Why Katniss Agreed to a "Symbolic" Hunger Games

The real reason Katniss agreed to a symbolic Hunger Games.
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#thehungergames #balladofsongbirdsandsnakes #mockingjay

[@TheGeekApprentice]

OH MY GOSH! Thank you all! This is my first video to pass 200,000 views!

[@jens5445]

Heyo great Video essay, tho try what happens when you cut out all the silent titels. it seems like they kind of kill the pacing of the video

[@MrAppbee]

Nice vid

[@ptricky15]

He didn’t vote for a Hunger Games. He told Katniss he was with her. He was declaring his loyalty to HER and what he knew her intuition would be.

[@angels7338]

I had a feeling that at the moment Haymich was very deep in her debt for previous failings and since his vote was a decider he had to tip the scales a bit

[@valkyrie9646]

Patrick, agree completely. I always thought he was backing Katniss, no matter where it led.

[@edieminturn7484]

I think he read Katniss and understood what she was doing. He seemed appalled by Coin declaring herself the „interim president“ and even more appalled by the idea of the „new Hunger games“....his attitude switched completely when Katniss spoke. I believe he knew what was up.

[@emilykeepsmiling9465]

This is such a good point, I think you're totally right.

[@kaieastty8948]

That is why he defended her so well at the trial. I wish we at least got to see that conversation in the movie

[@GKnapptime]

I always read the "for prim" (a healer who never hurt anyone) as a way for Katniss to hint to Haymitch that she had a plan

[@zoefang4563]

For certain

[@kevindon2133]

ooh could be true, and also that it was under Coin's orders that the Hummingbird bomb was used, the one that killed Prim

[@zuvasq]

Without that specific reference I just thought that after all their journey, Haymitch just knew she had a reason behind agreeing to it, and he was going with it

[@gerwie8454]

@@zuvasq I agree! after all they always had their way of communicating with each other without actually speaking (in reference to the first book)

[@bethmissbenett]

Wasnt it obvious for everyone?

[@beatrizjardim8308]

She didn't agree to a new hunger games she was faking it. Playing a game to take down both Coin and Snow all at once. It was a smart political move.

[@HeyLeFay]

I think she agreed to it to gain Coin’s trust and lull her into a false sense of security.

[@beatrizjardim8308]

@@HeyLeFay Yeah me too.

[@johnelmartagbago3764]

@@HeyLeFay yeah, that's what the original commenter's saying.

[@zoebrugg7594]

As a stupid teen I didn’t understand, now that I’m an adult, I can see what her eyes were saying.

[@beatrizjardim8308]

That's great! I'm so glad for you@@zoebrugg7594

[@jennybaker5713]

That makes alot of sense. Haymich always had a stronger bond with Katniss than he did with Peeta, because Katniss and Haymich are soo much alike. I don't think he knew everything that Katniss was up to when she said yes. But he trusted her, that she had a good reason for it.

[@PaniACoCo]

It kinda mirrors the "trust me" moment with Peeta at the end of the 74th games

[@iri02802]

Yeah I also thought that the reason he said yes was because he trusted Katniss

[@joshdawson5850]

I deeply disagree on that. Haymich loved Peeta. ‘You could live a thousand lifetimes and never deserve that boy’ He was straight up willing to volunteer to his probable death to save him.

[@Fatimah262]

@@joshdawson5850 it's not about who he loved more. i agree that he def loved Peeta a lot more than he did Katniss lol. What they're saying is that Katniss was much more like Haymitch than Peeta was and they both understood each other at a different level. Peeta wasn't always quite in the loop because of that (he even gets frustrated about it in the second book).

[@PointSoldiers]

I liked this analysis. "For Prim" always stuck out to me because if there's one thing Prim would never, ever have wanted, its a hunger games hosted in her name. So I felt like this was a clue to Haymitch that Katniss had ulterior motives, and that's what makes him consider why she said yes and therefore figure out her plan. It also reveals that Coin never cared about Prim, because if she had she would know this too, which proves that Coin did not care about Prim's fate, which in turn seals Coin's fate.

[@ms.kellydozier]

Exactly!

[@sootycat2740]

I love this line for serving the purpose of hinting at Haymitch that she wants something other than what Coin in proposing while simultaneously suggesting to Coin that she is desperate for revenge (on Snow) and not at all suspicious of Coin’s guilt.

[@BlueKermit27]

For me, this scene really cements in how much Katniss’ approach to danger has changed since the beginning of the series. She used to be readable and obvious with her judgments of situations. She handled things physically and/or aggressively. But now, after EVERYTHING, the fact that she can be so casual and cunning in a diplomatic situation really signifies how much her tact has changed.

