If I asked you to name some fictional characters with mental illnesses, who would you think of? Doubtless the psychopathic Joker from the Batman comics would come to mind, or perhaps the less obviously deranged but no less sociopathic Hannibal Lecter. Some people might be further able to name Alex from A Clockwork Orange (a mentally unstable violent teenage delinquent), Jim Moriarty from the BBC television show Sherlock (an all-but-outright psychopathic adaptation of the character Professor Moriarty from the original Sherlock Holmes stories) or even Renfield from Dracula (a mental patient whose obsession with blood and consuming life leads him to do things like eating flies).
What do these characters have in common? Well, they certainly fit the common definition of "crazy" (even though many actual mentally ill people do not seem "crazy" by society's standards). And all of them exhibit some kinds of violent tendencies or perverse interests. None of them are really treated sympathetically, and certainly none of them are heroes.
These characters are unfortunately very indicative of how mental illness is treated by writers and the media. The vast most of fictional characters with mental illness are unsympathetic, and those that are sympathetic are either unrealistically-written or have stories or characterizations based around their illness, to the point where it is hard for the audience to imagine the character having any sort of experience that isn't related to mental illness. The outlook for mental illness representation is pretty dim, and many people must wonder when they'll finally get a hero with mental illness whose adventures are not determined by their disability.
Would you like to know the name of a fictional hero with mental illness whose characterization and storyline isn't about mental illness?
Katniss Everdeen.
Yes, I am talking about Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games. I bet you wouldn't have thought Katniss, the Girl on Fire who bravely took her sister's place in the Hunger Games, had any sort of mental illness. "But she's so normal and well-adjusted!" you might say. Yes, well, a number of people with mental illnesses are normal and well-adjusted. "Mental illness" doesn't mean "abnormal" anymore than, say, "blind" or "wheelchair-using" mean "abnormal". (And if you think disability does preclude normality, I urge yourself to educate yourself on the nature of disability as well as normality.)
"Well, this is all very well and good, Jude," you might say when you get past the initial shock, "but please tell us why you are making this absurd statement about Katniss Everdeen's mental capacities." (Unless you know why I'm saying this. In which case, sit back and enjoy the show. And unless you don't want spoilers for The Hunger Games or just don't enjoy talk about that series in general. In which case, you should probably stop reading because those things will ensue.)
I trust most people who've read past this point are familiar with The Hunger Games. (If not, please read a synopsis from elsewhere as I'm providing a commentary, not a summary.) If you are familiar with it, you will know that Katniss's father died in a coal mine accident, which caused a huge personal crisis in her family. An event like that is enough to give someone post-traumatic stress disorder, and growing up somewhere like District 12 is traumatizing in and of itself. Certainly it couldn't have helped Katniss's and her family's recovery. It is very logical to assume that it would have resulted in PTSD, which is classified as a mental illness.
"Now, where are you getting this from?" you may ask me further. "Right, it makes sense that Katniss could have PTSD, but does she even display any symptoms?" Yes. Yes, she does.
Up until and including their time in the arena, Katniss constantly distrusts Peeta (especially in regards to his claims that he's in love with her). She believed it was an attempt at manipulation, when other people might have simply believed him. Well, symptoms/effects of PTSD include emotional numbness and avoidance. Katniss's lack of trust in Peeta could definitely count as the results of such qualities. Furthermore, Katniss has a tendency to get irritated with people, sometimes abruptly and unnecessarily so. Irritability and the tense feelings accompanying are common of PTSD. And after Katniss experiences the Hunger Games themselves and their brutality, her symptoms intensify and branch into recall and sleeping trouble.
A lot of people tend to fault Katniss for the aforementioned things, but what a lot of people don't realize is that she has an actual mental illness - post-traumatic stress disorder - and while her behavior is certainly not ideal, it's the very legitimate result of traumatic events.
"Now, Jude, this is all well and good," you say. "I can see why you think Ms. Everdeen has a mental illness. But why should I believe she was intentionally written as such when it's not even mentioned in the books or films?"
Well, that question's answer is a bit self-evident. Do you think there are any therapists in District 12? Do you think there's anyone specializing in psychology? Do you think Katniss's family would have been able to afford therapy even if there were therapists around. No. Of course not. The folks in District 12 are having a hard enough time managing their physical health and survival. No one is going to have the education to become a psychologist or psychiatrist, and no one is going to have the money to afford that sort of thing. I doubt they'd even care about that in the Capitol. (While the Capitol is very rich, I don't know if they really care enough about the mental health of their citizens to have psychiatry around as a practice, and I doubt the people at the Capitol would be willing enough to admit to having a mental illness for such a practice to even be profitable.)
If Suzanne Collins were to procure a canon diagnosis for Katniss (or Peeta, or Haymitch, or any of the other characters who come to exhibit symptoms of PTSD - because I don't think Katniss is the only one who's been through enough trauma to have it), that would probably break our willing suspension of disbelief and ultimately go too much out of the way of the story to make us blatantly aware of something that's ultimately not that important. Because while mental illness is an important issue (especially in real life!), Katniss's story ultimately wasn't about her struggling with the aftermath of traumatic events like her childhood or the Hunger Games. It was about her fighting for her family and friends and standing up to the government when it got increasingly dangerous to do so. It wasn't about her being mentally ill. It was about her being brave. And that, my friends, is something anyone, regardless of (dis)ability or mental (un)wellness, can do.
"Alright, Jude," you say. "We understand your point of view. We understand why Katniss is a realistic, well-written portrayal of the mental illness of post-traumatic stress disorder. We even understand why her lack of diagnosis is acceptable and relevant. But did Suzanne Collins really mean for you to make this kind of analysis?"
Well, you've got me on that one. I am unaware of anything Collins has said on the subject, and it seems like PTSD was at least slightly intended. It would be an astonishing coincidence if all of the qualities she gave Katniss made her what seems to be a good, researched depiction of mental illness where this sort of thing wasn't even intended. However, unless Suzanne Collins says something about the subject (or if she's already said something and I don't know it), I think it is acceptable and good to interpret Katniss as a trauma survivor with post-traumatic stress disorder and thus a person with a mental illness. And besides, you know what they say - "The interpretation of a work of fiction is ultimately left up to the readers." I've found this theory reiterated on the internet, so I'm definitely not the only reader who interprets Katniss this way. I'm not the only person who's reads The Hunger Games and found not another psychopathic, violent madman but instead a wonderful heroine whose mental illness is not only not dehumanizing but in fact a sign of strength - she can survive horrible things, even after her mind has been permanently affected by her circumstances - and (wonder of wonders!) doesn't hijack the story but adds to it, giving her another set of challenges as she bravely fights for what's right.
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