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An overview of the girl on fire from the dystopian series
In the spring of 2012, nearly four years after the release of “Twilight,” teens around the world were looking for their next favorite love triangle. The suspense and drama that came along with the trope brought in engagement and excitement among audiences as they argued over who the main character should pick.
They expected to get their fix at the end of March with the release of the film adaptation of “The Hunger Games,” as marketing teams heavily pushed trailers promoting a “Team Peeta” vs. “Team Gale” debate. What they got instead surpassed all expectations: the introduction to an unforgettable tale of sisterhood and a teenage girl who leads a world-changing revolution.
Katniss Everdeen is one of the most well-known female characters in all of modern media. Portrayed by Jennifer Lawrence, young women were drawn in by her headstrong personality and fierce independence as well as her deep love and care for her younger sister. The success of her empowering status came from how relatable she is — her typical teenage attitude set the stage for her fearlessness against corrupt leaders.
Katniss’s strong personality was a breath of fresh air for a genre filled with “damsel in distress” narratives. Manohla Dargis, chief film critic of The New York Times, discussed how Katniss broke away from the norm.
“What makes her so important to a lot of girls and women — is that she’s one of the truest feeling, most complex female characters to hit American movies in a while. She isn’t passive, she isn’t weak, and she isn’t some random girl. She’s active, she’s strong and she’s the girl who motivates the story,” Dargis said in her review.
While many appreciate the romance found within the series, the core of the entire franchise is Katniss’s relationship with her sister, Prim. Her unconditional love for Prim is the catalyst for everything that follows. This focus on sisterly love was a fresh take for the time and inspired many more heartfelt tales of sisterhood, such as “Frozen.”
Acts of compassion are what change the world, and Katniss is a stark example of this philosophy. When given the choice between protecting those that she loves and protecting herself, she chooses to protect others without hesitation. This begins when Prim is selected for tribute and she volunteers to take her place with absolutely zero confidence in coming out of the games alive. It ends with her aiming her bow at President Coin instead of President Snow.
Katniss never wants to be the face of resistance or labeled as a hero. In fact, she detests the role of leadership she finds herself in. The only thing that Katniss wants to do at the beginning of the series is save her sister. She is highlighted as an everyday girl who has only had thoughts of running away from the corruption, not facing it headfirst. What makes her character so important is how she serves as an example of how even ordinary people can make great changes when fighting for something bigger than themselves.
With each film, each moment of pain that Katniss endures only adds fuel to the fire that is burning within her. The flame grows with every death she witnesses and every game she plays. The hardships that she is forced to overcome never weaken her, and instead they only strengthen her evolution throughout the series.
Thirteen years have passed since “The Hunger Games” was released and Katniss Everdeen’s positive impact still reigns true to this day. Her character’s compassion, selflessness, and resilience continues to remind women of their own strengths and capabilities in the face of adversity.
