Katniss Everdeen Is No Bella Swan
Before I get into this allow me to tell everyone what I tell my kids – The book is always better than the movie!
That said, I am thrilled with Katniss Everdeen! Katniss is a strong, consistent in her actions, smart hero. You can’t help but root for her. And go ahead and cheer, because Katniss Everdeen won’t let you down. There is no damsel in distress moment, no need to be rescued for stupid, reckless behavior. Not one.
It’s time for a Team Katniss!
Which is an interesting point, especially compared to her Box Office counterpart – Bella Swan from Twilight. Consider this… even though Twilight is the story of Bella Swan, there is no Team Bella. We have Team Edward and Team Jacob. And why wouldn’t we, since in every Twilight movie it’s hard to keep count of which of these male teams rescues Bella next. In fact, you could easily change the title of the series from “Twilight” to “Saving Bella.”
Not so with the Hunger Games. Katniss Everdeen’s survival is based on Katniss Everdeen.
Let me explain… Here’s what I love about Katniss:
1. She’s a strong female character with strong female relationships.
Katniss’ relationship with her sister and mother is not something we often see in our female heroines. Bella Swan’s mother is a flighty footnote who sends Bella to live with her father (surrounded by his male friends) while she follows her husband across the country on the baseball circuit. Several weeks ago we watched Hanna, a young girl raised, in the wilderness by her father, to become the ultimate assassin. Even Mulan seeks her father’s counsel throughout the film, probably because her mother is only interested in finding her a husband. The Hunger Games breaks this mold quite thoroughly.
2. Katniss doesn’t have moments of inexplicable stupidity.
Like I said, Katniss is consistent in her actions. She is who she is, and our surefooted Katniss never suddenly trips. She doesn’t make a move without thought. She is smart and skilled, and if she wasn’t these things the movie would have had a different ending.
3. Katniss isn’t self-sacrificing.
I am really tired of female leads or co-stars who sacrifice themselves in order for the male lead to save the day. Trinity, in the Matrix, comes to mind. Bella Swan, after being impregnated by a vampire with no bodily fluids, refuses to abort the unknown vampire/child/thing rapidly growing inside her and rapidly killing her. She will sacrifice herself even though she has NO idea what is growing inside her. It’s a new spin on Rosemary’s Baby – whose reaction to her frightening pregnancy was much more believable.
In contrast, Katniss’s volunteering to take her little sister’s place in the Hunger Games makes sense. If Prim goes she will die. Katniss has a chance. And while there is no doubt that Katniss’ actions are rooted in her love for her sister, she isn’t self-sacrificing for the sake of being self-sacrificing. The situation facing her is horrendous, but the decision she makes is based in strategy. The only choice before her is either her sister goes and dies, or she goes and the odds of them both living increase.
4. Which lead me to her compassion.
While Katniss’ decision to volunteer for the Hunger Games is driven by love for, and need to protect, her little sister, her behavior remains strategic. Unlike other female heroes, Uma Thurman and Lucy Liu in Kill Bill come to mind, she isn’t cold and emotionless. She retains her humanity in a way unlike the endless stream of female bad asses before her. She is compassionate, but she uses her head to reach her compassionate goal of saving Peeta.
5. She learns and understands the rules of the Hunger Games and adapts her actions to survive.
Katniss evolves depending on her circumstances. If playing the part of Juliet to Peeta’s Romeo will keep her alive and cause sponsors to send them necessary supplies, then she will play the part. There is no faux outrage, or being true to her heart nonsense. There are rules to this game and she will use them to her advantage.
6. Katniss doesn’t defer to men, simply because they’re men.
There is no ego stroking by Katniss in this first movie – although I am sure she would do it if, and only if, it led to her survival. In contrast, Bella Swan doesn’t drive her own flippin’ car. If Edward and Jacob are with her, they are in the driver’s seat. Ah… symbolism. Gotta love it.
Here’s a final thought. Katniss is an individual, her actions consistent with who she is. She does not break character, and you will not leave this movie or close this book wondering why she did something. Which is really saying something.
*This one’s for you, Socialistic Ben! 😉
Tags: feminism, pop culture
It gets better. In the second book, she alleges pregnancy. Birth control is not mentioned. Should receive the GOP approval.
I’m hunting through my daughter’s room looking for the second book, reis!
