‘She's more like a guy’ and ‘he's more like a teddy bear’: girls' perception of violence and gender inThe Hunger Games

Abstract

In this research study, we document the experiences of four girls with reading difficulties who participated in a book club designed to promote critical discussion of sociocultural gender issues. Throughout the reading of The Hunger Games, we were especially interested in how the girls might view characters and plotlines that presented and challenged various forms of masculinity and femininity with respect to their own positioning as girls who were struggling readers. The book club sessions were designed to examine representations in the novel in ways that connected to the participants' lives, helping them to become aware of gendered norms in order to critique them. We first explore the literature about the use of popular texts in education, present our sociological interpretive case study methodology, and then discuss the complex ways in which our participants' approached power, violence, and gender.

Exploring Representations of Super Women in Popular Culture

“…Identifying and critiquing marginalizing representations is one way in which popular culture is increasingly becoming a valued pedagogical tool for adult educators (Jarvis & Burr, 2011; Tisdell, 2008; Wright & Sandlin, 2009). Discussion groups offer supportive environments where individuals can express themselves without judgment and promote agency, thus holding particular potential for marginalized individuals who might otherwise remain silent (Bagnoli & Clark, 2010; Taber, Woloshyn, & Lane, 2013).…”

“I hunt. He bakes.”: Constructing and Deconstructing Gender Identity in Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games Trilogy

“…Katniss intently represents her identity with "[t]he damage, the fatigue, the imperfections" instead of beautified appearances (Collins, 2010, p. 101). In this regard, Katniss's disregard for physical appearance and ideal beauty conformity emphasizes the contradiction of traditional femininity, which demands women to look desirable and attractive "regardless of their strength" (Charles, 2007;Taber et al, 2013Taber et al, , p. 1031. With regards to an internalization of the attributes of hegemonic masculinity, Katniss wears uniform specially designed for warfare, and this uniform encourages Katniss to perform the role righteously as we can see when Katniss, on behalf of the rebel leader, boldly declares war against the Capitol: "And if we burn, you burn with us!"…”

How Fantasy Speaks to Adolescent Readers

“…domestic abuse, war, censorship (Goatley et al, 1995;Greene, 2016;Ivey & Johnston, 2013, Noll, 1994Smith, 2000;Taber et al, 2013). Oftentimes children are encouraged to move beyond the confines of the book by reading additional resources or venturing out into the community to answer their most pressing questions developed by the book group.…”

“…For example in Noll (1994) students interviewed staff and patients at a nursing home to learn more about difficult problems faced by the elderly. Yet, with the exception of Taber et al (2013) who explored gender inequality and female empowerment in her book club around The Hunger Games, book club and literature circle research has largely focused on realistic fiction in which stories could actually occur in a believable setting.…”