[@LindseyStudios]

I think Haymitch’s wording in the scene is perfect. He’s not voting yes for the games. He’s voting on his belief in Katniss. As crazy as their relationship is, he knows her. And he knows that she has a plan

[@kmoneyyyy1994]

Someone also pointed out to me Haymitch uses her rebellious name, “I’m with the mockingjay” he didn’t say “I’m with Katniss” I think that is also very significant and let’s us know Haymitch understands Katniss has something else going on, even though he might not know the plan he understands and trusts her

[@ddieter603]

Katniss has shared everything that was going on in her head throughout the series; the reader has never had to wonder why she did the things she did. However, while "thinking everything through" in that meeting, Katniss conceals her thoughts from the reader for the first time in the series, raising the reader's suspicions and forcing us to wonder what "everything" means. "For Prim" gains her credibility with Coin and gives the reader a temporary reasonable explanation. Haymitch, for his part, is thinking things through as well. He never says yes, but comments "I'm with the Mockingjay." He, too, is boosting Katniss's credibility. Since all of this happens internally for Katniss, we don't get to see that in the movie. The line "I kill Snow?" is there for the benefit of the audience. Coin, never having bothered to get to know the Mockingjay, takes this at face value. But then it dawns on Haymitch, who loves both Katniss and Peeta more than any of them realize and who understands the young'uns very well. Katniss is taking a calculated risk here, because Haymitch can still say no; but it's one she feels sure enough that will go her way. Anything to get her within shooting range of Coin.

[@yomtovsharabi]

She isn't relly taking any risk. If Haymitch will say yes, great. If he will say no, nothing happened. And she will gain Coin's trust in each case. After all, she does'nt really want more hunger games.

[@CaRlOsKoKiS]

Yeah, this kind of videos are so pointless, talking about the most obvious things 🙄

[@HeyLeFay]

I feel like Haymitch saying “I’m with the Mockingjay” is also a subtle rejection Coin along with affirming Katniss. He’s almost explicitly saying his loyalty is to the rebellion and Katniss, not to Coin or whatever new society she’s trying to form.

[@scattyuk]

Coming late to say - the very fact that we have Katniss' every motivation laid out for us through three books, even as she wavers back and forth in frustrating confusion and fails to recognise her own feelings on multiple occasions, actually made it harder for me to understand what was going on here. People saying she had a plan always baffled me because every time Katniss has a plan, we know what it is, even if she changes her mind in the next chapter. So her apparent wavering here sort of fit with that. But you've actually managed, combined with the video, to make me give that scene the benefit of the doubt. It's still a slightly odd shift in writing but at least I can now see what she might have been aiming for. So thank you :)

[@ladyfibonaccii]

You have to read between the lines.

[@sdmcdaniel2255]

Both in the book, and in the movie, Katniss has a conversation with Snow BEFORE the vote. Snow revealed to her in both conversations that he was not the one that ordered the bombing on the Capitol's children. Katniss also remembers, in both the book at the movie, Gayle and Beetie talking, and the double trap idea that Gayle came up with. Those two events in the book and movie confirmed for Katniss (and the reader) that it was Coin that ordered the double bombing. Which is why when Katniss said 'for Prim', I knew she was planning to kill Coin. I was not fooled. She would have said anything that would get her close enough to Coin to kill her.

[@z2yn]

Same here; I had also remembered what Boggs told Katniss - that if she showed that she was against Coin, she was a problem. This came back to me after Katniss convo with Snow, where I also remembered how they had agreed that they shouldn't lie to each other. So I saw her and Haymitch taking a stand, although I wasn't sure whether Haymitch knew about Coin killing Prim, I could only suspect it back then. On another hand, I wasn't completely sure whether this was really true and therefore thought that Katniss also wanted revenge for Prim and thus voted yes - until the execution scene, when the whole not-lying agreement was echoed in her head. that was the moment when I was sure and therefore satisfied with Coins death

[@leslygomez2200]

Yeah! The foreshadowing was pretty clear to me. I was very shocked at first to see Katniss say yes but then immediately thought "that is so out of character that there must be a reason for that". And there was. The shot in which you see both Coin and Snow lined up was what made my reasoning definitive for me.

[@user-rc9uw3uy5x]

I was so disturbed when Johanna brought up Snow's granddaughter because she was really cute and really liked Katniss.

[@Kamila-eb9pz]

I don't remember Snow's granddaughter talking to Katniss in the book

[@emilydebridge7145]

@@Kamila-eb9pz she wore katniss's braid to say she stood by her

[@carolinewinn7661]

Emily Debridge that was in the movie though

[@gateauxq4604]

That was movie-only. In the book I think Katniss might see Snow’s grandkids once.

[@edieminturn7484]

Well, Snow had all her loved ones killed because she refused to be prostituted like Finnick....sooooo.....of course she wants revenge, that’s her character....(flaw in this is of course is that Snow will not be alive to suffer from his granddaughters death)....

[@cee_ves]

The line “For Prim” is genius on Katniss’ part. It reassures Coin that she’s ignorant to her involvement in Prims death, whilst letting Haymitch know that she has a plan because Katniss is the last person who would want a hunger games to remember a sister she almost lost to them. It also immediately makes the audience/reader aware that she wants revenge; and we all know who really killed prim

[@AndrezaDonda]

When she talks to Gale in the the book, about Prim's death and in the end Gale says "shoot straight", for me in that part I knew he wasn't talking about snow.

[@mariajosecamacho9062]

Wow I never thought of that

[@sreynolds3018]

That's a reach then why was he angry at katniss for killing coins.

[@ThePhantomCoder]

@@sreynolds3018 he was?

