Lucy Gray in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Lucy Gray Baird perfectly encapsulates Victoria Lynn Schmidt’s heroine’s journey. Specifically, Lucy Gray's journey, being one of the focal points of the movie, drives the narrative forward. The audience is able to understand the events of the film better through the journey of Lucy. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes follows the events of the 10th Hunger Game. Lucy Gray Baird from District 12 is chosen to participate in this fight-to-the-death game. In the Capital, she would meet her mentor, Coriolanus Snow. Lucy manages to win the Games and returns as a victor.
Following Schmidt’s diagram, Lucy starts out in the “perfect world.” Although District 12 was far from perfect, Lucy enjoyed her life, singing with her band. This marks the Illusion of the Perfect World and the start of her heroine’s journey. However, she is then betrayed by her boyfriend and the mayor when her name was chosen to participate in the Hunger Games. This betrayal— the second stage— would lead to the Awakening and Preparing for the Journey. After her name is called out, despite being pushed to the ground, Lucy starts singing. The stage of Awakening helps put this scene into context. She realizes that she has to stand up not only for herself, but her people of District 12. This is a crucial point in the narrative. Alongside her mentor, Coriolanus, she prepares for the Games.
Amazing analysis Sarisa! Lucy Gray’s story is a really interesting one to breakdown. I found the images you chose to supplement your argument very compelling. I agree with you that Victoria Schmidtt’s version seems to suit this heroine nicely, I have yet to watch the film, but this blog post has inspired me to do so!
ReplyDeleteViewing The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes through the lens of a heroine's journey is very interesting. While Lucy Gray is not the main character, it does seem like she is prominent enough to have her own heroine's journey within Coriolanus' hero's journey. I wonder how the end of the book might fit into the mapping of the journey, considering it is heavily implied that Lucy Gray ends up being murdered by Coriolanus (her support figure).
ReplyDeleteHello Sarisa! I watched the movie but I didn't make the connection to the Heroine's journey like you! Your post really made me rethink the ending of the movie for Lucy. I always thought the ending was heartbreaking, but now I see Lucy really transformed herself from her hardships so the ending was good for her. I like how Schmidtt's apt observation of the heroine's journey pattern reminds us that the story is meaningful and satisfying not because of the Return to the Perfect World, but because of the strength the heroine gets from the journey.
ReplyDeleteHi Sarisa, this is a very interesting post. While I haven't seen the film, after skimming the wikipedia page on it I can see a very distinct heroine's journey emerge, enlightened to me by your post. I think it's a very interesting choice to not focus on a main character for her journey, and I think in this case it helps Lucy's story really shine. I do question how her support/mentor figure (who is male) shooting at her near the end of the book factors in though. Is this a restarting of the heroine's journey, as she once again finds herself betrayed?
ReplyDeleteHi Sarisa! I haven't watched the film (yet, but now I want to), but even then I can still clearly see in your post the progression of Lucy's journey. The way you describe each step allows to see a clear picture of what happens in the story and how it ties in with the Heroine's Journey. I think the images you show and the refences to her identity as a singer really sell it as a heroine's journey and bring us full circle, seeing both the before and and after, and how she's held onto her identity throughout.
ReplyDeleteHello Sarisa, this blog does a great job of showing how this movie fits into the Shmidt's heroine's journey, even to someone who hasn't seen the movie. Your blog is straightforward and easy to read, yet it shows your deep understanding of the Heroine's journey. I thought I have seen all of the Hunger Games movies but apparently I haven't. This blog motivated me to do so.
ReplyDeleteHi Sarisa! As someone who's read the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and is hoping to watch the movie, this blog post was a great analysis of Lucy Grey's journey from a singer to a killer. I liked how you included pictures from the movie symbolizing pivotal points in Lucy's narrative, particularly the scene with the snakes. I'm curious if this movie could be portrayed as a subversion of the heroine's journey - while Lucy is hinted to escape the Capitol, she had to undergo the betrayal of the one she loved ( Coriolanous Snow) in order to flee.
ReplyDeleteHi Sarisa,
ReplyDeleteLikewise, as someone who's read the book but not watched the movie, this blog post was very illuminating. I think it's always interesting to see how the narrative is reframed and transformed in the action of transitioning between forms of media, and how the key aspects of the Heroine's Journey are preserved in the narrative. I think that, particularly with Collins' works, some steps can even be seen represented in satire -- like with the "Perfect World" of the distinctly dystopian District 12.