A GLAMOROUS ADDITION TO LIFE

THIS weekend I watched Mockingjay part one, which is the third film to come out of the Hunger Games saga! I liked the film, especially the haunting tune sang by Jennifer Lawrence in a scene on the river bank. I normally don't love it when film characters break into song, but this scene is a marvelous exception to the rule!

As a fashion addict, I particularly love the character Effie, brilliantly played by Elizabeth Banks. Though Katniss is not an enthusiast for fashion and beauty practices, generally these are presented positively, and as a glamorous addition to life.

Also, I sometimes use Hunger Games for my lectures on gender and eating habits, as a good example of a book with a healthy attitude to food. Food is shown as something life-giving, valuable and essential; while most book heroines shun food, Katniss absolutely loves it, thus setting a good example.

What I found to criticize in the Hunger Games books is something which the film has not shown. This is the insistence that Katniss is so much like her father, and nothing like her mother. Katniss got her rebellion and spirit from her dad. It often happens in real life, of course, to get your free spirit directly and exclusively from one parent; however, fiction is not real life. The implication is that Katniss is so powerful because she took this from a man. 

Personally, I prefer Prim, Katniss's more feminine sister, and their mother. I prefer the mother/Prim dyad, because they embody female knowledge and energy. 

Other than this, I find that the Hunger Games saga depicts women and gender quite well, and certainly much better than other popular franchises!

Have a good evening and see you again soon! xxx