[@sreynolds3018]

@@ThePhantomCoder yes he was

[@ThePhantomCoder]

@@sreynolds3018 I don't remember seeing it anywhere in the book

[@thesilvershining]

The reason I immediately knew without a doubt that Katniss had a plan behind her “yes” answer is because she would never EVER for any reason agree to this. Not even if the Capitol was actually responsible for killing Prim. Haymitch knows Katniss well enough to trust that she had a plan because he too knows that she would NEVER agree to this for any reason. And I love how sweet Peeta of course gave a firm hard “NO!” but at the same time Katniss and Haymitch were spiritually linked behind the scenes making sure there would never again be another child murdered for sport. Such a great scene and foreshadowing!

[@artbunker]

I realized it in the movie after her talk with Snow in the movie. Seeing how Coin was turning into Snow before her eyes was what did it for me. Third book gets too much hate. I think it was the best of the series. Just my opinion though.

[@cliou3206]

I mean, yes

[@edieminturn7484]

YES!!! This!!

[@citrusmoth1103]

Yeah!! I loved the third book!

[@megroy6396]

I didn't enjoy reading Mockingjay. I didn't enjoy watching it. Movies about war and revolution are always a slog, it's part of why I was upset that the Handmaid's Tale went beyond one season. But that doesn't mean Mockingjay wasn't excellently written and the perfect way to end the trilogy. The only logical way to end it, at any rate. But it makes sense that a book that had to be a straight up war story wasn't popular.

[@forestgrump4723]

I didn’t think Mockingjay measured up. It felt like something written to be able to be turned into a good script. Instead of written to be a satisfying read. It’s hard to explain but it just felt to me like it was written with the expectation that it would be adapted to film (which makes sense as the films had already started) instead of just being written to be a good book. More emphasis on the shipping was present because film goers were very excited to find out who she would choose. I feel like had we not already had the films in production there would have been less will they/won’t they and more crawling around different districts learning about them and their individual struggles. There would have been more crawling around different safe houses in the capitol learning about people that were more like Cinna, and people that were outright awful. But everything I’ve mentioned while it would be a rich reading experience wouldn’t be good cinema. And that’s why I wish book series would wrap up before selling movie rights.

[@jordanhebert7240]

I always knew the reason for it. I thought it was great and it took Katniss killing Coin for me to realize why she voted yes but my first read through I knew it was to gain her trust. I think it was written that way for Katniss killing Coin to still be a shock but after the shock you realize that was always the plan. I’ve always said that these books were written YA because that’s the only way the story would be told effectively. In that sense I think Collins wrote at more adult level and understanding so it can make things like that hard to translate to a younger reader. That’s also why I really enjoy reading the books now as an adult on top of after being in the military. A lot of stuff I missed as a teen now is like “dang”

[@PolliitoAle]

I didn't really suspect that Katniss would kill Coin on my first read through, but I did suspect she wasn't letting us in on something. Voting yes was so out of character and her thoughts were so shady and mumbled that I knew there was something, but I didn't understand what. Coin's murder was such a shock to me 😅 it made sense, after, but damn

[@TayoEXE]

Same! I was shocked at first, but it made total sense in retrospect because I suspected that Coin might be on the exact same path as Snow. I think when it comes out of nowhere, it's lazy writing, but when it's hinted at subtly through little details consistently but not too much that it's obvious, that's good stuff! Makes the scene that more impactful.

[@chloelopez9796]

I think Katniss knew she was going to do it after Coin brought up the symbolic hunger games. Because she makes a mention about the arrow that would be used for Snow. She comments about the sharpness and distance of the type of arrow before she goes out.

[@zoefang4563]

Katniss was so brilliant here

[@emilykeepsmiling9465]

I like this theory, but I don't think at that moment she was planning to kill Coin. The internal debate she has with herself at the execution seems to frantic to me, like she really doesn't know what she's going to do until the last moment. I think when she answers yes to the symbolic Hunger Games she is keeping Coin on side until she can come up with a plan. But in true Katniss style, she does this at the very last second 😂

[@superkoszatniczki3098]

exactly, Katniss isn't portrayed as a very calculating character

[@dazey8706]

same!! i think thats the only part of this theory that i would tweak

[@Nyctomancer]

Have to agree. Time and time again Katniss was shown to be impulsive. She's smart and and can act strategically, demonstrated by her skill at the games, but she really needs a cold bucket of water dumped over her head to wake up and apply those skills to the long game (like the kind required for political maneuvering). Peeta was her foil in that regard. He was always moving strategically through social and political maneuvers.

[@lennajune]

This actually makes so much sense. I had already sort of understood why Haymitch and Katniss voted that way. But you laid it out really nicely and it makes a lot of sense the way you broke it down!

[@CeltycSparrow]

I think Haymitch understood Katniss's reason for saying yes to a symbolic Hunger Games when Katniss said "for Prim" because HE KNOWS what it is like to rebel against the Capitol and lose the ones HE loved most....his family and his girlfriend. And he doesn't even say "Yes." he says "I'm with the Mockingjay" meaning that he is publicly showing his loyalty is now to Katniss. Prim was Katniss's reason for EVERYTHING. She volunteered at the first Reaping to keep her sister safe from being a Tribute. She told Caesar Flickerman that she promised her sister that she would win. So when Coin KILLS Prim, that, to Katniss, is unforgivable. Coin HAS to die for that. And I think Katniss got the confirmation she needed that it WAS Coin and NOT Snow who ordered the children be slaughtered when Katniss sees Snow in his garden and he says "I thought we agreed never to lie to each other."

