Representation of Young People | The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

This film trailer is for the sequel to the original film The Hunger Games and is about Katniss and Peeta going back into the arena. 

The first time you see Katniss in the trailer is in the beginning where she is sat talking to her sister and comforting her. One of the first shots is of Katniss and Primrose hugging. This immediately shows the stereotypical representation of women being caring and loving towards other people especially her family. She says ‘I don’t want you to get hurt’, which shows that she acts in the best interest of her family. Katniss also appears quite motherly sat comforting her sister, which again is another stereotype towards females. 

Later on in the trailer Katniss is shown to be independent and brave when she is in a way threatened by the mayor of the country and stands up to protect her loved ones and put on a front for the public. Katniss is shown using a bow and arrow and diving into the water when she is in the arena. These are actions that typically a man would be shown to be doing in an action film however again she is opposite to the typical female stereotype of being incapable of doing these things. 

A love interest between Katniss, Peeta and Gale is also shown in the trailer, which supports the stereotypes of ‘young love’ and in many films including teenagers there is often a story in the film based around their love interests. When Katniss and Peeta are talking it shows confusion about what to do in their situation which shows vulnerability amongst teenage love. 

Gale and Katniss are shown talking about what they should do. Katniss suggests what she thinks but Gale has his own ideas which shows the representation that men often do what they want and do not get told what to do. Katniss again however shows opposites to what the stereotypical actions of what a women do which is to let the main take lead on what to do, but again she shows independence by doing the opposite. 

The typical love triangle included in this film is also stereotypical of young teenagers and are common in films involving young people. 

Primrose is Katniss’ younger sister and is shown scared and venerable in the trailer when Katniss is taken away which shows her age and is expected of someone so young. She also seems somewhat naive at the beginning of the trailer when suggesting theres hope with all the violence and killing of people, however supports the stereotype that children are often positive towards things when they don’t always see the bigger picture. 

Towards the end of the trailer young people are shown in the training centre getting ready to go into the arena. Teenagers are typically stereotyped as being lazy and waiting for things to happen instead of making them happen in this generation and this trailer shows them being motivated to get what they want to achieve, (even if they are training to kill people in an arena… )

Katniss shows multiple different roles and stereotypes, some opposite to what is usually expected, within the trailer as well as the other young characters involved.