The Hunger Games
by Suzanne Collins
Questions?
- How is the relationship between men and women portrayed?
- What are the power relationships between men and women (or characters assuming male/female roles)?
- How are male and female roles defined?
- What constitutes masculinity and femininity?
- How do characters embody these traits?
- Do characters take on traits from opposite genders? How so? How does this change others’ reactions to them?
- What does the work reveal about societal institutions (marriage, family, school, sports, etc.) that reinforce the differences between the genders?
- What does the work say about women's creativity?
Answers
1. Typically, in the districts men overrule women. Although in Katniss's point of view, she is the more dominant one.
2. In the novel, Katniss plays both the female and male role. She dresses and portrays herself as a female but she also hunts and takes care of her family like a male leader.
3. The male is defined as the provider of the family as the woman stays home and takes care of the house as a caretaker.
4. The men work in the mines and the women take care of the children and house work. The men are masculine and are the providers whereas the woman are the caretakers and provide health.
5. Gale goes out to hunt for his family to put food out on the table. Katniss being feminine takes care of her sister Prim.
6. Katniss takes on the masculine trait as she has to fight in a arena as well as hunt for her family.
7. Women are to be reserved in public while socializing. Marriage is uncommon but not unknown of. School is alike any other along with relationships.
8. It says that the creativity for women is limited and controlled.