[@BeWellBrandon]

@CeitycSparrow I agree 100%. I wish i picked up on this so many years ago when the books and movies first came out. I read each novel and then saw the films as they were released. I’ve just watched the movies again over the past few days and I realized Coin killing Prim is exactly why Katniss didn’t trust Coin compared to Snow. Snow could have easily killed Prim as he threatened to harm Gale and had surveillance everywhere. We know through the beginning of the series that there’s no escaping the power of the Capitol which President Snow states in Catching Fire before announcing how they would reap the tributes in the 3rd Quarter Quell. For whatever reason, Snow didn’t kill Prim despite his games against Katniss’ psyche, but Coin’s arrogant games against Snow and the Capitol led to Prim’s unmerciful death. It makes perfect sense why she votes yes. Even in all of Snow’s wickedness, he never lied to Katniss which he proposed to her. In Catching Fire.

[@eljordinio7647]

Least snow kept his promise in that he didn't lie to Katniss in the end

[@lemonadelemon1960]

Haymitch agreeing to the hunger games was actually in character. He looked at Katnis like she’d lost her mind, but he knew he’d vote whatever way she would. No matter what.

[@user-hl9ww3ml2m]

I didn’t understand this for the longest time either. I always thought she was just so traumatized by prim’s death that she wasn’t thinking rationally in the moment. I didn’t realize the real reason, that you talk about in this video, until a year or so ago

[@crazylittlething6762]

yes, same for me :) after years, learning the truth is so shocking haha

[@biratebryan5479]

I was shocked on my first read through of the Mockingjay, but my second read through the gears started turning and by my third read through, I had a better grasp of the yes vote and Katniss killing Coin.

[@talysmith3673]

I didn't understand Katniss' reason at first but strangely I understood why Haymitch did AFTER her. As much as they've argued and had issues with trust, they now know they can fully trust each other because he was there for her in some of the hardest times in 13 (that scene with the roses *shudders*) so he must have known and TRUSTED that she had good reason for saying yes, even if he (and some members of the audience) didn't fully understand what it was. Also they are SO alike he must've been able to know some of it just by looking at her. (I love their relationship soooo much)

[@paolacintron6200]

Honestly I have never read the books but the main reason I love the movies is due to Jennifer Lawrence's performance. He facial expressions can be subtle but powerful. And I always love how Haymitch complements Katniss as a fellow survivor.

[@nmoney6655]

Prim’s death made me throw my book down on my floor I felt like my whole world shattered around me and there was nothing that ever make me normal again

[@munchems]

Her saying “for Prim” not only tipped Haymitch off that she had a plan but also so that Coin would think Katniss didn’t know she was responsible for Prims death and would trust her even more.

[@eljordinio7647]

Coin might have realised it by now but maybe kept that knowledge in reserve in case Katniss did vote no

[@dominicmcwhirter9729]

I didn't even pick up why Katniss and Haymitch actually voted yes. I'm glad you made this video! Also, I wonder if Peeta picked up on why they voted for the Symbolic Hunger Games. That would be interesting if he did!

[@kittyunderwood8918]

Peeta definitely didnt pick up on it, at least not before the assassination, maybe after

[@Masyaaay]

I think he already knew for the moment of the execution. In the movie, you can see in his face he's not feeling betrayed, but it's waiting for something, he knows she's planning something and is waiting for it to happen. In the books, because of the first-person narration and how Katniss is focused on her plan, it's not that easy to see it. But I think the key scene is when he doesn't let her take the pill; he reacted too fast for not had known her plan

[@pebbley8808]

This is one of my favorite theories! It makes so much sense and doesn’t sound crazy. Great job!

[@whatzittooya3873]

Also the fact that Katniss says ''If I get to kill Snow'', which really could mean either Snow or Coin as she started acting exactly like him and effectively became him. To truly kill Snow she would also have to kill Coin.

[@ameliamangham4460]

Because coin and snow are two sides of the same coin.they are both power hungry dictators

[@TheYungpromo]

Last point if anyone noticed katniss learned not to let emotion lead her usually she reacts this time she made a clear choice I love that instead of jumping headstrong she played a role to get the goal

[@thejokingbatman]

The cowl and intro are back! I really enjoy hearing what the books and movies did differently.

[@FanaticMind_]

I always inferred that Katniss said yes because she planned to kill Coin due to her basically turning into the new President Snow but this covers it in more detail and helps me understand Katniss’ response even more. Thanks for the awesome video!

[@MissLovesMichael]

I read the book like ten times and never picked up on that, then read it to my boyfriend ONCE and when I talked about how Katniss' choice bothered me he was immediatly like, she didnt mean it, you know that, right?

[@emersonrockell7025]

As someone who has a relatively deep understanding of the hunger games trilogy had already figured out why katniss would want to put her vote as yes, I had mostly figured out Haymitches intentions and why Coin was doing it but there was so much more that you got out of it by reading and analysing something that wasn't immediately obvious to you, and found so much more nuance than I did by getting a surface interpretation. Thank you so much this was incredibly insightful.

