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The Hunger Games Trilogy By Suzanne Collins

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Speculative fiction, that does not fit into the conventions of the real world (Neugebauer 2014) and realist fiction, possible stories with no appearance of the supernatural (Lukens 2003, p. 14) present a misogynistic view of females and their role in society. Misogyny is defined as dislike, contempt or prejudice against women (Oxford Dictionary 2017). Both speculative and realist fiction present misogyny in one way by portraying women as a damsel in distress. In these genres of fiction, there is also a tendency to objectify and sexualise women, in that they are not seen as people with real human emotions, needs and wants, but as objects of a man’s desire and affection. Lastly, speculative and realist fiction genres, focus on the …show more content…

This damsel is also considered a passive character, who is portrayed in many ways (Curtis 2015, p. 16). One of these many ways is in the form of sleep. In fairy tales, the passive female character is often seen as asleep, such as Aurora in Sleeping Beauty (Perrault, n.d.) and Snow White in Snow White (Grimm & Grimm, 1812). Sleep is considered one of the most passive states (Nolan 2009, p. 6), which is why women are often viewed in this perspective, their sleeping state is a symbol for their projected view in society. These princesses are awaiting their prince to save them from this state, further reiterating the damsel in distress stigma. This archetype has been prevalent in literature since very early, such as Sleeping Beauty, but is still existent in modern literature, especially aimed at young adults. In fantasy novels such as The Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer (2005-2008), Bella Swan, the protagonist, is portrayed as this damsel in distress, needing Edward to save her from herself. This is most prominent in the second instalment of the saga, New Moon (Meyer, 2006). When Edward leaves Bella in a bid to save her, as “[Edward is] no good for [Bella]” (p.61), she enters a state of numbness, unable to function without him, leading to Bella making seemingly reckless decisions, such as jumping off a cliff (p. 316). This demonstrates how lost Bella is without Edward, and how reliant on him she had become. Thus, illustrating the

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