controls, while the workers are all equal in their cells, and the Capitol standing behind the Big Brother gains everything. This whole process gives birth to the concept of exploitation. A poor diet along with the fatigue of the never-ending work ages the muscles, lowers the defenses, produces all kinds of issues that weaken the bodies, and weak bodies are also more easily dominated.

Another strategy is distraction: anything that prevents a person from reflecting on their own, having their own judgments, will be an effective strategy to generate fear more easily. We know that there are different kinds of entertaining, which are exactly what make the level of ignorance continue as such. Paradoxically enough, The Hunger Games are an entertainment for the people of the districts who follow them on television as well. This way, people of districts are being kept distracted by working and watching the games, leaving no time for them to reflect on better solutions or any decisive reaction towards the Capitol. The tributes are dressed for the show, the opening ceremony is created and directed in such a way that will draw your attention and all the events in the arena are being shifted in a manner that will maintain your interest. A tribute may be in a moment on the brink of the grave for good, but a watcher is experiencing complete suspense.

Besides the entertainment, there is also education in the districts, although there is no direct reference of the author to this, the way they lived makes us think that there was no education at the level of state. On the other hand, even if they had books, they would have no time to read because they have to work all the time. Of course, we can point out other forms of learning, but again we have nothing mentioned, rather than knowing a little bit of their history, that there were people who rebelled and disobeyed, because the Capitol only wants them to know what they have to do in their work and what they have not to do in order to remain safe – but ignorant, at the same time.

When the games end, the only survivor, the winner, becomes a successful figure and goes on to live in luxury very far from the reality before his participation in the game. Trying to survive on your own and trusting no one is the best option to stay alive in the field. The game system seeks to generate a sense of distance between the players, it seeks alienation in the districts, to let them know that everyone that gets closer may be dangerous. In fact during the games if you do not kill another, at some point you may end up killed. When the Capitol divides the districts, it determines the activities that will be carried out in a way that increases its efficiency by the accumulation of experience and development of its ability. As a result, not only that people of the districts get exploited, but also alienated. Foucault himself explains in his analysis that Panopticon is all about an effective placement in space of the bodies, a fluid arrangement that will allow the Watchman to make everyone feel watched constantly:

It is a type of location of bodies in space, of distribution of individuals in relation to one another, of hierarchical organization, of disposition of centres and channels of power, of definition of the instruments and modes of intervention of power….Whenever one is dealing with a multiplicity of individuals on whom a task or a particular form of behaviour must be imposed, the panoptic schema may be used. (Foucault, 205)

This placement of bodies is meant to create alienation between the inmates, therefore they will not be united to rebel against the leaders. However, in Panem this alienation keeps growing inside each district for so many years, until it bursts out of frustration and creates a revolution. All they needed to solve the problem of capitalism generated by the Capitol was a trigger, and the trigger point was the spelling of Katniss’ words: ‘I volunteer!’ This way, the resistance starts slowly to develop a plan for the rebellion against the Capitol, the people get encouraged by her sacrifice and intentions, and realize that if one had the courage to do this for all of them, then all of them will be stronger than the Capitol. People realize that they have been exploited and they are now able to see beyond what is established as truth, unleashing a revolution in consequence to generate a response to the capitalism. This is how Katniss puts an end to the alienation induces by the Capitol over the masses. Therefore, there is no such thing as free humans in the districts: you are either a tribute in the arena or a prisoner in the Penitentiary of Panopticon ruled by the Capitol.