[@annabellethedoll9334]

Love your sweater!! It’s like the one that she wears in catching fire!

[@BG12sofia]

Don't be too hard on yourself, it also took me a while to understand Katniss's decision. I almost literally Googled "Why did Katniss say Yes?". That was before the last movie came out. When I watched it, the way Woody Harrelson as Haymitch looks at Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss after she votes "Yes" was exactly as I had pictured it when I read the scene in the book.

[@erichelvie8524]

Only now finding this, but your analysis is spot on. I was not 100% sure on the first go thru, but on second go around, what tipped me off was the talk Katniss had with Snow. For all the evil the man was, he did always tell her the truth. He presented the facts to Katniss and let her finish sorting it out logically( which she did ). Its interesting to think on who was playing whom in the story. Katniss was always the pawn in the beginning. Snow was playing her for control, Coin was playing Snow for all of the attention he was giving to Katniss. Snow played his last card with Katniss (thus playing her per say) but in the end Katniss knew Snow was a dead man no matter what, she played Coin with Snow's last card. Coin dies, Snow sees his enemy die before himself (already knowing himself that he was a dead man. And Katniss sees both die not caring of her fate after at that point.

[@Dancingtrollup]

Thank you so much!! Her choice did always bother me. I figured Hymitch knew she had been through as much as anyone and just trusted her judgment but her agreeing felt wrong. Because killing Coin seemed last minute it didnt occur to me she was just getting her trust. But it makes perfect sense, even if she didnt know what she was going to do at that point she knew she needed to gain her trust. Again thank you so much for the insight.

[@angelaphsiao]

tbh the first time i read Mockingjay I didn't realize Coin was bad at all, and I was totally shocked and appalled when Katniss killed her. I was a very naive 12 year old

[@splaar]

It's easy to miss the first time. Like all of the characters, you're so focused on Snow and the Capitol as the villains that you don't even realize the internal conflicts in the rebellion between those who want justice and those who just want revenge or to have "their turn" with power.

[@johnaugustinetan]

I hadn't considered this before. The additional line, the voice inflection, and facial expressions do, indeed, provide more context than the book for this scene. Thank you for sharing your insights! 🙏

[@jordanwilliams676]

When I read the book, I was in complete shock when Katniss killed Coin and even though I had read the last book before the last film I felt like it was obvious for even a non-book reader that she was going to kill Coin in the film as soon as she voted yes.

[@thefairychild]

I watched the movies first, and I think I might've been surprised by the vote at the time since we don't get the benefit of her thoughts. Reading the books later though made it abundantly clear to me that she didn't trust Coin any more than Snow and was frustrated with Gale's Capitol-like infatuation with Coin. But I've always been a reader, so you make a fair point about why some people may not have grasped that right away. Coin liked to grandstand just as much as Snow, so Katniss knew there was a fair chance that Coin would be in range of Snow for the public execution, and this might be her only chance to get near Coin with a weapon. And it was gut-wrenching to me seeing Peeta's face when he stopped Katniss from killing herself after.

[@joelbosque8275]

President Snow was responsible for an unmeasurable amount of suffering and deaths. The fact that Katniss chose to kill Coin over Snow showed how much Prim meant to her.

[@lovetobe6118]

I think it showed how much she realized Coin was like Snow.

[@chicken0w044]

@@lovetobe6118 she was worse

[@Sofics126]

I thought it was pretty obvious for everyone. Doing that is so Katniss, so it was the only thing that made sense for me when I read the book

[@tropetrinitytrilogy8533]

It took me my second read through to catch this too so don't feel bad lol. I always found Katniss and Haymitch to be really in-sync so of course him of anyone would understand her decision! Great video!

[@caralyn1201]

Wow... This never even crossed my mind. I'm so glad you explained this! I love your perspective on this decision because I was so confused by how everything played out in the book/movie. I had no idea there was so much more to the story!

[@javierbaron1856]

“ It’s all about moves and counter moves “. ~ Plutar

[@jennybaker5713]

I just started watching some of your videos randomly recently and I'm an instant fan. Thanks for sharing your outlook on this series!

[@jennachristian6564]

i came to this conclusion straight away, i guess its just how everyone reads and has a different perspective/outcome

[@zoefang4563]

Same

[@crrybaabythesatanicoverlor2283]

AHHHH UR WEARING KATNISS’ SCARF😍😍😍😍

[@train4292]

When i first watched Mockingjay part 2, i was right there with you. “Why the frick would they want another hunger games?!?!” But after seeing how the events transpired, (and watching a couple videos for clarity too-) It made a lot more sense at that point. I just recently rewatched the movie, and it was a lot more clearer then.

[@crownhouses2296]

Does anyone else think she could totally pass as an older Prim? Great video :)

[@justineharper3346]

The “for Prim” actually tricked me the first time I read it. I thought Katniss was so lost in despair and anger that she’d basically lost her mind.

