Katniss Everdeen: The Ambiguous Heroine

Katniss Everdeen: The Ambiguous Heroine

To the naked eye, Suzanne Collins’s Hunger Games may seem like a feminist novel. The fiercely independent Katniss is the quintessential literary heroine, who is self-sufficient and can hold her own. However, a closer look at the narrative can reveal that Katniss is not much of a radical feminist icon at all. The unnecessary portrayal of Katniss as a predominantly unfeminine female raises many red flags regarding the feminist nature of this novel. The novel implies that in order for a female to be successful in the Hunger Games, Katniss has to take on anti-feminine qualities. When it comes to feminism, role reversal is an ineffective literary strategy because it does not challenge our values on gender, it only gives us a male hero with a female name.

Throughout the entire novel, Katniss is characterized through stereotypically masculine qualities. She is the head of her family: providing food, safety, and comfort. Crafted by her father, she’s a skilled hunter, archer, trapper, and gatherer. On page 5 of the novel, she reveals that, in regards to hunting, “Her father knew and he taught me some before he was

blown to bits in a mine explosion.” She’s been a cold-blooded killer in the woods of District 12 ever since her father could get her to hold up a bow and arrow. However, it is not until Katniss’s father dies that she is forced to take on this role. She doesn’t use her femininity or trades learned from her mother to survive and keep her family afloat: she uses the skills learned by her father and male friends. This woeful dependency on men, rather than other women, makes it hard to manifest the novel in a feminist light.
Katniss steps up to the plate as breadwinner after her father’s death and her mother’s downwards spiral into a depression. Taber and Woloshyn argue that, “In general, women only assume the role of household-head if there are no male relatives available to do so.” (2011) This idea of her assuming the leadership role in the family only due to the absence of a father figure subtly perpetuates the idea that women only do so in special circumstances and reinforces the idea that this behavior is not normative. Because of the way the novel is written, it becomes clear that Katniss is not embodying the strong woman who defies the submissive female stereotype, she is simply taking the place of a man.
Katniss’s masculine qualities certainly do not stop there. Emotionally, she is also characterized by traditionally masculine traits. It becomes clear that Katniss is not demonstrative about her feelings whatsoever. She does not like to get emotionally invested in things, and when she does, she certainly never shows that emotion. On page 40 of the novel, Katniss reveals, “I’ve have a lot of practice at wiping my face clean of emotions and I do this now.”
Her idea that showing emotions makes her appear fragile can be seen when Peeta admits his love for her to all of Panem.

This is clearly seen on page 135 when Katniss says, “He made me look weak!” to Haymitch. He then explains that what he did was make her desirable. Society portrays women to be very in touch with their emotions, therefore Katniss equates being raw and emotional with being weak. Why does she have to be cold, emotionless, and unfeeling in order to be the victor of the Hunger Games? These qualities do not equate with weakness simply because they are stereotypically feminine straits. In fact, this “admittance of love” allows her to draw power from her feminine character and they are vital in her growth as a character. Katniss and Peeta use their love-struck storyline to empower them throughout the

games.
While Katniss is mainly portrayed as unfeminine, there are a few key points in the novel that reveal another side of her. Her sexuality and physical appearance contribute to her femininity, despite her actions encompassing elements of masculinity. Beautifying tributes in order to prepare for sponsorship for the games is ritualistic in Panem. With the help of her prep team, she is turned into a flashier, more stereotypically feminine, version of herself. Making an good impression is the only way to garner sponsorshi, and physical beauty is a huge component in that. Her designer, Cinna, dresses her in fire and precious gems and in doing this, gives Katniss a huge advantage. She begins to recognize this when says, “No one will forget me.  Not my look, not my name.  Katniss. The girl who was on fire” (70).  She is beautiful and desired and therefore more likely to survive.
Despite Katniss recognizing that being physically beautiful maks her unforgettable, she still does not fully embrace it. Katniss finally showcases her femininity but nullifies their empowerment when she expresses how they make her unfit to win the games. Katniss is very wary of being portrayed physically beautiful. She argues that being portrayed as physically beautiful makes her weak. Why? Because for the first time, she is doing something that, by society’s standards, is feminine rather than masculine. Apparently, if she puts effort into her appearance and attempts to look nice for others, she is unfit to win the games. However, it does not make her weak at all; it strengthens her. Her physical allure is what helps gather support in the games. While this is unfortunate, it is the reality of society. Why is it wrong for Katniss to use it to her advantage? As the games ensue, It becomes clear that being feminine does not mean being weak. In fact, Katniss indirectly uses her desirability to fight the patriarchy, which is empowering in itself.
Katniss’s views on women, especially those who are very focused on their physical appearance, are clearly outlined in the novel when she refers to Effie Trinket. Effie, a glamorous, seemingly ditzy woman, is one of Katniss’s mentors, along with Haymitch Abernathy, who is a unreliable, belligerent drunkard. Despite this, Katniss feels Haymitch is the only one valuable to her, even though he is intoxicated most of the time. On the other hand, she feels that Effie is invaluable to her. This is seen when she states, “I can’t imagine what Effie will have to teach me that could take four hours.” Ironically enough, Effie’s lessons on etiquette and likability are extremely valuable to her and help her become victorious in the long run.
Although the Hunger Games seems to prioritize a melting pot of feminine and masculine qualities, it subtly perpetuates the patriarchal ideals of our society. While breaking gender roles sends a good message to today’s youth, it nonetheless constrains Katniss. Katniss she should be seen as equally as big of a threat and fit to win the Hunger Games if she values feminine qualities over masculine ones. To quote award winning actress Natalie Portman, "The fallacy in Hollywood is that if you're making a 'feminist' story, the woman kicks ass and wins. That's not feminist, that's macho.”