Articles Rejected by 2011: Katniss, The Hunter

Because the year is coming to an end, I'm posting abstracts and summaries of articles that were rejected or just didn't get published last year, for recapitulation, and also because if you want me to actually flesh them out more, Dare me to in the comments, and I probably will. 

 

 

Katniss Everdeen & The Hunter: From Artemis to Hit Girl, How Katness Speaks to the Warrior in All of Us. 

The Greatest Franchises, indeed the greatest stories, appeal to certain archetypes that resonate across time. The image of a woman, bow in hand, speaks to the primal need to survive and the elegant grace of the hunt. Katniss, the lead protagonist in The Hunger Games, is both a Warrior and an Outlaw. A poacher, she combines two powerful archetypes that are not currently represented in the zeitgeist of popular culture, or at least not from the feminine perspective. This vacancy, and the careful execution of Katniss’s story, is a big part of the commercial success of The Hunger Games, and why it is a viscerally compelling story.

The perception of heroines as passive or weak does not accurately reflect the historical and modern role of women in society.  From time immemorial, women have been providers and heads of families, despite the “delicacy” of their gender or societal requirements of femininity. The difference between stereotypical interpretations of femininity and archetypal heroines is a combination of verisimilitude, celebrating the union of femininity, and the requirements of survival in any given situation. 

It gives me additional glee to pull this linked picture from an article about the movie's Nail Polish Collection

The personification of the conflict between adolescent femininity (just beginning to awake to romantic pursuits) and an extreme focus on pursuing a larger goal is one that resonates strongly with modern women.  Katniss has spent most of her youth pursing survival, becoming confident in her forestry skills, and defines herself by her skills and abilities as a provider, rather than as a potential romantic partner or master of domestic skills.

When romance and sexuality arrive in Katniss’s life, she is blindsided. While she knows innately how to give and receive affection, the connection between affection and underlying emotion is blurred by circumstance. Mirroring the struggle of many modern women, the early exploration of her sexuality is defined by insecurity. Is it any wonder that Artemis was celibate?

"You're both good men, but how can I tell who I love when you're both always wearing shirts?"

Katniss tackles these problems in her life, the obstacles she must overcome in the narrative, by taking them on actively and directly. In many ways, she is denied the luxury of other courses of action. 

Katniss hero’s journey through the lens of the Caregiver and the Outlaw shows how these archetypes impact modern perceptions of femininity and fill a vacant niche in the current pop culture landscape. It’s easy to see how it would appeal to women from all walks of life. 

From mama grizzlies to urban cosmopolitans, homemakers to corporate executives, women struggle to operate as independent and capable individuals. The feminist ideal of choosing one’s own path while still supporting a family is addressed in Katniss’s journey, a single young girl with the weight of a revolution on her shoulders. She is expected to be everything to everyone, while simultaneously desiring above all else to be able to preserve the principles and people that mean the most to her.

Articles Rejected by 2011: The Hunger Games and Twilight: Competing Philosophies of Femininity in Modern American Literature.

Because the year is coming to an end, I am looking back over abstracts and things that I submitted to places but for whatever reason, were soundly rejected by whoever saw them. In the interest of me moving forward, (though if you want and tell me so I can pontificate most verbosely on these babies) I will be posting them here. At least in abbreviated form, because as someone reading this blog, it's likely you are somewhat interested in my thoughts on these things.

The Hunger Games and Twilight: Competing Philosophies of Femininity in Modern American Literature.

Entertainment Weekly has christened The Hunger Games the likely heir apparent to the Twilight Saga’s throne in the hearts and minds of female audiences. Its ascendance on the New York Times Bestseller list as Twilight drops from the list and the rabidity of fan commentary surrounding the feature film’s casting has only re-enforced that assumption.

A number of similarities exist in the reception of the two series; they have been banned in school libraries and have proven to appeal to adults as well as their core Young Adult market segments. They both appeal to clear archetypes and contain romances that create heroines that are approachable, but who are thrust by circumstance to be larger than themselves.

While The Hunger Games represents the archetype of survival and freedom through action, Twilight represents a yearning for life after death. These themes are represented both explicitly and implicitly within the narratives of the novels and have catalyzed strong fan associations who rally around those heroines as aspirational figures. 

While both embody the Jungian archetype of the caregiver and must both face inititatic rights of death and rebirth, the similarities between them serve to exemplify very different underlying ideas about the nature of life and life beyond death. Their relationships to others, parents, lovers, friends and their community also highlight major differences in the motivations of each heroine and how that reflects larger ideologies that exist in the world of the audience.

Katniss is a survivor, a hunter, warrior and eventually the leader of a rebellion who must act in order to preserve her life and that of those she cares about. Bella, on the other hand, spends most of the Twilight Saga nearly catatonic, unable to act on her own except in a desire to end her mortal life– either to escape depression or to join Edward in the afterlife of vampirehood.

Both heroines are unmistakably caregivers, and when empowered by responsibility for others, Katniss before the beginning of The Hunger Games when her father dies and mother withdraws. Bella becomes empowered when she gives birth, both by the realization of vampiric powers and peership with her enemies, but also an ability to better perceive her goals and act to not only combat her enemies but change the very reasons they fight.

The motivation to survive and live, versus the desire to live so that one may reap rewards after death are indicative of larger motivating factors in the American population and when observed through this lens, reveals much about both heroines, their stories, and the cultures created in their fanbases. 

If you want to read more of this article: Dare me to write it in the comments.