Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Propaganda, Spectacle, and Morality
Children
Government and Power
Human Nature
Trust and Loyalty
Summary
Analysis
Commander Hoff says that Coriolanus is the youngest person to pass the test, and his scores are high enough that he’ll participate in an elite program. Coriolanus knows this is his ticket back into Capitol society, but his DNA is on a murder weapon. He shakes hands with the commander and then, not caring if anyone catches him, he walks to the generator and slips through the fence. It’s too early for anyone to be awake, so he walks to the hanging tree alone. Lucy Gray is hiding behind the tree when Coriolanus gets there, his scarf around her hair. She shows him her store of supplies and says the Covey will be fine. Really, it’s a good thing she’s leaving—Commander Hoff asked her not to sing “The Hanging Tree” anymore, since it’s “too rebellious.”
With the news that he can participate in an elite officer training program, Coriolanus finds himself caught between two options. He can stick with the Peacekeepers and risk them finding out he killed Mayfair and then execute him, or he can run away and avoid being hanged. It’s a sign of how much he loves Lucy Gray, and of how afraid he is of dying, that Coriolanus chooses to run away. The fact that Commander Hoff has banned “The Hanging Tree” shows that someone, at least, is paying attention to songs’ lyrics. But unlike with Panem’s anthem, which spouts ideas the Capitol agrees with, Commander Hoff feels the need to censor Lucy Gray’s song, which suggests death is a valid alternative to living under the Capitol’s thumb.
Themes
Coriolanus realizes that Lucy Gray doesn’t have her guitar. She tries to make light of it and insists she won’t need it—she’s not convinced there are people in the north. Coriolanus realizes he’s not the only one leaving behind his dreams. He agrees to make a detour to the lake first. As they hike, they talk about what they will and won’t miss. Coriolanus insists he won’t miss people since most of them are terrible, but Lucy Gray insists people aren’t so bad if you leave them alone. She insists people are naturally good, and it’s everyone’s job to stay good. Lucy Gray says she doesn’t want to have to kill more people. Coriolanus agrees and insists killing three was too many.
In this moment, Coriolanus suddenly starts to feel more empathetic toward Lucy Gray. He realizes she’s a lot like him, which is a huge step for him, given how selfish he’s been throughout the novel. Once again, Lucy Gray proposes that people are born good and that their experiences either keep them good or turn them bad. This is also what she proposed in her song about Coriolanus. And Lucy Gray shows that she defines “staying good” as not killing people, which puts Coriolanus at a disadvantage. He’s killed recently, if he counts Sejanus.
Themes
Coriolanus makes them walking sticks—and then, Lucy Gray asks who the third person is that he killed. Coriolanus panics; he can’t tell her he killed Sejanus. He jokes that he killed himself so he could come with her. They walk for a while longer and discuss when people will start looking for them. It feels oddly like this is just a fun outing—but Coriolanus can’t avoid that soon, they’ll be in the wilderness. He doesn’t know how they’ll survive without wealth, fame, or power to aspire to. Is it enough to try to survive?
Minutes into their shared life together, Coriolanus is already lying to Lucy Gray. This doesn’t bode well for their relationship. Coriolanus feels like he can’t be honest with her, though, or this will all fall apart. Running away represents Coriolanus having to give up everything he’s ever valued. Now, he has to consider for the first time what life is for, if not for gaining power in the government.
Themes
At the lake, Lucy Gray makes fishing poles so they can eat before continuing. Coriolanus hates digging for worms, and he hates the oppressive clouds that roll in. He thinks this would be easier if he wasn’t “such an exceptional person,” but society is losing out because he’s leaving. As it starts to rain, Lucy Gray leads him into the cement house to cook the fish. It’s dry and there’s wood in there. It’d be nice to stay, but Coriolanus knows that wouldn’t be safe. He can’t stop thinking about the Snow penthouse as rain blows through the door. When Coriolanus closes the door, he finds the bag of weapons from the night of the murder hidden behind it.
Coriolanus’s self-centeredness here is almost funny. Learning that he was accepted into the elite officer program has gone to his head, making Coriolanus feel even more “exceptional” than he already did. And his supposed exceptionality seems, to him, totally wasted in the wilderness, where it’s rainy, dirty, and he has to do things like dig for worms. Coriolanus reads even more like a spoiled Capitol kid in this passage. And it seems like his life might again change when he discovers the murder weapon.
Themes
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Lucy Gray insists they don’t need to take the guns, but she pulls out a knife and insists on going out into the storm to dig up some katniss. Once she’s gone, Coriolanus cradles the gun he used to kill Mayfair. If he can destroy it, he can go back to his life—but Lucy Gray is a complication. He figures she’ll be upset if he backs out, but she loves him and she’ll live. And he hates the wilderness so much, he can’t possibly live out there.
As he’s done so many times before, Coriolanus tells himself what he needs to hear in order to feel good about his decision. Backing out on running away with Lucy Gray will no doubt go over poorly, but to Coriolanus’s credit, he does imply that he trusts her in this passage. In particular, he trusts her not to tell the truth that he murdered Mayfair.
Themes
It’s taking Lucy Gray a long time to dig up the katniss. Coriolanus flashes on Billy Taupe accusing Lucy Gray of “playing” the Covey, and remembers how she killed Wovey, Treech, and Reaper. The rifle is loaded, so Coriolanus hikes out to where he thinks the katniss grows. He calls for Lucy Gray, but she’s nowhere to be found. She’s hiding, but why? She must’ve figured out he killed Sejanus, and she probably fears Coriolanus will kill her. This is ridiculous; Coriolanus is armed and that’s scary, but he just needs her to “see sense.” Coriolanus slings the gun onto his back, knowing he has to talk to her. She could still ruin his life, as she knows about Mayfair. At the very least, she’ll ruin his reputation if it gets out he cheated in the Hunger Games.
