Social Ecofeminist Analysis of Katniss, as The Main Woman
Character from The Hunger Games
THESIS
Submitted in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree of
Sarjana Pendidikan
Gabriella Lisa Danica
112011047
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION PROGRAM
FACULTY OF LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
SATYA WACANA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
SALATIGA
2015
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TeV. 0298- 321212,Fu. 0298 321433
Email;[email protected]; http://libra.v.uksw-edu
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2. Hasil karya saya ini bukan saduran/terjemahanmelainkan merupakan gagasan,rumusan, dan hasil
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COPYRIGHT STATEMENT
This thesis contains no such material as has been submitted for examination in any course or
accepted for the fulfillment of any degree or diploma in any university. To the best of my
knowledge and my belief, this contains no material previously published or written by any
other person except where due reference is made in the text.
Copyright@ 2015.
All rights reserved. No part of this thesis may be reproduced by any means without the
permission of at least one of the copyright owners or the English Department, Faculty of
Language and Literature, Satya Wacana University, Salatiga.
Gabriella Lisa Danica:
iii
TABLE OF CONTENT
Cover ……………………………………………………………………………………………………... i
Approval page…………………………………………………………………………………………….. ii
Copyright Statement………………...……………………………………...……………………………. iii
Publication Agreement Declaration ……………..………………………………………………………. iv
Table of Content……………………………………………………….…………………………………... v
Abstract………………………………………………………………………....……………………........ 1
1. Introduction ………………………………………………………………..………………………….1-3
2. Theoretical discussion………………………………………………………..………………….……3-6
3. Summary of The Hunger Games……………………………………………………………………...6-7
4. Discussion………………………………………………………………………...……………….…7-15
5. Conclusion…………………………………………...………………………………..……………15-16
Acknowledgement……………………………………….………………………………………… …... 16
References………………………………………………...……………………………………………….17
v
Abstract
There are more problems that appear on ecological matter. The increasing demands
from people to fulfill their needs are the stem of the problem. The oppression from the
hierarchy system and economic condition perforce people to exploit nature. Women
are associated with nature, which is devalued by the society. Hence Ecofeminism
believes that both women and nature should be liberated. This research analyzes
female main character that is close to nature struggling in capitalist environment in
the novel of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. The purpose of this research is
to see how the main character of the story is viewed with the theory of Social
ecofeminism. The finding of this research is that Katniss, the main woman character
of The Hunger Games is a liberated woman since she could fight the oppression by
the economic condition and dominate hierarchy system.
Keywords: Hierarchy, Power, Nature, Culture, Hunting, Social ecofeminism
Social Ecofeminist Analysis of Katniss, as The Main Woman Character
from The Hunger Games
1. Introduction
Nature is seen less important and being oppressed by the demand of humans’ need.
The result is a lot of illegal logging happened to forests in the world. Some animals are facing
extinction because humans hunt them illegally and take their body parts. Since the forests are
cut down, the world is getting hotter. We now are facing a critical condition when the earth’s
temperatures are rising, and it gives impact to everything. The weather has different circle
than they used to be, also the ice in artic are melting, and so many more problems. As the data
taken from worldwildlife.org (WWF) “illegal wildlife trade has exploded to meet increasing
demand for elephant ivory, rhino horns, and tiger products, particularly in Asia.” It is a fact
that
The world is dealing with an unprecedented spike in illegal wildlife trade, threatening
to overturn decades of conservation gains. Ivory estimated to weigh more than 23
metric tons—a figure that represents 2,500 elephants—was seized in the 13 largest
seizures of illegal ivory in 2011. Poaching threatens the last of our wild tigers that
number as few as 3,200. (WWF, “Illegal Wildlife Trade”)
Further the data by WWF said that Sumatran tiger’s population is now less than 400 tigers left
in the forest. The decreasing of the Sumatran tiger’s population is caused by the illegal
hunting by people to take the tiger parts and sell it in an open market in Sumatra. Not only
caused by the illegal hunter, illegal logging also becomes the cause of the problem as stated in
the report by WWF. Not only animals on land, shark is also one of animals that comes to its
extinction caused by the demand of shark fin in Asian market as stated in greenpeace.org.
Indonesia as a country with rich natural resources should maintain its sustainability of its wild
life yet in case of Sumatran tiger and shark we become the biggest contributor to the
ecological issue.
