Katniss sings a song called “The Hanging Tree” about a man who has been hanged. In the song he calls out for his lover, still alive, to “flee,” but in the end, it becomes clear that he’s asking her to die along with him, hanging from a tree. Although Katniss has known this song for many years—her dead father taught it to her—it takes on new meanings as she becomes older, more mature, and more traumatized by the violence she’s witnessed in the Hunger Games. The Hanging Tree itself, a symbol of the eerie peacefulness of death, becomes increasingly appealing to her—she wishes she could escape from her duties and obligations to the rebel cause, and be “at peace.” This doesn’t mean that Katniss is suicidal, exactly. Rather, the tree encapsulates both pain and peace—in this way, it represents a kind of “compromise state.” Because of the trauma Katniss has accumulated, to be both peaceful and wounded is the best she can hope for.
The Hanging Tree Quotes in Mockingjay
The Mockingjay quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Hanging Tree. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 9
Quotes
I used to think the murderer was the creepiest guy imaginable. Now, with a couple of trips to the Hunger Games under my belt, I decide not to judge him without knowing more details. Maybe his lover was already sentenced to death and he was trying to make it easier. To let her know he'd be waiting. Or maybe he thought the place he was leaving her was really worse than death. Didn't I want to kill Peeta with that syringe to save him from the Capitol? Was that really my only option? Probably not, but I couldn't think of another at the time.
Related Characters:
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Explanation and Analysis:
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The Hanging Tree Symbol Timeline in Mockingjay
The timeline below shows where the symbol The Hanging Tree appears in Mockingjay. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 9
...Games whom she failed to protect from harm. Suddenly, she switches songs. Katniss sings “ The Hanging Tree ,” which the government has banned for its “subversive” lyrics.
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“ The Hanging Tree ” is about a man who kills three people and is then hanged for his...
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Chapter 15
...a great leap forward in his rehabilitation—he’s been exposed to footage of Katniss singing “ The Hanging Tree ” and shown no signs of anger or fear. This reminds Katniss of her father...
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Chapter 25
...bed, smiling, followed by Cinna, Delly, and, bizarrely, her own father, who is singing “ The Hanging Tree .” President Coin visits Katniss and assures her “I’ve captured President Snow for you.” This...
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