Even though the characters are focused, for the most part, on waging a war, love creeps into the story. There are lots of kinds of love in Mockingjay: love for one's country, one's people, one's district…for family, for friends, and for partners. There's your average love triangle (two guys, one girl) in an anything-but-average situation. The Katniss-Peeta-Gale love story reaches its resolution here. In Mockingjay, romantic love is an uncertain thing. Feelings grow and change; circumstances get in the way. Katniss (not to mention us readers) is at times left wondering "what if…" In the end, romantic love seems to be a based on trust, sacrifice, and friendship.
Questions About Love
- What do you think the book is trying to show us about familial love vs. romantic love?
- Based on the events of the book, do you think you can you show your love for someone by killing him or her? Why or why not?
- Do you think times of war make people love less or more?
- Who do you think loves Katniss the most? Whom does Katniss love the most?
- Do you think Katniss would have ended up with Gale if she had never gone to the Hunger Games? Eventually, would Katniss still have come to realize that she didn't need Gales "fire"?
- After Peeta is hijacked, he's able to see Katniss's behavior toward him during the Hunger Games more objectively, without being clouded by feelings of love for her. (Remember? The Capitol showed him the old footage of the Games.) In the long run, does the truth he sees strengthen or weaken their relationship?