I am one of those people in this planet that concern about the ecological condition of
the earth. I try to reduce my activities that might harm to nature such as not using plastic bag
anymore, I make people aware to the illegal wildlife trade by sharing news and reports from
WWF and Greenpeace, etc. Besides being friendly to nature I am also a kind of person who
think equality is very important. I always say to my boyfriend later if we get married there
will be no “my job” or “your job”. I always think there is no such work that only woman
should do or vice versa, if you can do it then do it. Also as woman I am not really depended
on man, there was one time when the gas for my water heater was out, I needed to change it
and my bathroom is on the second floor, which mean I needed to carry the 12 kg of gas to the
second floor. It would be a difficult thing to do for a woman, but instead of waiting my uncle
or any man in my family get home and ask for their help, I did it by my self. I carried the 12
kg of the gas up to the second floor. Who said woman couldn’t do that?
The novel of The Hunger Games touches both issues on nature and woman. Since
there is oppression for both woman and nature in this book, Ecofeminism theory would fit as
the basic theory to analyze the story. Ecofeminism is a new theory in literary theory that
concerns on ecological crisis that is happening today and the connection with women’s
oppression. It sees the oppression on women and nature are caused by the patriarchy system
in the society. The aim of the theory is to make people rethink the relationship between
human and non-human subject. Social ecofeminism believes that the root of the ecological
problem lies on the social hierarchy system and economic condition happen, to end the
problem is to fight against the hierarchy system and economic condition. That is why it is
essential for us to start looking at eco-feminism theory to analyze a literary work that contains
ecological issues to enhance our awareness on taking care of nature.
I found the novel The Hunger Games interesting because I see that the depiction of
nature in that novel is quite unfair. The forest is only found at the districts, the place where
poor people live. While in the capitol, the place where the government and elite group live
there is no sign of nature at all. There is one depiction of nature shown in capitol in the arena
of the Hunger Games, but it is a man made arena where the president and the game maker can
do and create everything toward it. Then the main character in this novel is woman, a heroine
named Katniss. The central question of this research is how Social Ecofeminism views the
main woman character, Katniss, in the novel of The Hunger Games?
2. Theoretical discussion
Feminism is a wide theory that basically fights against women oppression from
patriarchy system. Tong said in her book that feminism uses different “approaches,
perspectives, and frameworks…to shape both their explanations for women’s oppression and
their proposed solutions for its elimination.” (1). Feminism concerns with any issues of
equality between men and women.
Ecocritcism itself is “the study of relationship between literature and the physical
environment” which “takes an earth-centered approach to literary study” (Glotfelty xviii).
Different with the other literary theory that focuses on human, ecocriticism focuses on nonhuman subject. The aim of the theory is to make people rethink about the relationship
between human and the earth. Glotfelty believes that students who take literature class and
study ecocriticism will then be motivated to rethink the relationship between human and
nature, the issues happened in nature, the “environmental crisis, and about how language and
literature transmit values with profound ecological implications.” (xxv).
Merchat said “The term ‘eco-feminisme,’ was coined by the French writer Françoise
d’Eaubonne in 1974 as part of her call to women to save the planet”. This theory was started
by just a term to persuade women at that time to save the Earth. Then the theory appeared in
the 70s. It essentially thinks that women and nature are in the same position (184).
Ecofeminism believes that both women and nature are being oppressed by the system of
patriarchy as a condition when men are in the higher position, when men have the absolute
power. Hence in this point where patriarchy system oppressed nature is the condition when
humans oppressed non-human nature. Janet Biehl said, “That the idea of dominating nature
stems from the domination of human by human.” (qtd. in Merchant 194). It means that the
hierarchy system from capitalist environment makes the oppressed groups oppress nature.
Merchant believes that the oppression of nature is the cause from the political condition that
demands the development of the industrial area (184). Most of people who have power in
politic in most countries in the world are men that is why it is said that nature also oppressed
by patriarchy system.
There are 4 different focuses in eco-feminism theory, but this research only focuses on
social ecofeminism. Social feminists concern about the criticism on patriarchy. Social
ecofeminism believes that to end the oppression on both women and nature, we need to
“overturning [overturn] economic and social hierarchies” these days that “invades the womb
[nature]” (Merchant 194). Social Hierarchy alone is power structure that is constructed within
society, and it occurs throughout the divergence across one as separate or classes on any
favorable aspect. A person will get higher position in the hierarchy system if one got status
and power as the principal aspect of hierarchical divergence (Magee and Galinsky 351-398).