It's impossible to know exactly what Lucy Gray is up to, but Coriolanus seems correct in his suspicions that she knows he killed Sejanus and no longer trusts him. And as Lucy Gray’s trust erodes in Coriolanus, Coriolanus also stops trusting her—this is why he goes out with the gun to find her. And though he admits he knows he’s being scary, he can’t bring himself to put the gun down and approach her like an equal. This is because he doesn’t see her as an equal. She’s a girl from the districts, and she has the power to ruin his life—so Coriolanus believes drastic measures are okay.
Themes
Coriolanus heads into the woods and begins to track Lucy Gray. He knows he’s scaring her, and she must be heartbroken. He catches sight of the orange scarf and reaches for it—when suddenly, a snake strikes him. She clearly planted the snake; Coriolanus now sympathizes with Billy Taupe. The wound hurts, but he still feels fine. He pulls his rifle into his arms and marvels that this has become his and Lucy Gray’s “own private Hunger Games.” Coriolanus tracks her deeper into the woods. He realizes she probably went back to the lake to get a gun.
Again, it’s impossible to know whether Lucy Gray actually planted the snake; the close third-person narration makes it clear that this is just Coriolanus’s read of the situation. If she didn’t plant it, this reflects Coriolanus’s paranoia. If she did, this shows that he underestimated her and she’s more powerful than he ever expected her to be. This is why he decides she probably went back for a gun—he now sees her as ruthless and violent, just like him.
Themes
Coriolanus hears Lucy Gray to his right and fires in her direction. He only hits mockingjays. He calls out to Lucy Gray and she responds by singing the first verse of “The Hanging Tree.” Coriolanus gets it—she knows about Sejanus—but as he steps toward her, the mockingjays pick up the melody. He fires toward Lucy Gray’s voice and then shoots at the birds, who are still singing. It’s utter chaos. Coriolanus knows he has to get out—his arm is tingling. He stumbles to the lake, sinks the weapons in the middle of it, and heads back to the base. It’s pouring, which will wash away any evidence that he was here.
This chaotic scene sets the stage for future conflicts between the Capitol and the districts. Coriolanus will continue to lash out indiscriminately, and people from the districts will continue to sing, resist, and anger the Capitol. And it’s a mark of how low Coriolanus has fallen that he’s willing to shoot and possibly kill Lucy Gray. But Coriolanus still gets what he wanted out of the situation: with the murder weapon on the bottom of the lake, he’ll never have to answer for murdering Mayfair.
Themes
Coriolanus uses Crassus Snow’s compass to navigate back to District 12. Back at the base, a doctor examines his snakebite and says it wasn’t a poisonous snake. Coriolanus should be fine. In the bathroom at his bunk, Coriolanus discovers that the rain turned his mother’s powder into paste and caused his family photos to stick together. He throws them all away but keeps the compass, the only item that survived. After a shower, Coriolanus packs his bag and slips Sejanus’s box into it. He’ll mail it to Ma—hopefully she’ll keep sending him sweets.
As Coriolanus unloads his pockets, he symbolically chooses his new path. Discarding his mother’s powder and his family photos symbolizes him putting aside his family and his potential to be a good person. When the compass survives and gets Coriolanus back to base, it shows him that if he follows in his father’s footsteps, he’ll get ahead. This will mean becoming a frightening figure—but this no longer bothers Coriolanus as it once did.
Themes
In the morning, Coriolanus gets on a hovercraft headed for District Two. It’s fantastic with its plush seats and beverage selection. He falls asleep wondering what happened to Lucy Gray and wakes up in the Capitol. The attendant shoos him off; she has orders to leave him here. A Peacekeeper drives Coriolanus to the Citadel—Coriolanus is certain he’s going to be implicated for the murders. Instead, he follows instructions to go to Dr. Gaul’s lab. Dr. Gaul hands him a bowl of pink rodents and asks him how his studies went in 12. It’s as though he never left and is still her student. Then, she asks if he still believes the Hunger Games are just to punish the districts. Coriolanus says they’re “part of the eternal war,” and they let the Capitol control the war and win.
Things are looking up for Coriolanus, first when he gets a taste of luxury on the hovercraft and then when Dr. Gaul treats him like he’s still a student. But just as when Commander Hoff stressed Coriolanus out before telling him about his officer test scores, Dr. Gaul makes no attempts to assure Coriolanus that everything will be okay. She forces him to infer and trust that he’s back in her good graces. After being a Peacekeeper, Coriolanus now has a new view of the Hunger Games. The Games are a way for the Capitol to stay in control—and as a person who wants nothing but control, this is right up Coriolanus’s alley.
Themes
Then, Coriolanus says the Hunger Games remind people of who they are: “creatures who need the Capitol to survive.” He points out that nobody in the district watches, so it’s kind of a waste. Dr. Gaul says that’s great this year, since she had to erase the Hunger Games—there’s only one copy in the vault. This makes Coriolanus feel better. People will forget Lucy Gray. Dr. Gaul says Lucky Flickerman and betting will stay, and Coriolanus says they have to make viewing mandatory. Chuckling, Dr. Gaul says Coriolanus had a fantastic summer vacation—she always intended to bring him back. He’s going to study under her at the University starting Thursday.
In this passage, Coriolanus aligns himself fully with Dr. Gaul. He now believes that she’s right, and people need an overbearing government and an endless stream of propaganda to keep them in line. Being in 12 didn’t help Coriolanus develop empathy; rather, it did the exact opposite. But again, this suits Coriolanus. He’s now made the shift to being a villain, and empathy doesn’t concern him anymore. Studying with Dr. Gaul will help him become powerful, so that’s obviously what he’s going to do.
Themes