No spoilers, but does Katniss remain consistent? Or, will I cry?
I have a copy if you don’t find it Pandora. I have the third too.
Thanks! I still have another pile of clothes to look under!
Seriously, I found Katniss Everdeen (1st book/movie) a breath of fresh air, and a great role model.
AWESOME!!!!! geeking out like crazy. thank you for this post.
I disagree on a couple things…. respectfully of course.
First of all, Katniss’s mother, so traumatized by the death of her husband is unable to raise her daughters. Katniss has to become the breadwinner and caregiver for her younger sister. We never meet Mr Everdeen, but the implication is that Katniss is more like her father.
Second, and this deals more with the book trilogy as a whole, as opposed to to the first movie…. there ARE instances where she “acts without thinking”…. one BIG final act toward the end of the book cant really be explained (i wont spoil it… jsut read the book) and seems like a last minute decision on her part. It was the right move, but not very well thought out.
you haven’t read all 3 books?! You wont cry….well, you might, but not because she goes all Bella….. but he is not a perfect heroine, and it’s done in a way that makes her more human.
I had to rip out the last part of my comment because of a major spoiler… im sorry if you saw it.
Thank you for this thread, on behalf of all the schoolchildren who procrastinated and are now trying to finish up their third marking period book report on Hunger Games, probably having waited until the movie came out. And condolences to the teachers who have to read them.
Pandora, I really loved The Hunger Games (book & movie) and I agree with you 100%. I just started reading the second book last night and I had the hardest time putting it down to go to bed (Sorry XStryker). Socialistic Ben, the fact that you are geeking out over it makes me super happy and optimistic for what is ahead.
Pandora,
And yet… the movie comes off as a bit of a love story in a way that the book didn’t. I had to remind myself that the thing wasn’t made for me, and the sci-fi stuff that I liked was just a fluke – an afterthought. I didn’t have the same problem with the book.
Seriously, J? I didn’t think the movie dealt heavily with the love story. My daughter was ranting that they didn’t deal with the love triangle at all.
I haven’t read the first book, yet! (my bad), but after seeing the movie I was left feeling that she wasn’t in love with Peta – that she grew to like him, but not in love. And according to my daughter Gale didn’t get his due.
That said, in the world of teen novels/movies, I’m really happy that my daughter is a Team Katniss – at least this character is strong, compassionate, complex and not perfect.
Which now allows me to rant on Bella Swan (my favorite hobby), who has to be the most insipid character ever created. And I don’t feel this way because Bella made her love for Edward her priority, I feel this way because Bella made her love for Edward her only priority.
Jason, that is exactly how i felt.
one thing the movie does… that shows promise for the sequels, is all the added scenes that take place away from Katniss…. the pundent commentary, the dialogue between haymitch/sponsors, snow/crane, etc.
Event later in the book take place on a bigger scale than just the one character, and it would be cool to see the things she doesnt see.
Pan, Gale get’s one scene to be jealous where he sees them kiss (which Katniss only assumes happens in the book) other than that, all the love trianglely goodness is addressed later in the story (book 2 and A LOT in book 3) as far as Gale not getting his due…. he gets what he deserves…but so does Peeta. and that’s that. 🙂
one other thing….. it’s PeEta… not Peta. Peta is a silly little club for white people without something better to do 🙂 now, go read the trilogy! (it’s fast, a well read womyn like yourself should rip through it in a couple evenings.
MrsXstryker…. this geeking out-edness comes from someone who STILL hasn’t read one paragraph of Harry Potter.
I found Katniss to be rather weak and unlikable as a character. While she is not a Bella Swan she rarely makes her own choices in the second book and becomes completely reliant on Peeta emotionally. In the first book she really doesn’t do much, she volenteers for her sister, shoots an apple out of a pigs mouth, and threatens suicide at the end of the games, and that’s the only ballsy thing she does, the rest of the book shes wandering around doing nothing really. As entertaining as the books are they are in no way perfect, the plot is not original, the writing to any english major is laughable and the characters are unlikeable and unrememberbale. I apologize for the spelling errors and grammar in this rant, I do not have the luxury of an editor for everything I say.
Thanks for commenting, Seaners — we don’t have editors for what we say, either and that is all part of the fun.
So have you seen this article from Jezebel?
Racist Hunger Games Fans Are Very Disappointed
Another dispatch from your post-racial America.