Dressing the Mockingjay

The role of Katniss Everdeen's costumes in the political narrative of the Hunger Games

Abstract

Based on Suzanne Collins' "The Hunger Games" film trilogy, the research analyzes how costumes help to represent the social and political context of the narrative set in Panem, a dystopian society divided into districts subordinate to the opulent Capitol. Class inequality is accentuated by the costumes, which initially portray the population of the districts as submissive, in contrast to the extravagant luxury of the Capitol. As the narrative progresses, the costumes evolve to reflect the political struggle, strength and revolt of the characters, visually marking the transformation and resistance against oppression. Following a qualitative approach, basic nature and descriptive objectives, the work is configured as a bibliographical research and a case study. The study's main objective is to understand the role of costumes in the visual construction of characters and their relationship with politics in cinema, addressing issues such as the importance of costumes in the construction of the characters' identities and the way in which fashion in cinema can be used to reflect and comment on political and social issues. Furthermore, the research examines the evolution of the costumes of the main character, Katniss, analyzing how each one contributes to the narrative and to the representation of the political context of the saga. Thus, the work concludes that fashion and costume are not only a form of artistic expression, but also a means of communication and resistance.

Keywords: costume; hunger games; fashion.