The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Introduction + Context
Plot Summary
Detailed Summary & Analysis
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Epilogue
Themes
All Themes Propaganda, Spectacle, and Morality Children Government and Power Human Nature Trust and Loyalty
Quotes
Characters
All Characters Coriolanus Snow Sejanus Plinth Lucy Gray Baird Dr. Volumnia Gaul Dean Casca Highbottom Tigris Snow The Grandma’am Crassus Snow Coriolanus’s Mother Strabo Plinth Mrs. Plinth “Ma” Jessup Diggs Marcus Pluribus Bell Clemensia Dovecote Lysistrata Vickers Arachne Crane Bobbin Lucky Flickerman Lepidus Malmsey Brandy Festus Creed Persephone Price Pollo and Didi Ring Dr. Wane Reaper Mayor Lipp Mayfair Lipp Maude Ivory Billy Taupe Arlo Chance Bug Dr. Kay Spruce Commander Hoff Lil Livia Cardew Lamina Gaius Breen
Terms
All Terms Avox Communicuff Gamemaker Jabberjay Morphling Mutt/Muttation Panem Peacekeeper Reaping Tribute
Symbols
All Symbols Roses The Compact and Powder Mockingjays Snakes The Compass Panem’s Anthem
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The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

by

Suzanne Collins
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Bobbin Character Analysis

Bobbin is the male tribute from District Eight; Juno Phipps is his mentor. He’s a small boy who initially doesn’t attract much attention—until his interview, when he details all the ways he could kill someone with a sewing needle. Bobbin ends up being one of the first tributes to die in the arena, but Coriolanus, rather than another tribute, kills him. Bobbin jumps and tries to kill Coriolanus when Coriolanus enters the arena to save Sejanus, and Coriolanus feels he has no choice but to defend himself. Though Coriolanus tells himself he killed Bobbin out of self-defense and it wasn’t actually murder, killing Bobbin is transformative for Coriolanus. It shows him he’s capable of killing, and Dr. Gaul uses it as proof that humans are naturally violent.

Bobbin Quotes in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

The The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes quotes below are all either spoken by Bobbin or refer to Bobbin. 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:
Propaganda, Spectacle, and Morality Theme Icon
).
Chapter 16 Quotes

“What happened in the arena? That’s humanity undressed. The tributes. And you, too. How quickly civilization disappears. All your fine manners, education, family background, everything you pride yourself on, stripped away in the blink of an eye, revealing everything you actually are. A boy with a club who beats another boy to death. That’s mankind in its natural state.”

Related Characters: Dr. Volumnia Gaul (speaker), Coriolanus Snow, Bobbin
Children Theme Icon
Human Nature Theme Icon
Page Number: 243
Explanation and Analysis:

“So, if I’m a vicious animal, then who are you? You’re the teacher who sent her student to beat another boy to death!”

Related Characters: Coriolanus Snow (speaker), Dr. Volumnia Gaul, Bobbin
Children Theme Icon
Human Nature Theme Icon
Trust and Loyalty Theme Icon
Page Number: 244
Explanation and Analysis:
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Bobbin Quotes in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

The The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes quotes below are all either spoken by Bobbin or refer to Bobbin. 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:
Propaganda, Spectacle, and Morality Theme Icon
).
Chapter 16 Quotes

“What happened in the arena? That’s humanity undressed. The tributes. And you, too. How quickly civilization disappears. All your fine manners, education, family background, everything you pride yourself on, stripped away in the blink of an eye, revealing everything you actually are. A boy with a club who beats another boy to death. That’s mankind in its natural state.”

Related Characters: Dr. Volumnia Gaul (speaker), Coriolanus Snow, Bobbin
Children Theme Icon
Human Nature Theme Icon
Page Number: 243
Explanation and Analysis:

“So, if I’m a vicious animal, then who are you? You’re the teacher who sent her student to beat another boy to death!”

Related Characters: Coriolanus Snow (speaker), Dr. Volumnia Gaul, Bobbin
Children Theme Icon
Human Nature Theme Icon
Trust and Loyalty Theme Icon
Page Number: 244
Explanation and Analysis:
Unlock with LitCharts A+
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