In defense of the sanctimonious women's studies set || First feminist blog on the internet

Feministe Book Club: Let The Hunger Games begin

Caperton

Response to the reading group has been whelming, so it’s time to get started on The Hunger Games. (Incidentally, this thread is making me ravenous.) Mark your calendars to begin discussion on Saturday, May 5, giving two weeks to acquire the book and read the first chapters. We’ll start with Chapters 1-4 and adjust thereafter as needed.

A note on spoilers: None. Even if you mark them “SPOILER.” If you want to read ahead, that’s your call, but don’t spoil it for those who haven’t. Spoiling comments will be deleted as soon as I see them, and repeat offenders will be forced to watch that video of the kitten who’s afraid of the vacuum cleaner on ten-minute loop.

Update on spoilers: What tigtog said in comments. If you absolutely can’t resist bringing up the spoiler, post it in the comments to this thread. Then post a link to that comment in the discussion thread for the appropriate chapter, using just character names and no other descriptions. Otherwise: kitten video.

13 thoughts on Feministe Book Club: Let <em>The Hunger Games</em> begin

  1. Suggestion: perhaps those who wish to have a spoiler-rich discussion could piggyback off this thread? Leave a link to your blog post elsewhere any time you’re tempted to type out a spoiler, and perhaps mention *only the names* of the characters involved (no verbs or adjectives) as part of your link?

  5. In the interest of creating some sparks has anyone looked at the “The Last psychiatrist” blog entry on the movie. He makes an interesting point about the lack of agency of the main character with quite a long explanation… you may disagree but it is quite interesting.

  6. @Laurent:

    I checked out the posts by the last psychiatrist (if only that were true).

    More mansplaining with a smattering of racism and “a note from his boner”.

    Yawn.

  9. Sorry about that, Caperton. I didn’t think it counted as a spoiler since I didn’t say *what* happened to him. My bad.

  11. [from Beaula, Chapter 1-4 discussion]

    True, but later references in mocking jay discuss the size of the other districts and district 12 is by far the smallest. Also, since they are kept in total isolation from each other, they are easier to control. By not being allowed past e fence, they have no ideas of the life’s led in other districts

  12. [from Katya, Chapter 1-4 discussion]

    “He’s not proud or enhanced by his status as a victor, and in some ways, you could argue that being forced to mentor two fresh-faced youngsters who face imminent demise a pretty powerful form of torture.”

    And his reaction when Peeta punches him is telling–he immediately takes an interest in the two and begins to act like a mentor. It’s as if he’s so worn down from watching doomed kids die every year that he doesn’t even bother to get involved, but when he sees that this year’s tributes might be a little more than just lambs to the slaughter, he decides to make an effort.

    I also noticed the fact that adult women are not so sympathetic in this book (although female children are generally positively portrayed). Katniss’s mother functionally abandoned her children (although by the time the story starts, she’s helping provide for her family through her apothecary work), Peeta’s mother is mean, Effie is some kind of horrible, and even the “feminine” appearance of the residents of the Capitol (fanciful hairstyles, bright colors, lots of makeup) is mocked. Katniss notices that Cinna eschews dyed hair and wears only a little eyeliner, and I get the sense that both she and the author approve of this while looking down on the general plumage.

    Perhaps the lack of effective maternal figures is part of the critique of the society? Women are often portrayed as nurturing mothers, but in this world, women don’t nurture–they even participate in destroying children. Of course, men aren’t protecting children, either, even if some of them still manage to provide food. Adults are either helpless to protect their children, or they encourage or participate in killing them.

Comments are currently closed.