Perspectives On Katniss’s Eco-consciousness In The Hunger Games Trilogy

Suzanne Collins (1962–) is an American children‘s television screenwriter and aworld renowned best-selling author as well. Her masterpiece The Hunger Gamestrilogy chronicles a history of war, slavery and rebellion, in which the young adults,represented by the heroine Katniss, try to fight against oppression, get close tonature, and continually build up and broaden their identification with other beings.Ecological theme is deeply embedded in the trilogy.This thesis, based its methodology on the theoretical principles of DeepEcology, intends to explore the shaping and devel opment of the heroine Katniss‘seco-consciousness in The Hunger Games trilogy. Deep ecologists advocatesdeep-questioning with regard to the source of ecological problems. According tothem, environmental crisis can only be rooted out by penetrating into the level ofideology and establishing an ecocentric value. Katniss‘s eco-consciousness would beexplored from three aspects. First, external factors in shaping Katniss‘seco-consciousness are presented, including the imbalanced ecological status quo ofPanem and the significant influence that Katniss‘s father, partner Peeta and sisterPrimrose had on her. Second, awakening of Katniss‘s eco-consciousness is shown inher ecological practices of getting close to nature, deviating from the rules of theHunger Games, and fighting against governmental oppression. Third, deepening ofKatniss‘s eco-consciousness in The Hunger Games trilogy is discussed, namely, theprocess of broadening identification. Katniss‘s identification circle developedgradually from family and friends, districts‘civilians to the numb citizens in theCapitol, during which her eco-consciousness is deepened.Through textual analysis, this thesis articulates that the shaping anddevelopment of Katniss‘s eco-consciousness is essentially an exploration of walkingout of ecological dilemma. Not only did she advance in her way to Self-realizationthrough the internalized revolution of expanding identification, Katniss also made asignificant contribution to the r evolution against oppression and slavery. Hereco-consciousness developed from the state of shaping, awakening to maturingwithin The Hunger Games trilogy.