Mockingjay Chapter 21 Quotes
Mockingjay Chapter 21 Quotes
How we cite the quotes:
(Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote 4
Why can't I just let him go? Slip him a pill, pull the trigger? Is it because I care too much about Peeta or too much about letting Snow win? Have I turned him into a piece in my private Games? (21.51)
Katniss can't define her feelings for Peeta, or rationally explain why she cannot "let him go." She just knows she can't. But the reasoning for why she can't is escaping her. We'd like to think it's because of her love for and long-standing friendship with Peeta, but here it also sounds it may be because he contributes to her plan for revenge.
Quote 5
Messalla proves most valuable because he lived in a near replica of this apartment and knows where people would be most likely to stash food. (21.17)
In times of war, people no longer reserve admiration for beauty, intelligence, or bravery. They look up to those who possess the skills to ensure basic survival. Messalla can find a stash of food – at this moment in the book, nothing's more important than that. Without food, they can't go on.
Quote 6
[Coin…] gives my eulogy. Praise for the girl who survived the Seam and the Hunger Games, then turned a country of slaves into an army of freedom fighters. "Dead or alive, Katniss Everdeen will remain the face of this rebellion. If ever you waver in your resolve, think of the Mockingjay, and in her you will find the strength you need to rid Panem of its oppressors." (21.28)
Admiration for Katniss is being used to further the rebels' cause. Katniss is being used like the Mockingjay, which she symbolizes for the rebels. Here Coin is speaking through her to support the rebellion. The greater Katniss's achievements, the more powerful she is as a symbol of martyrdom for the rebel cause.