The Hunger Games. A Feminist Approach through Gender Performance

Abstract

This thesis seeks to examine and analyse Suzanne Collins’s trilogy The Hunger Games from a feminist perspective. It will explore the portrayal of various characters in the series, with a special focus on the protagonist Katniss Everdeen. In essence, the analysis will revolve around gender performance, gender expectations and gender formation, and the way the author challenges the reader regarding traditional gender roles. The thesis will also depict the protagonist’s ability to oscillate between feminine and masculine qualities, and how she is able to act out expected female qualities, such as weakness and frailty whenever she sees it fit, and to take on a more rational, individual and vigorous role whenever it is necessary. Moreover, the thesis attempts to portray how the author challenges the whole idea of there being a traditional and original female gender, and how she plays with the view of a perfect female specimen. As background for this analysis, a brief history of feminism, feminist literature and feminist writers will be portrayed. In addition, as background for theoretical thought on gender and identity formation, a range of early and contemporary theorists will be presented and compared. The main gender theorist that will be thoroughly analysed and frequently used to substantiate the analysis is Judith Butler. Her theory of ‘gender performativity’ has been ground-breaking for the definition of gender identity, and is of great relevance to this study.