Previous
Roses
At the end of Mockingjay, when the government headed by President Snow has been defeated, Katniss is invited to shoot Snow with an arrow given to her by the new leader, President Coin. Just as she’s about to carry out her duties and execute Snow, Katniss turns and shoots Coin (with whom she’s become greatly disillusioned), killing her instantly. The arrow sums up Katniss’s dilemma as Mockingjay: she’s forced to stick to a script—in this case, she’s supposed to use her arrow to kill Snow, according to Coin’s wishes. At the same time, an arrow is a weapon, and the only one who can control a weapon is the person who carries it. Thus, the arrow represents Katniss’s potential for going “off-script,” disobeying authorities, and using her considerable talents for her own purposes.
Arrow Quotes in Mockingjay
The Mockingjay quotes below all refer to the symbol of Arrow. 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:
).
Chapter 18 Quotes
I don't think they quite know what to do with the three of us, particularly me. I have my Mockingjay outfit with me, but I've only been taped in my uniform. Sometimes I use a gun, sometimes they ask me to shoot with my bow and arrows. It's as if they don't want to entirely lose the Mockingjay, but they want to downgrade my role to foot soldier. Since I don't care, it's amusing rather than upsetting to imagine the arguments going on back in 13.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Katniss has been recruited for a top-secret mission to the Capitol of Panem, where the rebels are planning to overthrow President Snow. At first, Katniss was forbidden to participate in the mission. Now, however, she's convinced her superiors that she'd be a valuable addition to the team. Nevertheless, it's clear that Katniss's commanders don't really know what to do with her. They don't know if she should be a propaganda star (stay out of danger and try to inspire rebels across Panem) or a legitimate soldier (face real danger and risk her life).The rebels' confusion about how to use Katniss Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas.
Chapter 26 Quotes
"I brought you this." Gale holds up a sheath. When I take it, I notice it holds a single, ordinary arrow.
"It's supposed to be symbolic. You firing the last shot of the war."
"What if I miss?" I say. "Does Coin retrieve it and bring it back to me? Or just shoot Snow through the head herself?"
"You won't miss." Gale adjusts the sheath on my shoulder. We stand there, face-to-face, not meeting each other's eyes.
"You didn't come see me in the hospital."
He doesn't answer, so finally I just say it.
"Was it your bomb?"
"I don't know. Neither does Beetee," he says. "Does it matter? You'll always be thinking about it."
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
In this tense scene, Katniss reunites with her childhood friend Gale, who presents her with an arrow. Katniss is supposed to use the arrow to execute President Snow, the leader of the former government of Panem. By firing the shot, Katniss is supposed to officially end the rebels' war with Snow, ushering in a new government headed by President Alma Coin.Although Gale has known Katniss for almost her entire life, there's no trace of intimacy in his interaction with her now. On the contrary, he acts like a messenger, delivering information to Katniss on behalf of his real allies, the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi
Get the entire Mockingjay LitChart as a printable PDF.
"My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." -Graham S.
Arrow Symbol Timeline in Mockingjay
The timeline below shows where the symbol Arrow appears in Mockingjay. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2
Peeta continues describing the final moments of the Hunger Games. Katniss fired an arrow at the force field trapping the competitors in the vast arena of the Games. Flickerman...
(full context)
...going to do. Katniss thinks of the destruction in District 12, and remembers shooting an arrow at the force field during the Hunger Games. She did so, she recalls, because she...
(full context)
Chapter 4
...ground. They proceed by elevator to the surface of the Earth, armed with bows and arrows they’ve been issued by the district. At the surface, there are wild animals, such as...
(full context)
Chapter 5
...Katniss to the weapons he’s been designing. He presents Katniss with a lethal-looking bow and arrow, fitted with scopes and gadgetry—the bow, he explains, is voice-activated. He also shows Gale guns,...
(full context)
Chapter 6
...which she’ll wear during her time “in the field.” He also supplies her with special arrows, some of which are explosive. Boggs, Coin’s strong, muscular assistant, enters the room, accompanied by...
(full context)
Chapter 7
...fight the Capitol’s hovercrafts. Paylor, impressed with her courage, advises her to use her flaming arrows. Together, Katniss and Gale fire at a “V” of hovercrafts. Katniss succeeds in setting fire...
(full context)
Chapter 24
...Katniss and the rest of the mission with elaborate clothes that conceal their weapons—bows and arrows. Peeta praises her designs, and Tigris blushes with pride. The group thanks Tigris and leaves...
(full context)
Chapter 26
...Coin to keep her alive. Gale arrives at Katniss’s house, and shows her a single arrow, with which she’s supposed to kill Snow and end the war. Katniss asks Gale about...
(full context)
...if she’s sleepwalking. At the end of the ceremony, she is meant to fire an arrow at Snow. Just before she’s about to shoot him, she realizes that he was telling...
(full context)
