Arya, Katniss, and Merida: Empowering Girls through the Amazonian Archetype

Abstract

Myths illustrate timeless human truths, yet their various iterations reflect the needs and fears of the specific age in which they occur. Recently, young female archers invoking the myth of the Amazon have come into vogue on large and small screens alike.¹ In contemporary incarnations, there are now so many female archers in media that screenwriters are able to parody this phenomenon with the imaginary blockbuster quadrilogy The Amazon Games, featured in Lake Bell’s comedy In a World (2013).² As protagonists, three recent young female archers serve to exemplify the trend: Princess Merida of Brave (2012), Lady Arya Stark of Game of Thrones (2011-), and Katniss Everdeen of The Hunger Games (2012). They embody a new twist on the ancient Greek Amazonian archetype, providing insight into what the Amazon myth means today. A quick review of the salient characteristics of the Amazon myth in antiquity will set up a discussion of how that prototype is both perpetuated and altered in these contemporary depictions of onscreen Amazons. These three figures indicate a perceptible shift both in how the Amazonian archetype is depicted by filmmakers and studios and in how it is intended to be received by the audience. This shift may represent a new variation on the action hero, reflecting changes in contemporary society at large.