Inside A Hero's Journey: The Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins

Inside a Hero’s Journey How do psychoanalytic critics interpret The Hunger Games? Suzanne Collins’s novel The Hunger Games illustrates the challenging transition from Katniss growing from a young adolescence to an adult,from losing her father to volunteering in the games, and this fear of losing in the games but she couldn’t show any sign of weakness. This captured Katniss Everdeen’s growing responsibilities she faced under the Capitol’s spotlight in the Games. The Psychoanalytic theory has levels of understanding, elements of personality, defense mechanisms and psychosexual stages. How can a psychoanalytic approach help us understand the main character Katniss Everdeen’s actions? For example, Katniss was the one who related in

First, conscious is the small amount of mental activity we know most about. Katniss is always aware of her surroundings and her actions, the book is in her point of view which is initially her conscious. “In the woods waits for the only person with whom I can be myself. Gale. I can feel the muscles in my face relaxing, my pace quickening as I climb the hills to our place, a rock ledge overlooking a valley.”(6) This quote explains the way she felt while being in the woods and with Gale, even at the age of 16 alone she knew her surroundings and what do in any situation. Second is the preconscious which is the thoughts, feelings, knowledge, and memories a person has. In addition, she volunteered when her sister name was called on reaping day, to save her younger sister Prim. Even Though, Katniss was afraid and knew what she was volunteering for she was the hero and did anything to keep her loved ones safe. The third element is unconscious, the process in the mind that stores all the memories and experiences that are disturbing or traumatic. This refers to Katniss because she had so many situations that haunted her, like I said before she lost her father, having to deal with her mother, and being in the

According to Movie Psychoanalyst, Heather Hardison stated:“This forces her out of her comfort zone and makes her question herself through the games and throughout her found friendships with Peeta and Rue.”(Heather Hardison,Ph.D.) This quote focuses on the way Katniss had to hold her emotions and show no sign of weakness. In fact, she knew if she cried or showed any sign of weakness she would be marked as an easy target. In other words, she was a warrior who went through losing her father and having to take care of her mother and sister but still managed to be strong and go through with the games. While in the games, many players of all districts try to survive with their ways by stealing, teaming up, hiding, and killing each other. Therefore, these actions are components of the personality of Katniss her Id, Ego, and Superego. First is the Id, all those thoughts that make you feel good, even if they are wrong. So Katniss knew it was wrong to hide but it was a pleasure for her to get some safety by climbing the three, so the other players could not see her. She didn’t want to be harmed in any way so she took the action of climbing and hiding pleasure for safety. On the other hand, is the Ego, it is the Reality helps us direct ourselves and right from wrong. As explained before Ego has no concept of right or wrong, for Katniss playing a role as the player in the games