The Rebels versus the System

This war of paradigms, between the rebel and the rulers, is one of the main themes and transposes, in ideological terms, into the conflict between Panopticon and the prison inmates. The purpose of the rebels was freedom, whereas the purpose of the rulers was total control and submission, while living a life of opulence, in the case of Panem. There is an apparent winning of the rebels: Katniss and Peeta rebel against the last minute change of the rules in Arena; after being told that two tributes of the same district can win, they do their best to stay alive together, but then suddenly the voice announces again that there can only be one winner. So they decide to confront the Capitol and intend to poison themselves, knowing that the Capitol would not allow such an act, because they need a winner. It is not until only later that they find out that they have triggered a rebellion from their instructor, Haymitch: “Listen up. You’re in trouble. Word is the Capitol’s furious about you showing them up in the arena. The one thing they can’t stand is being laughed at and they’re the joke of Panem” (350). This is the moment in which the actual, physical war begins, but the first book ends suddenly, leaving the reader in total confusion, giving the much needed explanations in the rest of the trilogy.

The system under the ideology of Panopticism imposes the lack of freedom and total control of the rulers that, as much as the lack of intimacy, the surveillance that is permanently following especially the main characters throughout the novel and not only, but all the characters that must submit to a higher power: the districts to the Capitol. Katniss does not like being in front of the cameras, but she is aware that smiling at them is the only way of staying alive. “We have to stand for a few minutes in the doorway of the train while the cameras gobble up our images, then we’re allowed inside and the doors close mercifully behind us (42).” She is a totally different person in reality than she is on the screens, but she has no choice than to play the role of Peeta’s lover, so that she will not be killed not only in the Arena, but in any place that she would be, she is basically a so-called fugitive. The Capitol adores love stories and since the aim of entertaining the Capitol people is being fulfilled, the two so-called lovers have to play the role until the end.

A HEROINE AT WAR WITH HERSELF

Katniss, as an exception to the traditional gender roles

Although the protagonist is a female, all the characters who have a direct and decisive influence on Katniss are men: her father, whom she was very close to, Haymitch, Cinna, President Snow, Peeta, Gale etc. She does not allow the only woman who is close to her, her mother, to have any influence on her – on the contrary, she is more of a protector for the females she encounters: she protects her mother and her little sister, as well as Rue, in the arena. Katniss is characterized from the beginning of the first book by the fact that she comes out of traditional gender roles. She does not do so deliberately, nor even consciously, but because it is in her nature, and also (especially) because she has no choice. After the death of her father, her mother falls into a deep depression and stops caring for her children, so Katniss, who is then 11 years old, and her younger sister are in great danger of starving. She then takes charge of her family's survival by hunting illegally in the woods, as her father taught her, despite the danger that this represents. She becomes an excellent hunter, particularly skilled at the bow, making a good replacement for her father into the family. Her father's death has also largely shaped her character: she is brave and determined, but also cold, often harsh, because she cannot afford feelings that would endanger her or compromise the survival of her family; many of her characteristics can be described as masculine rather than feminine, as I mentioned earlier in her association with male mythological figures: Theseus, Spartacus. This may be a possible association with the author’s childhood, who admitted herself in the interview that she used to travel a lot with her father and it is clear that spending time with him has helped shaping her own character.

Collins uses her Katniss to narrate the trilogy from a first-person perspective: her sentences are short, not very expressive (no exclamation points, for example), factual, precise. It is in this cold style that we learn that she first tried to drown her sister’s cat, Buttercup, and that she only gave in because of her despair; yet the cat was one more mouth to feed. Her exteriorized judgements show that she is not necessarily concerned with her mother or sister, but she is rather driven by practical considerations – or perhaps just an attitude to protect herself. For example, when in the arena, Peeta asked her to tell him her happiest memory and she chose the day she offered a goat to her sister. To justify this choice, she concludes: ‘I knew that this goat would be a small gold mine’. Peeta then replied unsurprised: ‘Yes, of course, that's what I was referring to, not the immense joy you gave to the sister you love so much that you took her place during the reaping.’

