Mockingjay Theme of Warfare
The war in Mockingjay is an extension of the battles in the Hunger Games arena described in The Hunger Games and Catching Fire. Before, the scale of war was much smaller, but just as lethal. The two tributes from each district were symbolic of their districts as a whole, creating a small-scale war in which each district fought the others, and each district also fought itself. Now the Hunger Games might be in the past, but the true battle is on. The Games arena has been replaced with the Capitol itself, and Katniss and her team have to employ the same kinds of strategies they relied on during the Games. More lives are at stake, though, and they have even more to lose this time.
For more on warfare in Mockingjay, check out "Why Should I Care?"
Questions About Warfare
- Should the rebels have used the inhumane weapons Gale and Beetee designed? Why or why not?
- Did Gale always have it in him to be inhumane, or was he somehow tainted by the war?
- Why do you think Katniss votes in favor of a symbolic Hunger Games at the end?
- Who is, or who are, the real winner(s) of the war?
- Do you think this war was worth fighting?
- Does <em>Mockingjay</em> present a realistic vision of war and the impact of war on individuals?
- In what ways are the Hunger Games and the war alike? In what ways are they different? Do they have the same impact on the "fighters"?