Magee and Galinsky give definition on power as unequal domination above favorable
resources in community interaction, while status as the scale of how one is approved by the
community. Related to the theory of ecofeminism, the favorable resources here are the natural
resources that come from the wild or nature.
The term of nature would become the key term in this research. Ortner argues that
universally women are believed to be closer to nature rather than men, and women are
devaluated by this. Since the beginning nature is always connected with woman. It is not only
because men oppress both but also Merchant argues, “The word ecology derives from the
Greek word ‘oikos,’ meaning house. Ecology, then, is the science of the household—the
Earth’s household” (qtd. in Sandilands 4). The connection between the Earth and the house
has historically been mediated by women.” 1 Women will always be connected to the domestic
works; furthermore the correlation between women and domestic work resulted to the idea
why women are closer to nature. Ortner further explains, “Various aspects of woman’s
situation (physical, social, psychological) contribute to her being seen as close to nature.” (87)
Ortner also defines on what are included on nature as “Something that every culture devalues,
something that every culture defines as being of a lower order of existence than itself. Now it
seems that there is only one thing that would fit that description, and that is ‘nature’” while
“’culture,’ is…the process of generating and sustaining systems of meaningful forms
(symbols, artifacts, etc.) By means of which humanity transcends the givens of natural
existence, bends them to its purposes, controls them in its interest. We may thus broadly
equate culture with the notion of human consciousness, or with the products of human
consciousness (i.e., systems of thought and technology)” (72). It means nature is everything
that naturally happens that is seen defenseless on culture which is something human-made to
“bends” and “controls” nature for their justification. Women are seen closer to nature rather
than men basically because of her social role as a mother that who should work nursing their
kids, beside women are the one who take impact on “species” inside of her body (read: ovum)
as her physical condition. Also women are so nature because they are reproducing, while men
are culture because they are producing something. Ortner further argues, “Male activities
involving the destruction of life (hunting and warfare) are often given more prestige than the
female’s ability to give birth, to create life.” (75) As the example of hunting and giving birth,
what considers nature is something that reproduces like giving birth. Hunting in the other
hand is the opposite of giving birth; it takes life to produce something. It is clear, then, that
1
Merchant,Earthcare,139.
based on Ortner explanation nature attitude can be classified as “nursing” and reproducing,
while culture attitude is classified as a “product” from nature, cultivation or producing
something.
3. Summary of The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games is the first book of the trilogy adventurous novels written by
Suzanne Collins, published in 2008. The story takes place in The Hunger Games Universe 2
where there are 12 Districts and the Capitol. Begins with the rebellion of 13 Districts over the
legislative center, the Capitol that wins the war, demolish district 13 and make The Hunger
Games as the recompense of the rebellion. Two teenagers from every District will be picked
arbitrary in “reaping” as a tribute to play in the Hunger Games; they need to fight each other
in an arena until there is only one survivor.
Katniss Everdeen is a 16 years old girl from District 12 who volunteers herself to the
game to save her little sister Prim Everdeen, who is the name picked up in “reaping”. Raised
in a family with her father who teaches her how to hunt and needs to replace her father’s
position as the breadwinner in the family after the mine explosion that killed her father make
her tough. After the death of her father she needs to take care of her family by her own, in
order to stay alive she does hunt to find food. Then she meets Gale in the woods and he
becomes her hunting partner. During the Hunger Games, she meets Rue 3 and makes Rue her
alley. At the end, Katniss wins the game along with her partner from District 12, Peeta Melark
by browbeating the Capitol to kill themself with poisonous berries.
4. Katniss, The Girl who is oppressed as or oppresses nature?
Women and nature are both oppressed by the hierarchy system and economic
2
3
Is an anecdotal world showing up in the trilogy of The Hunger Games.
She is a little girl, tribute from District 11.
condition (Merchant 184), The Hunger Games shows the phenomena of oppression on both
women and nature through the character of Katniss. Since the rebellion, Capitol rules the
Hunger Games Universe and secludes the 12 districts left. As the punishment every District is
forced labor to serve the Capitol. The people inside every District have a hard life; they need
to find other sources of food quietly in order to survive.