Katniss always thinks in a cold, cynical and strategic way: it allows her to survive. She thinks she must not cry at the farewells with her family and Gale, because the cameras are waiting for her at the exit and her puffy eyes would be a sign of weakness. She is surprised when Peeta cries and interprets this as a possible strategy of his: ‘to appear weak and frightened, to reassure other tributes that he is not dangerous, and then to fight’. Throughout the novel, Peeta is guided by his emotions and love for Katniss, while she is guided only by her survival instinct. When she realizes the differences in their states of mind, she feels inferior. It is also Peeta who is gifted with the words, a generally rather feminine characteristic; for example, when they are in danger of starving in the arena, she tries to perform an emotional scene in order to please the audience, but she finds it difficult to find the right words and to confide in them, whereas Peeta does so with ease, without even having someone suspect that this is just a way of getting food.

Equality of gender roles, but higher standards imposed

At the beginning, the power in Panem is held by the men: the highest authority of District 12 is the mayor, and the country is led by President Snow. In contrast, we discover in the last book that a woman is the head of District 13 and therefore of the rebellion against the Capitol. If there is one place where gender roles seem to no longer exist, this is the arena. The 24 girls and boys are in equal danger and at no time does it appear that the boys would have a better chance of survival, even if Katniss bets on Cato or Thresh, which means the brutal force to win the games. She realizes, however, to have underestimated the cunning Foxface, who proves to be a formidable competitor. As for the career tributes (which have volunteered for glory), the girls are just as overworked as the boys, physically very strong and all bigger than Katniss.

However, from the moment she enters the games, Katniss is constantly reminded of her status as a girl in two ways: by the system that surrounds the games and by the relationship with Peeta. As soon as she arrives at the Capitol, she is taken care of by her preparation team who wash her, make her a manicure and, ‘above all, get rid of all the hair on her body’: legs, arms, torso, armpits, eyebrows, almost everything goes there.

The reminder of femininity does not only go by her physical appearance: she undergoes a constant pressure to appear desirable, in order to be spotted by potential sponsors wishing to support her in the arena. She understands very well that this is a matter of survival, which is why she is grateful for Cinna's efforts to make her look attractive, she accepts the game and sends kisses to the public, for example, during her first great apparition. She suffers a whole half day learning to walk in a long dress and high heels, smiling. Her mentor, Haymitch, needs to come up with a strategy for how to introduce her to the public at the pre-games interview; all approaches fail and he concludes: ‘You have about as much charm as a dead slug’. Out of the arena, all tributes must seduce the public in one way or another in order to be saved, but the type of seduction implemented is largely gender-related; for example, she immediately spots the strategy of the District 1 girl, with her blonde hair and green eyes, playing the card of appearance. For the interview before the games, all the female competitors wear a dress, while of course they would wear pants in the arena (the outfit is also unisex), which makes everyone forget that they are just teenagers dressed as grown-ups.

In addition to this constant pressure, Katniss is brutally reminded of the reality of gender roles by Peeta’s public revelation during this interview: that he is in love with her. This revelation is shocking and she is angry at first because, according to her, he made her look weak. Haymitch calms her by saying that before Peeta’s statement, she was ‘about as romantic as dust’. She is assured that Peeta has done her an enormous service by making her ‘an object of love’. She convinces herself that Cinna has made her beautiful and desirable for Peeta.

It is striking to see how easily she is convinced that she needs Peeta’s love to survive or even to win. Despite her personal history, she shows very little confidence in her own abilities and almost seems to refrain from trying to win, until the announcement of the rule change that allows two people from the same district to win the games. Everything is done to make her think that she needs Peeta’s love – and even more, that she must act as if she loves him too. Indeed, the public is seduced by their tragic story, and Katniss understands that the more she plays the game – as she had played the game of femininity at her arrival at the Capitol – the more likely she is to attract sponsors and save herself and Peeta. If there is one thing that Katniss learns during the endless ordeal of games, it is dissimulation. She already knew how to hide her emotions, but she must learn to feign emotions she does not feel, which she is unable to do at first. And that, mainly because of Peeta, who imposes this game on her by his public revelation, who imposes on Katniss the character of the desirable, beloved and inaccessible woman; although he is not aware of it, it is also because of him that she must pretend to be in love in order to survive.

