Films and novels generally have many differences. It's almost always true that the movie is not as good as the book. I can say this is true for The Hunger Games. The biggest difference between the book and the text to me is the mockingjay pin. In the text Katniss is given that pin by her friend Madge who is the Mayor's daughter. I think this was a bad thing to leave out of the movie because the interactions between Madge and Katniss help cue into her femininity. Also later threw the books we find out that the pin is a family keepsake that had to deal with the rebellion. I think that the creators of the film left this out because perhaps they thought it meant more as a pin coming from her sister and not a stranger. If they would have put Madge in the film they would have had to give us some more background on her and made the film longer, which face it, some of us wouldn't have minded at all.
The most similar scene between the book and film to me is the Tracker Jacker scene. Everything in the movie was almost played out to the tee of the book. Except Glimmer didn't appear as gross as I had pictured her from the reading. This scene was also a staple to the Katniss/Rue alliance which was something they had to build up to.
Overall as movies go, I was impressed. Other than the Madge scene the movie stuck pretty good to the book. Even the details of the capital where amazing in the movie. The way it is described in the book is almost hard to imagine and with this image from the movie now I have no question as to how exquisite the capitol is. Horrible place or not I would love to visit Panem and all the districts if they existed someday.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Critical Context.......
The Article I chose from Of Bread, Blood and The Hunger Games: Critical Essays on the Suzanne Collins Trilogy is Of Queer Necessity: Panem's Hunger Games as Gender Games by Jennifer Mitchell. The article is all about Katniss and her different gender identities and how it is her most useful form of power that she poses. Some of her most masculine traits are her hunting boots, hidden bow and arrow, and the personal relationship with the woods, Her most feminine traits are her braid and her strife to be everything to Prim. Though the fact that she switches gender roles so often in the book kind makes her appear as unstable. The article also talks about Peeta and his feminine roles as a baker, and his mother cutting him down suggesting the district might a winner this year and it wont be him.
I agree with the article. I never realized how often she jumps back and forth between genders and I never really thought of Peeta as a feminine man. In the beginning of the book Katniss has already taken on both genders, she is masculine when hunting in the woods where she feels most connected to her father and Gale and as soon as she gets home she takes on her feminine roles again. The same thing happens in the arena. Both Peeta and Katniss flip their gender switches and be how they need to be when they need to be them. For example, Peeta is an alpha when he is hanging with the careers but after he is hurt he reverts to this feminine self to "camouflage/decorate" himself as if her were a cake. Katniss takes the masculine role as soon as she enters the arena, her hair in a braid and she is ready for business. She immediately takes to hunting and finding shelter. However when Katniss finds Peeta after the rules are changed the roles really slip back and forth more for Katniss. She embraces her feminism to be his nurse and love interest but since he can't do anything she still has to act as main caregiver. So when she in the cave with Peeta she is a feminine as she can be but when she is out of the cave with her bow in hand she embraces her masculinity quickly.
Mitchell, Jennifer. "Of Queer Necessity: Panem's Hunger Games as Gender Games." Of Bread, Blood and The Hunger Games: Critical Essays on the Suzanne Collins Trilogy. Eds. Mary F. Pharr and Leisa A. Clark. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2012. Pg 128-137.
Reader Response ;)
I pulled one review from each search engine after pouring threw many reviews these are the ones that stuck out to me.
The first review is from Amazon.com Levie Sturua writes "The main theme of this book, I would say is the inequality of the rich and wealthy people and the poor people of the lower districts"(Sturua). Now I had never really thought of this as a theme but after I read the review I thought "They're right, it is a theme in the book." This issue relates to the economic equality for all. How those who have the money generally have the power not only in the book but in everyday life. Those of us who are living paycheck to paycheck don't have the same power as a CEO of a company and given the chance that the two above be put in a room together, my guess is that it would be extremely uncomfortable and perhaps there may be a power struggle which seems to be going on in the fight for woman's rights. Instead of getting down to the nitty-gritty of how to fix the problem with a radical or liberal change they are focusing on something of minimal worth like maybe they could get women to fighting amongst themselves and back-burner the issue at hand.
The second review is from Barnes and Noble. It's a review written by a children's librarian. She is summarizing the book to decide weather it would age appropriate for 12 year old. Her conclusion is "young readers will be able divine a deeper meaning from what on the surface might seem to be the depiction of a violent reality-television show"(Von Darsek). Clearly she is relating the book to the modern television show Survivor to the games themselves. She also talk about many children could possibly relate to such things in the book like hunger and abuse. (Von Darsek). Maybe this book could show 12 year old it's OK to take a helping hand. Katniss does, from Petta she takes the bread and from Haymitch she receives his gifts in the arena, she also accepts Gales help in keeping her family fed while she is gone. Maybe this book series could eventually show these children that ultimately we are all equal and need help once in a while and it's OK to ask for it.
