Sunday 5 October 2014

Character Archetypes - The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
The Hero: Katniss Everdeen
Katniss is removed from the 'Ordinary World' in which the population are crying out for revolution in order to enter the games as a symbol of their oppression and ultimately instigate change. Katniss' heroic and anarchic spirit gives her the status of a hero in Panem - a hero that it desperately needs.

The Mentor: Hamish/Cinna
A veteran and former champion of the games, Hamish acts as a mentor towards Katniss by giving her the brutal truth of the backwards system governing it and its corrupt sponsors. Hamish reveals the harsh reality of the games and toughens Katniss with his misogynist remarks.

Cinna, a stylist for the games, encourages Katniss on an emotional level and gives her a figure of trust in the unforgiving Capital. This leads Katniss to grow an emotional connection with Cinna, that she and Hamish do not share.

The Herald: Effie Trinket
As the official announcer of the games, Effie officiates the journey in the 'Ordinary World'. Despite her moments of compassion, Effie lives her life naive and blind to the crumbling system holding together the districts, as she is fundamentally a member of the Capital.

The Shadow: The Capital
The ultimate threat in The Hunger Games is the Capital itself, elevated above the other districts in a totalitarian society. The Capital views the rest of Panem from a first-world perspective, ignoring the cries for change and help from districts living in poverty, reflecting the ignorance of first-world societies today.

The Threshold Guardian: Gale
Gale has an emotional connection to Katniss which acts as a barrier between the 'ordinary' and 'other' worlds. Having been raised in the same community as Katniss, Gale understands her determination towards a revolution in Panem. In order to cross the threshold into the 'Other World', Katniss must overcome her feelings towards Gale and his hesitance to let her go.

The Trickster: Finnick Odaire / Caesar
Finnick, a spear-wielding contestant and ally to Katniss, provides comic relief through charm and charisma when times are at their darkest.

Caesar, one of the games' main hosts, provides a warped and television-friendly humour that gives the Capital the illusion of warmth.

The Shapeshifter: President Snow
President Snow holds complete control over the people of Panem and the system that governs it, though he himself is merely a figurehead for dictatorship and power. His ability to manipulate contestants and rule the districts by filtering the media to his choosing gives President Snow an unreadable character at times.

Allies: Peeta
Ally and 'love interest' Peeta comes from the same poverty-stricken beginnings as Katniss, making him an ideal companion in the fight for survival. He develops feelings for Katniss in his pursuit to take down the government, using his creative abilities to aide her in her quest.

2 comments:

  1. Hi Josh


    Take a look a Ruby's blog below. Both of you chose The Hunger games and arrived at different conclusions. It was for an interesting comparison...

    http://rubynewland.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/archetypes-hunger-games.html

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  2. Hey!! thank-you, this was very helpful!!
    Just thought I'd tell you that you wrote Haymish instead of Haymitch

    ReplyDelete