[@valentinogal781]

Haymitch's response was golden.. 👍👍 What he meant to say when he said "I am with the Mockingjay". To me was him saying, I am not with Coin nor with anyone else, i am with the symbol to end all Tyranny. ❤❤❤

[@SuzanHi]

This is a wonderful and informative video! I also think the paragraph below (right before she votes) definetly proves that Katniss did not actually want another Hunger Games, she just pretended to strategically. It shows her monologue and she is listing the cruel similarities between Coin's Hunger Games to the old Hunger Games ("Nothing has changed"). She finds it cruel. She just needed Coin to trust her. “We're down to Katniss and Haymitch,” says Coin. Was it like this then? Seventy-five years or so ago? Did a group of people sit around and cast their votes on initiating the Hunger Games? Was there dissent? Did someone make a case for mercy that was beaten down by the calls for the deaths of the districts' children? The scent of Snow's rose curls up into my nose, down into my throat, squeezing it tight with despair. All those people I loved, dead, and we are discussing the next Hunger Games in an attempt to avoid wasting life. Nothing has changed. Nothing will ever change now. I weigh my options carefully, think everything through. Keeping my eyes on the rose, I say, “I vote yes…for Prim.”

[@noemirojek7896]

I just finished reading the book yesterday and it's true, I was left a bit confused at the moment, but after a bit of thinking I also thought that she must have a reason for that, and Haymitch got that too and trusted Katniss. After Coin got shot, it all got more clear. How I understood it is that by saying yes to the vote, she wanted to gain Coin's trust and to not let her suspect anything at all. Thank you for your thoughts, I think they confirm a lot of what I was already thinking!

[@abigailg.2595]

Yes!! You put this so well. Knowing what I knew about Katniss when I read the books, I knew she didn’t agree with Coin’s proposition. I just hadn’t yet figured out why. Love your theories on this series! Also, happy Hunger Games month!

[@TheJessicahammerly]

I've never seen anyone make a video where they talk about both book and film. I think it's nice to read the books and watch films.. although sometimes after reading books then watching the movies afterwards it irritates me because I feel like the books are always better and the movies leave out so much but after I realize you can't put all the thoughts into movies and if they put everything in the movies would be too long.. lol but then i rewatch them and it's better..

[@jaredulin3362]

When I first read Mockingjay, I was shocked at this part of the book. After re-reading the book, I understood a whole lot more keeping in mind the state Katniss was in and why.

[@edieminturn7484]

I have to admit that I never read the books. The movie gave it away for me. Katniss meets Snow in the wintergarden, and he tells her that Coin was the one who killed her sister. Katniss and him have the deal that they never lie to each other and he makes an excellent point of him not being above killing children, but that killing the Capitols children served no purpose for him and made everyone turn on him, hence this action making absolutely no sense. And Snow is many things, but certainly not stupid enough to make a „mistake“ of that magnitude. He further drives his point home by adding how it was all transmitted live, smthg that proves beyond a doubt that it cannot have been his plan, Snow is sneaky, this is not how he operates. He warns Katniss that Coin is just another him and that therefore, the cycle will not end. Next, the voting scene. In the scene, to Katniss horror, Coin does exactly what Snow has predicted. She declared herself „interim president“- for an unknown length of time, Haymitch himself is appalled by this. As several Victors seem to start questioning her motives, she quickly switches the subject to the „more important matter“: the new Hunger games. With that, everything is clear to Katniss, J-Laws face seems to say it all, Snow was right. And she does exactly what you say in the video. The sentence „for Prim“ was what erased all my doubts if Katniss was truly double crossing Coin here, she knew at this point that Snow was right and that the bomb was Coins order, that Coin was responsible Prims death. So telling Coin „for Prim“ was a dead give away who she would shoot. I was completely unsurprised that she shot Coin whom I perceived as a villain pretty soon after she was introduced to us in the movie. What did surprise me was that Peeta stopped Katniss from taking the Nightlock (is it called that?) pill (how did he know?) And I did think the crowd would kill her....

[@redfyresasoiaf]

It always seemed so obvious that she said yes just to lower Coin's guard for her future plans. And I always interpreted Haymitch following her lead as him sensing that something was off with Coin and putting his trust into Katniss about what to do. Neither of them wanted to actually have the "Capitol Games" but neither of them, also, expected it to happen. One way or another, it was clear that Katniss was going to "deal with" that issue by dealing with Coin...and she did.

[@liveactionlink8736]

I was typing out the whole part about Katniss knowing Prim was killed by Coin and why it was such a big tipoff to the readers/viewers that she was actually gaining trust and wanted to kill Coin when she said "For Prim"... then you began explaining it. You had it fully covered. I shouldn't have doubted you before you were finished talking lol

[@P3myY]

2:45 lol I forgot that the movie's were shoving our face that he was gonna die and that coughing up blood with a red suit is proof xD

[@CrankyGrandma]

I didn’t get it in the read either, and I was a voracious reader since childhood. I actually thought the movie changed things to make Katniss look better. But you are right. It’s in the book, just not as clearly.

[@Lechuga1815]

I think that remark was one of the reasons that Coin presented herself so well at Snow's execution. Katniss's statement told coin not only is Katniss on her side, but perhaps unknowingly told Coin that she had significant power over Katniss. Coin was cultivating the districts thirst for revenge and this statement and her apparent agreement to the games told her that Katniss shared this blinding vengeance and Coin could use that to control Katniss like she was doing for the whole war. Katniss was bluffing of course and "for Prim" had a separate message for those that knew her because Prim never believed in revenge (that's why she was a medic tending CAPITOL children).