The third review I chose from Goodreads.com. It's a review from Kemper who simply highlighted what he felt where the best aspects of The Hunger Games. They include "how Collins kept the games a kind of reality. Keeping the hunger aspect throughout the book from starving to gorging on capitol food and how Katniss compared to Bella Swan from Twilight as a role model"(Kemper). "I obviously prefer her using the tough and independent Katniss as a role model rather than Bella Swan. I’d rather see her running through the woods hunting humans with a bow-n-arrow rather than pining over pale losers" (Kemper). (He is referring to whom he would rather his niece idolize.) This seems a bit extreme to me. I think both characters play dominant female roles. I can't say I would rather see my daughter chasing another human with a bow-n-arrow as opposed to Bella who if you read though the entire series doesn't kill anyone and at the end saves everyone without hurting them. I don' know if you can justly compare the two. Obviously they are both Amazing leading ladies but as for which I would want my daughter to idolize, I guess I would have to combine both of them and that would be my answer.
Amazon. Levie Sturua, n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2012.
Barnes and Noble. Lisa Von Drasek, n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2012.
Goodreads. Kemper, 22 Apr. 2012. Web. 24 Oct. 2012. <http://www.goodreads.com/
book/show/2767052-the-hunger-games>.
The first review is from Amazon.com Levie Sturua writes "The main theme of this book, I would say is the inequality of the rich and wealthy people and the poor people of the lower districts"(Sturua). Now I had never really thought of this as a theme but after I read the review I thought "They're right, it is a theme in the book." This issue relates to the economic equality for all. How those who have the money generally have the power not only in the book but in everyday life. Those of us who are living paycheck to paycheck don't have the same power as a CEO of a company and given the chance that the two above be put in a room together, my guess is that it would be extremely uncomfortable and perhaps there may be a power struggle which seems to be going on in the fight for woman's rights. Instead of getting down to the nitty-gritty of how to fix the problem with a radical or liberal change they are focusing on something of minimal worth like maybe they could get women to fighting amongst themselves and back-burner the issue at hand.
The second review is from Barnes and Noble. It's a review written by a children's librarian. She is summarizing the book to decide weather it would age appropriate for 12 year old. Her conclusion is "young readers will be able divine a deeper meaning from what on the surface might seem to be the depiction of a violent reality-television show"(Von Darsek). Clearly she is relating the book to the modern television show Survivor to the games themselves. She also talk about many children could possibly relate to such things in the book like hunger and abuse. (Von Darsek). Maybe this book could show 12 year old it's OK to take a helping hand. Katniss does, from Petta she takes the bread and from Haymitch she receives his gifts in the arena, she also accepts Gales help in keeping her family fed while she is gone. Maybe this book series could eventually show these children that ultimately we are all equal and need help once in a while and it's OK to ask for it.
The third review I chose from Goodreads.com. It's a review from Kemper who simply highlighted what he felt where the best aspects of The Hunger Games. They include "how Collins kept the games a kind of reality. Keeping the hunger aspect throughout the book from starving to gorging on capitol food and how Katniss compared to Bella Swan from Twilight as a role model"(Kemper). "I obviously prefer her using the tough and independent Katniss as a role model rather than Bella Swan. I’d rather see her running through the woods hunting humans with a bow-n-arrow rather than pining over pale losers" (Kemper). (He is referring to whom he would rather his niece idolize.) This seems a bit extreme to me. I think both characters play dominant female roles. I can't say I would rather see my daughter chasing another human with a bow-n-arrow as opposed to Bella who if you read though the entire series doesn't kill anyone and at the end saves everyone without hurting them. I don' know if you can justly compare the two. Obviously they are both Amazing leading ladies but as for which I would want my daughter to idolize, I guess I would have to combine both of them and that would be my answer.
Amazon. Levie Sturua, n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2012.
Barnes and Noble. Lisa Von Drasek, n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2012.
Goodreads. Kemper, 22 Apr. 2012. Web. 24 Oct. 2012. <http://www.goodreads.com/
book/show/2767052-the-hunger-games>.
Personal Synthesis and Feminist Analysis!
My response to The Hunger Games through a feminist looking glass is that it is very interesting. We have a strong female lead who portrays any number of masculine and feminine traits such as, providing for her family through illegal hunt and trade and living and breathing to take care of her sister Prim even it means self-sacrifice. It's a huge step forward for the feminist movement. Portraying a strong female who can do everything from feeding her family to going through one the most traumatic things anyone could imagine and survive. Although to survive she had to leave some of her masculine qualities behind such as being the hard-ass that just wants to get the things done. In order to survive she needs to embrace her feminism and cozy up to a man to get the materials she needs. In this aspect it kind of takes the movement back a step, I realize for the books case it's all about creating the love story but, as a feminist view it looks like she has to revert to old "women are just to stay home and take care of the family" ways to get what should have been just as equally available to her without a man having a role in it. But then I wonder if the books would be as successful if there were no love story.
I feel like I can relate Katniss to a single parent. Though she is not the bio-Mom of Prim she is left with no choice but to take care of her when their Mother decides to mentally check out, forcing Katniss to be both Mom and Dad as many single Mothers and Fathers are forced to. As a parent I give the single parents out there major props because I would have a hell of a time raising my kids by myself. So I think it's pretty obvious I am neither team Petta nor team Gale. I am team Katniss!
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