THE REPRESENTATION OF WOMAN’S OPPRESSION THROUGH A FEMALE MAIN CHARACTER IN SUZANNE COLLINS’ CATCHING FIRE

Abstract

This study analyzes Suzanne Collins’s Catching Fire using theory of representation by Stuart Hall. This theory analyzes the discourse of woman’s oppression of the female main character, Katniss Everdeen by applying discursive approach. Patriarchal ideology also used to find domination power of man in oppressing the female main character. As a woman who lives as the working class in society, she gets oppression from authoritarian government that is led by man named President Snow. The oppression is not only getting from President but also people behind President’s authority. People behind President’s authority oppress her by using her as a tool and a bait to bring down President’s government. Media also take a role in oppressing her life. Media use her as a tool to distort reality of President’s authority by showing her personal life in public through television show. The oppressions that experienced by Katniss Everdeen are physical and mental oppression. It is because they are not only oppressing Katniss through violence and discrimination but also through terror along her life. Physical and mental oppression that are given by President Snow are not only happening outside the arena of Games but also inside the arena of Games. Even though she destroys the arena of Games as her rebel action to bring down the system, the oppression toward her life does not end yet. In the end, President still oppresses her life with more fears and terrors by bombing district 12 where her lovers live. She also realizes that she only used as a scapegoat by people who reject President’s authority. This research uses qualitative research. This research is divided into two kinds of data. The first is primary data, which are taken from narrative and descriptive dialogues in Catching Fire. The second is secondary data, which are taken from literature journals, essays, articles, relevant books and e-sources. As the result of discussion, it can be concluded that woman’s oppression happens in the female main character because of the social condition. The woman’s oppression itself that experienced by the female main character reveal that it is caused by domination power of man where she lives in. In the last discussion it will be revealed that the main reason Suzanne Collins use her work Catching Fire is to shows that she is under the domination of patriarchy. It can be said that she belong to patriarchy where put woman in the subordinate position.