[@anngleeson4736]

I think she wanted Coin to believe she still thought Snow was behind Prims death.

[@TheGeekApprentice]

Wow, wow, wow! I'm beyond humbled! I was looking through my analytics and saw the view count for this video...my goodness! This video blew up!

[@zoechicken9445]

we love you TGA

[@Rick_King]

My wife always asks me why I'm watching Hunger Games, or Titanic, or Lord of the Rings, or any other movie, yet again. But it's like you said, I always see something I missed before. Yeah, I know how it's going to turn out, but I still watch them, and read the books, over and over again!

[@sueevansProoovviitt]

Coin's revolution is classic closed circle. Round and round, over the same ground. Katniss takes a spiralical route, breaking the circle and pushing the path upwards, making it into an open-ended spiral. True progress.

[@tristan4874]

this opened my eyes a lot more and it finally makes sense. and you’re right, it was practically right in front of our face but it was just hard to tell because we didn’t expect katniss to make such a decision

[@meganwagner1989]

tysm! this is really helpful, and i love how well you laid it out since i definitely suspected that this was the reason but never got all of these points :)

[@elle3238]

ok, so ive never seen, heard, or watched you before. but will deff be watching more! you go so in depth and so invested!

[@anxietyrecoverycom]

(how I experienced and interpreted this whole story from a filmmakers and Christian point of view) I was shocked and surprised at first when she agreed when she said for Prim I knew Katniss's character enough from the movie that she might kill coin somehow but I didn't know how she would do it or when. But I was even more shocked that she went through with it and actually used Prim's death like Snow took her life but what convinced me enough that Coin was to blame for the bombings was when Katniss and Snow have their private conversation and Snow says "now Katniss I thought we agreed to never lie to eachother" and shares how he wasn't above killing children and I think Snow's strength in persuasion was used in his favor this time cause I believe he was telling the truth to Katniss but unsure of course until I heard Coin ask to vote for starting another hunger games after so many capitol children had already died!! it convinced me enough at that point it must have been Coin who sent that bomb trap and this revealed Coins true nature and bitter maliced heart and her true heart wasn't revealed to the audience until that moment. And we definitely got to understand better the weight of Katniss's choice to kill Coin when Plutarch gave her that letter telling Katniss "If i had to put you through it all over again for this same outcome I would" and WHAT OUTCOME was Plutarch speaking about? The OUTCOME of NOBODY LIKE Snow existing or living to keep the evil ways of life that brought about Katniss hunger games in the 1st place AND (and we understand that with the scene of the train where Katniss gets shot) AND that only Katniss was in the position at that moment to make an incredibly difficult and almost impossible choice and she was STILL WILLING to sacrifice her life by taking the possible consequences of killing Coin and in this moment she risks EVERYTHING AGAIN (her future with Peeta, her family, what life could be like for her now with no more hunger games for her AND her own life being killed by the Coin mob sympathizers around her for killing coin) she hesitates when she draws back her bow NOT because she is making sure she doesn't miss her target BUT she was internally suffering and conflicted trying to chose the better way which was the the HARDEST decision for her character to make by this point in her story AND she risks everything and chooses to kill Coin INSTEAD of Snow is HUGE for her character arc development. If Katniss did kill Snow right then she would have chose revenge like Coin did (because revenge is all Katniss wanted by the beginning of the 4th movie and she wanted to kill Snow for all the pain and suffering he caused her) but she didn't chose revenge she chose to give Snow mercy from her bow and USED that perfect opportunity to kill Coin instead cause if Katniss didn't take that opportunity she would have chosen revenge and been the same person like Coin was at heart by allowing Coin to stay alive long enough to do the same things Snow did but with the captitols children and those people and children's blood would have been on Katniss' hands too becuase if she killed Snow in that moment she would have chosen to get her personal revenge OVER saving dozens of capital citizens lives from the symbolic hunger games in the future. This moment shows HOW FAR Katniss has come since the 1st movie. The desire to kill Snow was one of her strongest motivations and goals for continuing to go on. That and keeping Peeta alive and saving Prim from the death sentence of the hunger games. Those were her goals in this story. Even another goal later on in her story was when Peeta being captured and trying to get him back became another goal and hoping to help and love Peeta enough, waiting for him to heal enough to become the Peeta that Katniss fell in love with in the 1st games and how Katniss FINALLY shows and does things to help Peeta without the interests of staying alive herself. In the 3rd and 4th movie we see Katniss fighting for Peeta and choosing to pursue Peeta now wihout the concerns for her own safety and comfort. There is SOO much payoff on her growth in character arc its simply amazing to see by the last film. There is SOO much narrative threading that happnes in this series its one the reasons I believe its such a powerful story mechanically speaking of the structure of the story and why people deeply emotionally connect with her story on so many levels.

[@thesilvershining]

Amazing comment!!!! I agree 100%, thank you for this input!

[@rebelfighter5249]

Very well said, but holy wall of text Batman! Paragraph breaks next time.

