KATNISS EVERDEEN AS A HERO ARCHETYPE: A JUNGIAN AND CAMPBELLIAN ANALYSIS

Abstract

This study analyzes Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games (2008) as a hero archetype through the frameworks of Carl Jung’s psychological archetypes and Joseph Campbell’s monomyth. It examines how Katniss aligns with the traditional hero archetype and whether her journey fulfills the stages of Campbell’s hero’s quest. Additionally, this research explores whether Katniss achieves Individuation—Jung’s concept of self-realization—by the end of her journey. Furthermore, the study questions whether a character can be confined to a single archetype or if multiple archetypal influences shape their identity. Using a qualitative approach, this paper focuses on The Hunger Games’ first book, conducting a textual analysis of Katniss’s development, her internal and external struggles, and her role in the larger dystopian framework. Ultimately, this research aims to determine how Katniss embodies, challenges, and redefines the hero archetype in contemporary literature.