Challenging Gender Stereotypes in The Hunger Games

2237 Words5 Pages

In our Society when you don't follow the rules, you become an outcast to the rest of the society. Suzanne Collins’ novel series, The Hunger Games criticizes our society and its demands for people of specific genders to act in certain ways and become certain things. Stereotypes concerning gender are prevalent in our society and all over the world. However, The Hunger Games gives a very refreshing tone of “mockery” to these stereotypes. Katniss Everdeen isn’t your typical 16 year old girl, and neither is Peeta Mellark a typical 16 year old boy, especially when they are fighting everyday just to survive. The Hunger Games is a work of social commentary, used to convince us that there can’t and shouldn’t be any defined “roles” based on gender. A mixture of “stereo-typical” gender roles within a person and their actions is what people need just to survive in our world that is changing every day. Well what is gender and what do we mean by gender roles? “Gender describes the socially-constructed roles and responsibilities that societies consider appropriate for men and women” (World Health Organization). All people on earth are affected by gender and the stereotypes that surround it. A person should be able to choose who they want to be and not be scared. Things are changing. According to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, “same-sex sexual harassment extends to where the victim is singled out due to failure to conform to accepted gender stereotypes” (Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP). This is very important for everyone to know and understand. It allows people the ability to express themselves in any way they choose, without the anxiety or fear of being harassed for their decisions because they are a certain gender. This has only o... ... middle of paper ... ...s can be switched in people and things still be okay. However I want to combine how having a mixture of each gender's traits is also good. Blankschaen, Bill. "The Hunger Games: Battleground for Gender Wars." FaithWalkers. N.p., 24 June 2012. Web. 8 Nov. 2013. Great article to read. Focused on the sexual reversal aspects of Katniss in The Hunger Games. It discusses how people relate to this topic in today's society (YA girls). However it is focused on the religious standpoint of this topic. Based on the websites title (Faith Walkers) one should expect the article to be biased. We however are also told Kate O'Brien is the original author in her own words. She is a teacher of literature and history at a Christian Academy. So she is accredited but may be biased. This was an easy article to read. It may be useful in explaining or understanding an opposing argument.

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