[@chamoy111]

girl you just blew my mind and opened my eyes i love you

[@ashlazdanovich8396]

For me I didn’t understand this till I saw that scene in the movie where Snow is talking to Katness and Snow brings up how they agreed not to lie to each other. As well as when Snow talks about coin. Under normal circumstances it’d seem like he’s trying to persuade katness from siding with coin. And as true as that may be, it also let Katness know the double nature of coin. That’s how I figured out the reason why Katness said yes. Anyway, apologies for absolutely terrible spelling and all, but this is my thoughts. Great video by the way. (^ ^)

[@anisha8435]

HER VOICE IS SO PRETTY

[@meems4378]

I assumed the yes from haymitch was agreement, that he thought Katniss should kill her.

[@eliasmonroy7257]

I agreed with you. For me, this was also the way to let Katniss approach her. And with Coin's death finish the capitol control.

[@sirmaukalot]

Leaving a comment to boost your algorithm, I really appreciate your simultaneous passion and well-reasoned logic. It’s a welcome change from much of the rest of KZbin so I wish you all the best!!

[@sydney2v]

your voice is so calming! love your videos

[@marioescabi2529]

Wow, really awesome analysis. I’m definitely gonna be going through this series again

[@paolacintron6200]

Rewatching the movies I noticed that Haymitch looks at Katniss after Coin says she will be the President and the election will be later. He acts shocked, then looks at Kstniss and after seeing her calm, he relaxes as well. Little details I never noticed.

[@iri02802]

It has been at least 7 years since I last read the end of the hunger games. I do not remember if I understood why she said yes the moment I read about the vote but I do remember that I understood it when I read the scene in which she killed Coin.

[@doctorgol9]

GREAT video!! I also didn’t quite get it right in the book, but the changes the film made helped me so much. I believe everything you say is spot on and your speech is excellent. It’s really pleasing to watch

[@jessilyngray1223]

Holy shit...I never picked up on that

[@spoyledbratt]

Great analysis. I had to rewatch the voting scene after this. Thank you

[@hannahbobanana1561]

Clicked mostly to see your Katniss catching fire scarf thing that I love!!!

[@Anclarpe]

When i read The Hunger Games for the first time, I was super young, so I also didn't understand why she said, "Yes." But to be honest there's was a lot of things that I didn't understand at the time. Now, as an adult, I have been coming back to this books and I read them a lot of times. There's new things I learn each time I read them, but that "yes" was always hard for me to understand. And that's because I didn't truly know or had a right analysis of Katniss character. I have been learning a lot from other fans, and that's so amazing. I'm so grateful to them and their views and theories. I remember the first time I started to truly understand the motive of that "yes" in a Haymitch POV fanfic. There were some things different from this video, but the one thing this video and the ff have in common was that "yes" is for Coin, in a way, to trust them, for them to gain her trust. After that ff, I keep learning more and more about this trilogy. And now, your video informed me even more. It's so cool to keep learning with fans.

[@dropinarte]

I understood this imidiatly - but the „For Prim“ being padding is so genius!

[@avgjoe5969]

In the film. The cold, hard stare of Katniss says it all. The comment "I still get to kill him" is tossed in to explain away the simmering hatred in the stare... but as you noted, its not directed at Snow. He's going to die and nothing can stop it. Its directed at the new Snow, once again president and driving the people to division.

[@nuffiguduffimotherofspoons682]

Actually this should have been obvious to me but I remember I was so surprised when Katniss shot Coin. That and the line "There is no 12" at the end of the second book where my wtf moments. But actually I am not surprised that I didn't get it on my first read because I was 12 or so and totally caught up in the books. Btw I hate how they edited Gales line a out 12 in the movie. It didn't kept the tention of the book for me.

[@tiffanypersaud3518]

Thanks for the vid. Was just thinking about this series. I read it too. Beautiful writing. I loved that the perspective took us out of her head as soon as she says yes. We know Katniss. We knew every fibre of her being went against this. And we get to see her plan unfold when she went against Coin and then she was done, she was tired. Thankfully Peeta got to her first. It wasn’t obvious to me but I understood that Katniss was tired so I got that. Don’t feel bad that it took you longer to understand her decision especially because you read the book while seventeen. And I’m glad you did, because I believe Katniss was seventeen too at that time. And I’m sure you got things back then grown adults skipped by. I’m glad you continue to enjoy the works and the fandom.

[@elsamariahertervig6171]

Thank you for this video, I figured out right away when Katniss said yes to the symbolic hunger games, that she said yes so she could kill Coin. She already knew that Coin killed Prim, it became clear in the novel to me. Especially after she talked to Gale and asked if it was him.

[@NeverlandSystemKitten]

Great breakdown. I read (and viewed) this the same you did. That she said yes, to break that cycle, not repeat it.

[@LlenPlays]

I would say it was actually obvious that coin would be nearby. She's the fresh new dictator. She's going to be there to take advantage of Snow's execution to boost support for herself.

[@itsfrankthedank1184]

Such an amazing analysis! Thank you for covering this!

[@enerioffutt1881]

Don't feel bad, Geek. There have been MANY times when I had to have someone else point out a nuance in a book I never saw or understood.

[@marciasofiaalvavereau2771]

13:23 wow.... I really love the way you talk! All these words, and phrases XD, I'm still learning English so finding videos like these kind of improve my vocabulary. And I LOVE THE HUNGER GAMES, this was a very good and deep analysis, and it makes sense