So we see that one of the strengths of the novel is to distance gender norms and present them how they are naturally. They are seen and lived by Katniss as a strategy, and not as natural, innate. Multiple gender reminders only reinforce the idea that it is a system of norms and constraints, not a biological one; but if gender norms are built, they are also easy to manipulate, and Katniss understands it.

Katniss and her body

Katniss has suffered tremendously from hunger and sees the effects around her in District 12. So food plays an important role in her vision of the world. Her survival and that of her family depend on her ability to hunt and she is therefore challenged daily. For her, the social order is based on the availability of food, so she is shocked by the quantity of food that passes before her eyes on the Capitol. Her relationship to her own body is therefore essentially of a practical nature: she eats a lot before the games in the hope of gaining a few pounds and, on leaving the arena, notices that she can easily count her ribs.

The novel does not contain elements that are nevertheless recurrent in adolescent literature: the confusion associated with puberty, clumsiness, the difficult relationship with one's changing body. Katniss does not really have the leisure to ask existential questions about adolescence, and anyway it is not in her nature. She thinks of her body only in terms of chances of survival, this is why she is worried about her multiple injuries, not the aesthetic aspect. She is shocked to discover that after the end of the games, while she was sedated, doctors Capitol have managed to get rid of all her scars, including those she had had before the Hunger Games.

Katniss is also completely unaware of her own beauty. She never mentions it and does not understand the reference to Peeta, who accuses her of being ‘unaware of the effect she is having’. She is aware, however, that Prim, who is a blonde with blue eyes, is adorable and resembles her mother, once very beautiful; she describes herself as having typical features. The role she was forced to assume partly determines her physical appearance and her relationship to her own body. When she goes hunting, she certainly does not wear a dress like her mother or sister, but a practical, masculine outfit. It is only for the Reaping Day that she wears a dress belonging to her mother since she was young. She also allows her mother to braid her hair, and Prim whispers to her that she is beautiful, but Katniss disagrees: ‘You look beautiful […] And nothing like myself.’ Even dressed and styled, she is not close to the model of ultra-femininity embodied by Effie Trinkett. When she arrives at the Capitol, she is immediately being taken care of by a preparation team to help her get rid of almost all her hair – the first waxing in her life, which she does not complain about, but feels ‘intensely vulnerable’, like ‘a plucked bird ready to roast.’

Katniss is under constant pressure to appear desirable, to be spotted by potential sponsors eager to support her once in the arena. The clothes created by Cinna for the different shows and ceremonies in which she participates are all far from her usual clothes. For the opening ceremony, she wears, in the novel, "a simple black leotard" that covers her neck to ankles, leather boots up to the knees and a flammable cape. For the television interview, she wears a dress completely covered with red, yellow and white reflective gemstones, forming patterns of flames; Katniss comments, ‘I'm not pretty. I'm not beautiful. I am as radiant as the sun.’

The body, a cultural object

Among the many cultural differences between the districts and the Capitol, physical appearance is essential. The relationship between the Capitol and the districts is presented from the first pages of the novel as a relationship of power, and even servitude. Their relationships are also characterized by maximum strangeness. District residents do not care about the Capitol's accent and the strange dress habits of those who live there; for the Capitol, life in the districts, especially in district 12, is barbaric.

The appearance of Effie Trinket, in charge of tributes of District 12, on the occasion of the Reaping puts particularly in value this contrast. In the film, it is revealed gradually, the camera rising from her feet to her head in close-ups. With her pink dress and wig, her extreme makeup, she seems not only out of place but grotesque and cruel, since this outfit is intended to celebrate the Hunger Games.

