AnALYSIS: Media and Beauty in The Hunger Games
In her book, The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins created a heroine that encompassed all of the qualities of a strong female character. Katniss Everdeen is a great role model for young readers; she successful communicates that women are as strong and intelligent as men. Along with her heroine, Collins delivers the important eye opening message to young female readers about media and false beauty. Media is used widely throughout the novel, yet Katniss never falls into the world of media and loses her identity. Beauty is closely tied to media and how people are portrayed. False beauty is demonstrated to be odd, hurtful to the person, and overall ridiculous. Collins delivers a positive message to young female readers through her character, that being a young girl who is not manipulated through media, not submerged in attaining the false illusion of coveted physical beauty, and to maintain a sense of what is important is perfectly acceptable and admirable. This is a message that every proactive young woman should embrace and implement in their lives.
Media plays a strong part in The Hunger Games by demonstrating how it can be warped and used in a negative way. Broadcasting and pictures were used to control the oppressed population. The use of media was not intended to demonstrate how terrible it was overall though; the intention was to show how humanity used it for selfish needs. Katniss uses the media to deliver positive messages to the oppressed districts and show defiance to the capitol. Author Margaret Skinner admired Katniss’ anti submissive attitude in her journal “Jung Journal: Culture and Psyche: The Hunger Games a Conversation”. She states, “I cannot help but admire her strength and dedication as a spunky, loving young woman who is continually guring out how to outwit her oppressor and secure her family’s survival”. For example, the act regarding the berries was seen as an act of disobedience and it was a moment of strength for Katniss and her people. Throughout the entire book Katniss uses media to showcase her disapproval of the capitol. It all began with the act of taking her sister’s place at the games. Author Katha Pollitt, in her article “The Hunger Games Feral Feminism”, describes the use of media as, “as an indictment of reality television, in which a bored and cynical audience amuses itself watching desperate people destroy themselves”. This demonstrates how negatively the capitol is using media and how it can be tied to young audiences in society. Katniss demonstrates that social media does not always need to impact young lives; during her interviews she constantly broke into her real self and dropped the facade that was demanded of her. When questioned about her twirling her dress, she simply explained, “I was being myself”. Her struggle with having her identity manipulated never ended and she remained true to her strong and durable characteristics.
The idea that the capitol presented about beauty demonstrated how fads and narcissism was detrimental to society. James P. Pinkerton offers a description of the beautiful, in his article “'Hunger Games' Shoots Arrows at Big Government, Big Media, Hits Bullseye” as, “The elites inhabiting the Capitol are portrayed as human monsters, fabulously rich, hideously overdressed, ridiculously made up, totally amoral, all delighting in the televised death of unwilling innocents. Collins brings to attention numerous times the beauty of natural looks. She describes Katniss in both circumstances where she is representing the capitol and when she is her natural self. Although Katniss is described as breath taking, she is also made to seem unreal. Collins constantly champions natural beauty and a pride in self-identity. She even touches on a body image issue that many young readers can relate to. During an event both Peeta and Katniss witnessed a type of bulimia in the Capitol. A pill that induced vomit was given in order to indulge in food again. This act was acceptable but Katniss was disgusted at the waste and length people went to, to satisfy an image. Benjamin Bradford discussed the impact of body image in both novel and film and how devastating it could be in Collins’ message was misunderstood. He states, “There are of course many social pressures on girls and women to be thin and beautiful, but in this case there seems to be a misunderstanding, a disconnect between what the film critics wrote and the kinds of “toxic” messages about an “arbitrary and unrealistic ideal”. His article titled, “Do 'Hunger Games' Critics Encourage Anorexia?” shows the fragile state that young readers are in due to social pressures about what is considered beautiful.
Works Cited
Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic Press, 2008. Print.
Pollitt, Katha. "The Hunger Games’ Feral Feminism | The Nation." The Nation. N.p., 3 Apr.2012. Web. 22 Feb. 2013. <http://www.thenation.com/article/167182/hunger-games-feral-feminism#>.
Pinkerton, James P.. "'Hunger Games' shoots arrows at big government, big media, hits bullseye | Fox News." Fox News - Breaking News Updates | Latest News Headlines | Photos & News Videos. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2013. <http://www.foxnews.com/opinion /2012/03/22/hunger-games-shoots-arrows-at-big-government-big-media-hits-bullseye/>.
Skinner, Margaret, and Kayln McCord. "e Hunger Games: A Conversation Jungian and LiteraryPerspectives on Violence, Gender, and Character Development." Jung Journal: Culture & Psyche. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2013. <http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf 10.1525/jung.2012.6.4.106>.
