In The Hunger
Games by Suzanne Collins, the mockingjay acts as a symbol of strength and rebellion
for Katniss as she fights through the games. The creation story of the
mockingjay itself represents defiance because the mockingjay is “something of a
slap in the face to the Capitol” (42). During the rebellion, the Capitol
created jabberjays, genetically altered birds, to memorize people’s conversations
in the districts and report back to the Capitol. The jabberjays were ultimately
a failure as rebels found out and fed these birds lies; while they were left to
die off, they instead mated with mockingbirds to create mockingjays that could
mimic both bird whistles and human vocal sounds and sing whole songs.
The mockingjay develops
a personal significance throughout the book as it plays a role in several of
her relationships. When Katniss would hunt with her father before he died, “he
would whistle or sing complicated songs to them and, after a polite pause, they’d
always sing back” (43). When she would hunt alone and see a little bird, it
would remind her of her father and his protection over her. The mockingjay
becomes an important symbol for Katniss when her friend Madge gives her a pin
of the mockingjay before she goes off to fight in the Hunger Games, which
serves Katniss as her symbol of District 12 that she can wear in the games. It
also validates Katniss’s friendship with Madge. Once Katniss enters the games
and becomes allies with Rue, they create a plan to use mockingjays to
communicate that Rue is “okay, only [she] can’t get back right away” (213).
Once Rue dies in
the games, Katniss fully becomes the mockingjay in spirit; she defies her
purpose of being a ruthless tribute in the Hunger Games and gives Rue a proper burial.
Her hatred of the Capitol is the strongest after Rue dies, and Katniss is determined
more than ever to take revenge for Rue’s young death. When Katniss and Peeta do
end up winning the Hunger Games together, they do so by blatantly defying the
Capitol and threatening to die together after it is announced that there can
only be one winner. At the end of the novel, Katniss is a Capitol experiment
gone wrong just as the mockingjay was; Katniss herself now represents the
spirit of the rebellion against the Capitol.
I agree with you that the mockingjays are of great personal significance to Katniss. However, I think that the bird is more representative of the revolution. Since they can only repeat what others have created, mockingjays pose no clear threat. However, their power lies when a larger group can carry the message. For example, Rue uses the four-note call to communicate. If there was only one Mockingjay repeating that song, none of the workers or Katniss would receive that message. Instead, many birds adds their voice to the chorus and effectively carries the message. This is symbolic of the revolution. A single Mockingjay has no purpose on its own, but one with a pretty tune can get many others to repeat it. One lone hunter, such as Gale, shouting in the woods that the Capitol is cruel and unfair will do no good until a singer, like Katniss, takes the tune to the masses. But, like the Mockingjay, Katniss has no idea that her voice is contributing to a revolution. She simply wanted a way to get out of the games alive, so she sang the song of romance with Peeta. She did not realize that she was giving a voice to thousands of revolutionaries. With her voice being echoed by many other district-inhabitants, the revolution can occur, and the Capitol can be overthrown.
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