Monomyth In The Hunger Games

Joseph Campbell, a famous American mythographer and lecturer, examined many quest narratives from diverse cultures written at various times (Segal, 2017). Through his studies, Campbell identified an archetype that most of the monomyths followed. Subsequent to the discovery, Campbell revealed the pattern in his well-known book, The Hero with A Thousand Faces. Authors and directors, such as Suzanne Collins and Gary Ross with their famous The Hunger Games books and movies, still use this structure to tell the simplest fairy tales or the most sophisticated movie.

According to Campbell, a typical monomyth should have 17 stages. Campbell (1949) summarised the plot as:

A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural

wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered, and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.
The end of the story links back to the beginning, allowing the stages to be represented in a circular diagram.

The Hunger Games follows the structure of monomyths closely. Katniss, the byronic heroine, volunteers to take her sister’s place in the annual Hunger Games, where tributes fight to death to entertain the totalitarian Capitol. At the beginning of the Game, Katniss identifies herself a girl from the seam, which provides her with a stoic strength. However, as the hunt progresses, Katniss questions this identity. As she observes the brutality of the Hunger Game, Katniss grows indignant. Ultimately, the heroine appears empathetic and distains causing sufferings as opposed to being a stoic girl.

The “Road of Trials” stage of the monomyth refers to a succession of trials that the protagonist must face death and either win or lose. In the case of The Hunger Games, Katniss must gain sponsorships to win the Game because they are allowed to purchase gifts for the tributes to help them survive. Katniss must go through two trials to prove herself. The first trial involves her undergoing an assessment of her abilities. This would give the sponsors an understanding of her abilities. She will then undertake an interview, where she could show the Capitol her

personalities.
The first trial for Katniss to gain sponsorships is an evaluation of her abilities.

When Katniss steps into the room, she finds that the attention of the Gamemakers is on a roasted pig that has just arrived. Knowing that unless she can impress the Gamemakers, she would have no chance of survival, Katniss becomes furious, and fires an arrow at the apple in the pig’s mouth in an act of defiance. Then she walks out, leaving the Gamemakers gaping. Eventually, she scored the highest rating. Therefore, this part of the film symbolises the “Road of Trials” for Katniss.

Katniss then goes through an interview with the host Caesar Flickerman. Where with help from her stylist and escort, appears gorgeous and stunning. However, Katniss owes the success to a plan organised by her mentor and Peeta, Katniss’ ordinary person type companion. Peeta admits to Caesar that he loves Katniss, who is unaware the plot and stands surprised, to make the two seem more desirable. Katniss then pretends to be in love with Peeta to earn favours from the sponsors. As a result, the star-crossed lovers receive many sponsorships. Thus, this scene represents a part of the “Road of

Trials”.
Across literature, Campbell’s structure for monomyths represents the journey of an ordinary person, who the readers can relate to. This person, after surviving many trials to prove his worthiness, fights for the ultimate boon. Through this process, the ordinary person would transform into a hero who the readers would revere (Rice, N/A). The scene in The Hunger Games depicts Katniss’ “Road of Trials” and demonstrates the resentfulness Katniss feels for the Capitol. The audience perceives this mood through the characterisation of Katniss. Therefore, this scene is synonymous to Campbell’s structure for a Hero’s Journey.