Electrified or not, the fence has been successful at keeping the flesh-eater out of
District 12. Inside the woods they roam freely, and there are added concerns like
venomous snakes, rabid animals, and no real paths to follow. But there’s also food if
you know how to find it…Even though trespassing in the woods is illegal and
poaching carries the severest of penalties, more people would risk it if they had
weapons. (Collins 5)
When humans are forced by the urge to stay alive, they will look for any available sources
surround them. Humans will defend themselves by the rights given by God as written in bible.
Gaard argue “…That right-based ethics…evolve from a sense of self as separate, existing
within a society of individuals who must be protected from each other in competing for scarce
resources.” (2). It means that humans are willing to fight against each other to get other
sources to fulfill their needs from nature. In the story, humans oppress nature in the name of
their rights to fulfill their own needs. This happens as resulted from the economic condition
and the hierarchy system created by the dominance of the Capitol over Districts.
Katniss as the oldest daughter who lost her father makes her become the only one who
has to take care of the family. Her position as a young woman makes her be in the difficult
condition. Katniss is too young to work since she is only 16 years old, yet she is a woman
who lives in a district which is known by its mining. May be it would not be as difficult as if
she was from District 11 which is known by its farming. It is to one’s liking for a young
woman to work as a farmer rather that as a miner. The associations that place woman as close
to nature (Ortner, 72) become the reason why farming would be more bearable for Katniss.
Farming is a work that is associated with nature for its characteristic of nurturing the plants.
Besides, the reason why women close to nature because the biological condition of
reproduction, farming is also seen as a reproduction work since the people will grow the plan
again. While mining is a work that is associated with culture, for it is a work that produces
something and does not reproduce. To become a miner one needs a great physical condition to
do the works that is disadvantageous for Katniss as a young woman. For 2 months her mother
couldn’t recover from the shock being left by her husband, she left her children in hunger.
The economic condition forced Katniss to try everything she could to get food, until someday
she decided to go hunt in the woods as her father taught her a long time ago.
I try to assembling this meal myself back home. Chickens are too expensive, but I
could make do with a wild turkey. I’d need to shoot a second turkey to trade for an
orange. Goat’s milk would have to substitute for cream. We can grow peas in the
garden. I’d have to get wild onions from the woods. I don’t recognize the grain, our
own tesserae ration cooks down to an unattractive brown mush. Fancy rolls would
mean another trade with the baker, perhaps for two or three squirrels. As for the
pudding, I can’t even guess what’s in it. Days of hunting and gathering for this one
meal and even then it would be a poor substitution for the Capitol version. (Collins
65)
This evidence from the story shows that Katniss’s economic condition back in District 12
makes her may not be able to have good food without hunting. The family hardly eats good
meals before Katniss took the decision to go hunt in the woods. Only if Katniss does not go to
the woods to do hunting, the family will still be having a hard time to have a proper food.
Indeed she might grow something in her garden but that won’t sufficient to be trade with
meat. Still she needs to hunt to get another source of food and money. The difference between
hunting and gardening here is more on the money it would result; gardening seems get less
money rather than hunting. Based on the theory of culture versus nature by Ortner, hunting
could be seen as a masculine act, because the act of hunting goes under the culture attitude.
Being dominant, become the breadwinner and replace the father’s position in the
family also requires Katniss to make great decision too as the evidence stated before.
Decision-making is something that only one with power could do. Hence by taking such a
decision about what to do for maintaining the economical condition of the family shows that
Katniss has power over the family. Katniss’ mother is a kind of woman who needs a heroine
in her life to help her survive her own life.
We hadn’t had meat in months. The sight of the rabbit seemed to stir something in my
mother. She roused herself, skinned the carcass, and made a stew with the meat and
some more greens Prim had gathered. Then she acted confused and went back to
bed... (Collins 51)
The death of her husband is like the end of her life because her husband is the breadwinner of
the family before Katniss take over the position. She is a loyal housewife who leaves her job
as apothecary to serve to the family (Collins 8) that she could not do anything else but
mourning when the family lost the only one who brings food to the kitchen table. While Prim
is Katniss younger sister, different with Katniss who close to the father, Prim never learn
about hunting with her father. This evidence shows the reason why Katniss is the only one in
the family who has the power to maintain the economical condition of the family. To be
powerful and dominant make Katniss be on top of the hierarchy system in the family. The
family depends on her to stay alive, only if she never took the chance to go hunt the story
would be any sadder.
