Antigone vs. Ismene

    Antigone and Ismene are very different types of women. Antigone has a more bold personality who fights for what she believes in, even if it means breaking the law put in place by a higher authority. In her mind she has established a hierarchy in which the gods are placed far above the ruler(s) of any country that even exists. When Creon has given the order to dishonor the remains of the dead, she disobeys the law in order to follow what is correct in the eyes of the gods, for she believes that their command is more important than someone who is lower than them in the authoritative hierarchy. This independent thinking and portrayal of individual motivation is an example of Antigone's transcendence of the traditional gender role of females. On the contrary, Ismene seems to have a more reserved personality. She is very hesitant to fight for a personal cause simply because she wishes to submit to the higher authority of government. She finds it more important to listen to the immediate higher power regardless of punishments she might endure for not obeying the laws of the gods. Her priorities are different from Antigone, and she wishes to live rather than risk her life for someone who is already dead. This set of priorities and train of thought seems to be more easily characterized as a stereotypical woman's point of view. In the The Hunger Games and Anthem, the female characters portrayed defy the stereotypical view of women. Katniss and The Golden One both break and bend the rules to eventually come out alive. These characters are shown as strong, independent, and quite daring. Both of these novels do not assign typical gender roles to the characters. They show both female characters take big risks and go through many life threatening challenges. They help to portray the possible defiance of gender roles from both sexes.