photo credit: Lionsgate
The Hunger Games is breaking all kinds of records and making all kinds of money, and all with a lack of major fantasy elements. Yes, it’s set in a dystopic future, but Katniss, the protagonist, is just a young kid, a girl fighting to protect her family and community. She seems pretty cool. But she’s no vampire wrestling with werewolves. And she’s clearly not a wizard defending the world against evil. So it can’t be magic that’s getting so many people out to see The Hunger Games, right?
Well, I don’t think so. Katniss is an independent youth, strong-willed and grounded in her family’s less-than-ideal history, from which she finds motivation to protect the people closest to her. She is a kid taking control of her life and, maybe, she’s the new teen-hero, embodying personal sacrifice, highlighting the significance of friendship and peer support, and expanding the idea of family beyond the traditional image of parents-with-kids. Katniss doesn’t rely on magic and isn’t concerned with romances of the un-dead; she values relationships and community. While she is ultimately competing for her own life, she does not do it alone.
- Colin