There is another evidence that shows Katniss as a woman who is portrayed as close to
nature but having patriarchal attitude. The father’s death forces Katniss to replace his position
in the family, makes her inconsistence on her attitude whether she is in favor of maintaining
the nature or cultivating the nature.
Sitting at Prim’s knees, guarding her, is the world’s ugliest cat. Mashed-in nose, half
of one ear missing, eyes the color of rotting squash. Prim named him Buttercup,
insisting that his muddy yellow coat matched the bright flower. He hates me. Or at
least distrust me. Even though it was years ago, I think he still remembers how I tried
to drown him in a bucket when Prim brought him home. Scrawny kitten, belly swollen
with worms, crawling wit fleas. The last thing I needed was another mouth to feed. But
Prim bagged so hard, cried even, I had to let him stay. It turned out okay. My mother
got rid of the vermin and he’s a born mouser. (Collins 3-4)
One reason why women are seen closer to nature than men is because women’s role on the
domestic work, such as nurture their children. The evidence from the story shows that what
Katniss concern about is only how to feed the family member that makes her less “nature”
than her mother and Prim. Her mother and Prim are the perfect depiction of woman with her
domestic roles that makes woman seen closer to nature rather than men. They nurture the
vulnerable cat. The hierarchy system shown here is Katniss as the top of the power pyramid
since she is the one who has the power over the family’s economic system; her sister and her
mother as the second, because they need Katniss to stay alive; and the cat as their pet is the
last, its position is vulnerable only if Prim and the mother do not save her, she might got
killed by Katniss. Katniss is the one who controls what necessary and what is not for the
family. While further evidence from the story on how culture Katniss is, is when there is a
victim from mine accident is brought to her house to be cured by her mom as an apothecary.
He lay on our kitchen table…I got a glimpse of the wound on his tight, gaping,
charred flesh, burned clear down to the bone, before I ran from the house. I went to
the woods and hunted the entire day, haunted by the gruesome leg, memories of my
father’s death. What’s funny was, Prim, who’s scared of her own shadow, stayed and
helped. (Collins 178-179)
How Katniss prefers to hunt and kill animals rather to help her mother to cure the victim,
shows how culture she is in the evidence as stated by Ortner that women’s “ability…to create
life”. Taking care of the mine explosion victim could be categorized as nature attitude since it
is maintaining the life. Otherwise she could not become more nature because the victim of the
mine accident reminds her to the memories when the father is passed away because of the
same reason. Another evidence found in the game when Katniss needs to take care of her
partner, Peeta. There is a changing rules in the game, in order to win the game each District
needs to win as a couple with their partner. Katniss finds Peeta wounded and takes care of
him despite her weakness over wounded body that reminds her over her father’s death.
(Collins 247-288) this evidence shows that regardless of the culture attitude, Katniss shows
her nature side when she has no other option. In order to win the game and go back home to
take care of her own family she needs to cure Peeta.
Despite the way she thinks and acts become more culture after the father passing,
Katniss also shows the nature side of her. While in the game, Katniss makes alley with a little
girl, tribute from District 11 named Rue. Then there is one male tribute that kills Rue and
Katniss kills the male tribute then sings a lullaby for Rue until her last breath. (Collins233237) Katniss kills the man, who kills Rue because she is defending Rue and herself. This is
nature attitude to nurse Rue like a mother who sings lullaby for her child before sleep. The
nature attitude comes because of the lost Katniss feels since Rue is the one who reminds her
to Prim and home. The evidence also shows Katniss position as the superior in the top of the
tier. First as when she kills the man who kills Rue, though Katniss is a young woman she
shows her domination by killing the man. Second as she won’t leave the inferior, she needs to
protect Rue and gives comfort for her. Rue asks Katniss to sing to her while she is dying and
Katniss does it.
Women’s domestic roles place them to be closer to nature rather than men, because
men tend to produce something and kill, which makes them culture according to Ortner.
Protecting her family and always be there for the family seem to be her priority of life,
including the reason of the culture attitude. Sometimes the culture attitude comes as the result
of her lost, as shown in the event of one victim from mine accident, the reason why she
prefers to do hunting rather than help her mother taking care of the victim is just because the
victim reminds her to her father, who is died in mine accident too. The culture attitude might
be a result of the impingement of her lost, because by hunting she also could remember her
father in less painful way because it is good memory. While Katniss in the other hand is close
to nature in term of taking care of an infant, Prim and Rue. Hence the story shows how
inconsistent Katniss on her attitude whether she acts culture or nature because of her life
condition.