Radford, Benjamin . "Do 'Hunger Games' Critics Encourage Anorexia? : Discovery News." Discovery News. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2013. <http://news.discovery.com/human/psychology/hunger-games-criticism-
Wood Rudulph, Heather. "Feminist or Not?: ‘The Hunger Games’." The Sexy Feminist — Theno-guilt guide to being a modern feminist. N.p., 27 Mar. 2012. Web. 22 Feb. 2013. <http://sexyfeminist.com/2012/03/27/feminist-or-not-the-hunger-games/>.
Media plays a strong part in The Hunger Games by demonstrating how it can be warped and used in a negative way. Broadcasting and pictures were used to control the oppressed population. The use of media was not intended to demonstrate how terrible it was overall though; the intention was to show how humanity used it for selfish needs. Katniss uses the media to deliver positive messages to the oppressed districts and show defiance to the capitol. Author Margaret Skinner admired Katniss’ anti submissive attitude in her journal “Jung Journal: Culture and Psyche: The Hunger Games a Conversation”. She states, “I cannot help but admire her strength and dedication as a spunky, loving young woman who is continually guring out how to outwit her oppressor and secure her family’s survival”. For example, the act regarding the berries was seen as an act of disobedience and it was a moment of strength for Katniss and her people. Throughout the entire book Katniss uses media to showcase her disapproval of the capitol. It all began with the act of taking her sister’s place at the games. Author Katha Pollitt, in her article “The Hunger Games Feral Feminism”, describes the use of media as, “as an indictment of reality television, in which a bored and cynical audience amuses itself watching desperate people destroy themselves”. This demonstrates how negatively the capitol is using media and how it can be tied to young audiences in society. Katniss demonstrates that social media does not always need to impact young lives; during her interviews she constantly broke into her real self and dropped the facade that was demanded of her. When questioned about her twirling her dress, she simply explained, “I was being myself”. Her struggle with having her identity manipulated never ended and she remained true to her strong and durable characteristics.
The idea that the capitol presented about beauty demonstrated how fads and narcissism was detrimental to society. James P. Pinkerton offers a description of the beautiful, in his article “'Hunger Games' Shoots Arrows at Big Government, Big Media, Hits Bullseye” as, “The elites inhabiting the Capitol are portrayed as human monsters, fabulously rich, hideously overdressed, ridiculously made up, totally amoral, all delighting in the televised death of unwilling innocents. Collins brings to attention numerous times the beauty of natural looks. She describes Katniss in both circumstances where she is representing the capitol and when she is her natural self. Although Katniss is described as breath taking, she is also made to seem unreal. Collins constantly champions natural beauty and a pride in self-identity. She even touches on a body image issue that many young readers can relate to. During an event both Peeta and Katniss witnessed a type of bulimia in the Capitol. A pill that induced vomit was given in order to indulge in food again. This act was acceptable but Katniss was disgusted at the waste and length people went to, to satisfy an image. Benjamin Bradford discussed the impact of body image in both novel and film and how devastating it could be in Collins’ message was misunderstood. He states, “There are of course many social pressures on girls and women to be thin and beautiful, but in this case there seems to be a misunderstanding, a disconnect between what the film critics wrote and the kinds of “toxic” messages about an “arbitrary and unrealistic ideal”. His article titled, “Do 'Hunger Games' Critics Encourage Anorexia?” shows the fragile state that young readers are in due to social pressures about what is considered beautiful.
Works Cited
Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic Press, 2008. Print.
Pollitt, Katha. "The Hunger Games’ Feral Feminism | The Nation." The Nation. N.p., 3 Apr.2012. Web. 22 Feb. 2013. <http://www.thenation.com/article/167182/hunger-games-feral-feminism#>.
Pinkerton, James P.. "'Hunger Games' shoots arrows at big government, big media, hits bullseye | Fox News." Fox News - Breaking News Updates | Latest News Headlines | Photos & News Videos. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2013. <http://www.foxnews.com/opinion /2012/03/22/hunger-games-shoots-arrows-at-big-government-big-media-hits-bullseye/>.
Skinner, Margaret, and Kayln McCord. "e Hunger Games: A Conversation Jungian and LiteraryPerspectives on Violence, Gender, and Character Development." Jung Journal: Culture & Psyche. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2013. <http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf 10.1525/jung.2012.6.4.106>.
Radford, Benjamin . "Do 'Hunger Games' Critics Encourage Anorexia? : Discovery News." Discovery News. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2013. <http://news.discovery.com/human/psychology/hunger-games-criticism-
Wood Rudulph, Heather. "Feminist or Not?: ‘The Hunger Games’." The Sexy Feminist — Theno-guilt guide to being a modern feminist. N.p., 27 Mar. 2012. Web. 22 Feb. 2013. <http://sexyfeminist.com/2012/03/27/feminist-or-not-the-hunger-games/>.