Throughout the novel we only see the events from the point of view of Katniss or the districts; Capitol dwellers appear as curious beasts and it is clear that it is reciprocal. The exuberance of clothing and body transformations are fashionable. In the team responsible for preparing Katniss’ looks, Venia has turquoise hair and golden tattoos above the eyebrows, Octavia has a completely dyed body in pale green and Flavius ​​has orange hair. The latter, after Katniss was washed and removed almost all his hair, exclaims: ‘You almost look like a human being now!’ Collins accentuates this dimension, creating a contrastive opposition between the appearances of Capitol’s people, on the one hand, a Capitol at the forefront of technology but presented as the place of true barbarism, where decadence is read in the body, and on the other the districts, generally characterized by their authenticity and their greater proximity to nature. Thus, all the technologically advanced products are tied to the Capitol, creating a stark contrast in District 12 between the general misery and the television screens or the weapons of the Capitol soldiers.

Among Capitol residents, there are two major exceptions to the fashion of body modifications. The first exception is Cinna, Katniss's stylist, whose appearance strikes her with its simplicity; his only concession to Capitol fashion is a line of golden eyeliner, which brings out the color of his eyes. Now Cinna is, very explicitly, a nice guy, and always behaves towards Katniss as a friend, even an ally (fact that would be confirmed in the second book of the trilogy). The second exception is President Snow, dictator of Panem, who will prove extremely dangerous and cruel. It is difficult to imagine the power in the hands of a man as far-fetched as the rest of the Capitol, at least from Katniss's point of view.

Rules, Strategies and Rebellion

Katniss is however reminded of her "femininity" once out of the arena. She is kept several days asleep to be nurtured and nourished; she then discovers that they were about to take advantage of it to increase the size of her chest, against which Haymitch had to fight.  He also reveals to her that she is in an even greater danger, because the Gamemakers wanted her and Peeta to kill each other, until she came up with the idea that they were going to commit suicide, leaving no winners. It is thanks to this stratagem that they were crowned winners together. However, the act displeased President Snow, who interpreted it as a defiant gesture against the Capitol. To save herself and her family, Katniss must make everyone believe that her gesture was only due to her love for Peeta and that she was not aware of her actions because of the strong power of love.

–

As always, this strategy depends on appearances, and especially on physical appearances. Just before the final ceremony, while she does not know yet that she is in danger, she discovers the last dress that Cinna has prepared for her. This one is very different from the previous ones: it is a yellow dress ‘without pretension???’ (unassuming), padded at the chest (compromise reached after Haymitch refused the aesthetic operation). She reaches her knees and Katniss wears flat leather sandals. This dress continues the fire theme, but this time it is no longer flamboyant or radiant: it shines like "the light of a candle". His hair is detached, held by a simple ribbon. The dress is tightened at the ribs, not the waist, which largely cancels the effect of padding. Katniss comments, "I just look like a girl. A little girl. Fourteen years maximum [she has 16]. Innocente. Harmless. […] It's a very calculated appearance. "

When she asks Cinna for explanations, he answers, "I thought Peeta would prefer that". It is not, however, a loving masculine look that is in question. Katniss knows that Cinna lies:

"Peeta? No, it has nothing to do with Peeta. It has to do with the Capitol, the organizers of the games and the public. Even though I do not yet understand Cinna's intentions, it's a reminder that the games are not over yet. And behind his innocuous answer, I guess a warning. "

His performance in front of the television cameras depends not only on his survival, but also that of his mother, his sister, his friend Gale, the inhabitants of his district. She must play one last role, that of the girl in love, and the dress created by Cinna is an integral part of the performance. She understands that she must look like a " girlish girl" as innocent as possible. In the novel, she sits against Peeta, almost on her knees, then, understanding Haymitch's eyes, removes her sandals, puts her feet on the bench and puts her head on the shoulder of Peeta, who surrounded by an arm. He wears pants and strong black boots; Katniss thinks:

"I regret that Cinna did not give me similar clothes; I feel so vulnerable in this light dress. But I guess that was the idea. "