Apart from the reason why Katniss could become inconsistent on her attitude whether
she acts culture or nature in some conditions, her ability to hunt could not be separated from
the role of her father. “My father knew and he taught me some [hunting skills] before he is
blown to bits in a mine explosion.” (Collins 5) This evidence shows that her father takes part
on Katniss’s culture attitude. As Figes argues that father has the big role in deciding what his
son and daughter will be in society. “Not what she is [as herself want to be], but should be
[what the father want her to be]” support the idea that society has standard on how women
should be, and Katniss’s society starts from her own family that must be ruled by her father.
Social Ecofeminism argues that to end the oppression on both women and nature
people need to change the social hierarchy system and the economic condition (Merchant
194). As her position as the breadwinner of the family and a hunter in society, Katniss is a girl
with power over social hierarchy. As the understanding on the term Social Hierarchy, Katniss
has the “power” over favorable sources, which is food by becoming the breadwinner of the
family and a hunter in society. Katniss’ family approves her power by positioning themselves
as being dependent on her. They make Katniss be the breadwinner of the family and the
society also approve her power by giving a good decent on her hunt in the trading as the
evidence shows “the butcher…named Rooba…she gives you one price, which you can take or
leave, but it’s a fair price. We took her offer on the deer” (Collins 270). Hence the story
shows that Katniss has both power and status in her society.
In her family, when Katniss’s father is passed away and her mother gets shock and
becomes silent, Katniss feels like she is losing both her parents who make her need to be the
head of the family (Collins 26-27). This part of the story shows how Katniss turns into
someone patriarchal that she is on top of the hierarchy system in the family. She takes over
her father’s position in the family as the man’s position. As stated above that power means
one who has domination over favorable sources, the story shows that by becoming the head of
the family she needs to look up the food for the family by hunting in the woods and becoming
the breadwinning of the family that make Katniss has authority over the favorable source that
is food.
Outside the family circle, Katniss might accept the condition that puts her back as the
second tier in the hierarchy system by allowing Gale 4 to devalue herself.
“Hey, Catnip,” says Gale. My real name is Katniss, but when I first told him, I had
barely whispered it. So he thought I’d said Catnip. Then when this crazy lynx started
following me around the woods looking for handouts, it became his official nickname
for me. (Collins 7)
The part of the story shows how Katniss lets Gale to devalue her as when he calls her by
“Catnip” instead of her own name. The common view on the hierarchy system in society
would be consisting of men, women, and nature. In society there are these levels of power,
which has men on the top of the pyramid, followed by women and then nature. The power
structure occurs in the situation when Gale calls Katniss by a name calling “Catnip”, it might
seem a simple thing happened to make a twist for the story, but with further analysis name
calling could be a sign of the hierarchy system.
As a man, Gale has this power to do anything he wants, as Figes said, “we are born
into a world where the great discoverers, philosophers, artists and scientists have almost all
been male…even the God perpetuated in tradition…is male. Our whole code of morality is
formulated by men.” (18-19). Men use their own manliness to put power over themselves that
makes them become apathetic with women. In the story Gale does not give attention on
Katniss even he calls her by a name-calling, his man-made name for Katniss. What does name
4
Gale Hawthrone is a boy from the District, a friend, and a hunting partner who Katniss falls
in love into.
matter? It matters a lot because name is one’s identity. When someone name calling other,
they do not respect the existence of that other.
Katniss meets Gale for the first time in the wood when they both go hunting. It is
winter when Katniss gets struggling to catch a game because there are not many animals went
out in winter. Then when she goes home she finds a dead rabbit caught by a snare that
belongs to Gale. Since that they both became a friend who share hunting tactics to each other.
(Collins 109-111) those are the fountainhead of their encounter but then Katniss feels
something else.
Gale gave me a sense of security I’d lacked since my father’s death. His
companionship replaced the long solitary hours in the woods. I became a much better
hunter when I didn’t have to look over my shoulder constantly, when someone was
watching my back (Collins 112)
This part of the story shows the reason why Katniss accepts her hierarchy position. The
acceptation of the hierarchy system happens because of the feeling of having back her father
in the existence of Gale near her. It comforts her and replaces the longing of the feeling of
being protected. She puts away her power of domination over the same sources as Gale by
needing Gale’s protection over herself. Nonetheless to be dominant in social hierarchy system
one needs both power and status as stated above, outside the family circle Katniss is still
equally powerful in case of owning the access of sources of food in the District as Gale does,
in term of status Katniss also has it. “’Katniss, it’s just hunting. You’re the best hunter I
know,’ says Gale” (Collins 40) is the evidence of the status that Katniss has. The
acknowledgment of Katniss’s hunting ability, here power, by Gale puts Katniss on top of the
hierarchy system again whereas she underestimates herself and lets Gale devalue her.
The fact that Katniss could use her power and capability in hunting to use nature as a
source of food, support Biehl’s and Merchant’s theories. Katniss’s power here might mean
different by the power in explanation before, here the power is more on the ability of Katniss
as a human to dominate the non-human group because of the oppression by the other human
(the Capitol).
Then when this crazy lynx started following me around the woods looking for
handouts, it became his official nickname for me. I finally had to kill the lynx because
he scared off game. I almost regretted it because he wasn’t bad company. But I got a
decent price for his pelt. (Collins 7)
By killing the lynx she shows her power over non-human group and takes advantage over
nature for her own good. Katniss can always let the lynx alone, but because it bothers Katniss
by following her she shows her power over the lynx, that she could do anything over the lynx
by killing it. These conditions make Katniss become one of patriarchal women who
challenges the common view that men are always on top of the system. The social and
economic condition of her family make Katniss take the decision to go hunt gives her power
over her family and her society that now she is on the dominant tier in the social hierarchy
system, then by hunting Katniss shows her power over the other oppressed group which is
nature. Essence Katniss is the depiction of a woman on power yet she supports the idea that
the social hierarchy and economic condition that oppress humans oppress nature.
5. Conclusion
Katniss is one of powerful woman that could rule her group because of the death of
her father. This could be used by the ecofeminist as the tool to show to the reader how the
cycle of hierarchy power and economic condition give impact to the ecological condition
happening now. As one is oppressed by the higher power above her or him, then she or he
would oppress the lower group. The story also shows the unfair interaction between human
and non-human group, people in all Districts exploit nature by its own districts’ natural
wealth because of the exploitation of the domination of the Capitol. The hierarchy system
between the ruler Capitol and the slaves 12 Districts is the underline problem of the nonhuman group exploitation.
From the perspective of Social Ecofeminism, Katniss is seen as a liberated woman.
Katniss might be oppressed by the economic condition and the hierarchy system of Capitol,
but she could fight and dominate the system. Despite her position as a woman with different
capability of physical and biological aspects from man, does not make Katniss be devalued by
the society. Her capability to hunt shows how liberated she is, although she gets the ability
from her father which make her already the product of patriarchy. Her father is the one who
creates the powerful woman, Katniss, as she is in the story.
As the one who support Social Ecofeminism, I agree with Katniss’ decision to take
place the father’s position. This act shows to the reader that women could fight and dominate
the hierarchy system by not accepting the idea of her nature. Though Katniss earns the
position not by questioning or fight for it. Still, by doing her father’s job makes her dominate
the system. Women could choose how they’re existence in society, whether they will be the
weak females who need to be saved, or the heroine. Even though in some occasion Katniss
could be inconsistence with her position in the society, but this is normal for someone that
does not really belong to the position. I am not seeing it as a radical movement that Katniss
should be in one position only. Besides this happen because of her lost of her father.
Acknowledgements
My greatest gratitude is addressed to GOD for His blessing so that I could finish my research.
I would like to give thanks to my super advisor, Purwanti Kusumaningtyas, M.Hum for her
guidance, patience, and kindness to give me advises. I could not accomplish this research
without her guidance. I would also give thanks to my second reader Mrs. Deta Maria, M.Hum
for her suggestions. I would give my special thanks to my parents and brothers for their
support. I am thankful to Asvergi, my momma, my true geng literature, who always with me
side by side until the end. Thanks to Pinus Family, Theodora, Tirza, Alberta, Hezky, Alin,
Clarissa, Allen and last Raisha for the support. Last is for my “Appah” Chrisandy Demmio
for everything.
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