Katniss Everdeen killed President Alma Coin instead of President Snow for several key reasons, driven by a deep understanding of power, tyranny, and her own personal losses.
Here’s a breakdown of the motivations behind Katniss’s choice:
- Mirroring Snow: Katniss realized that Coin, despite leading the rebellion against Snow’s tyrannical rule, was on the path to becoming another ruthless dictator. Coin’s thirst for power and control mirrored Snow’s own.
- Continuation of the Hunger Games: Coin’s proposal to hold one final Hunger Games using Capitol children as tributes solidified Katniss’s conviction that Coin would perpetuate the cycle of cruelty and violence that defined Snow’s regime. This proposal was a significant turning point for Katniss, as she recognized the hypocrisy of fighting a revolution to end the Games only to have a new leader propose their continuation, albeit in a different form.
- Manipulation and Control: Coin’s willingness to manipulate and use others for her own gain became increasingly apparent, particularly in her interactions with Katniss herself. Katniss understood that Coin saw her as a tool or symbol to be used, not a valued individual.
- Suspected Involvement: Katniss came to believe that Coin was responsible for orchestrating the bombing that killed her sister, Primrose Everdeen, as well as many other innocent civilians, including medics and children.
- The ‘Mockingjay’ as Bait: Katniss suspected that Coin deliberately sent Primrose to the Capitol’s front lines, possibly as a way to manipulate and motivate Katniss or even remove her as a future threat, according to MSN. The emotional toll of this loss was a powerful motivator for Katniss to seek justice.
- Snow’s Weakness: By the time of the proposed execution, Snow was already captured and terminally ill, his reign effectively over. Killing him would have been largely symbolic, and it was likely he would have died soon after anyway.
- Coin as the Greater Threat: Katniss realized that Coin, with her ambition and willingness to employ cruel tactics, posed a more immediate and dangerous threat to the future of Panem than the already defeated Snow.
Essentially, Katniss saw in Coin a perpetuation of the very tyranny she had fought so hard to dismantle. By eliminating Coin, Katniss hoped to break the cycle of violence and create a more just and free Panem.
Why didn’t Katniss kill both Snow and Coin?
Good point! Coin was willing to sacrifice children to turn the Capitol against President Snow and make herself look like the hero who swooped in to save Panem. This is why Katniss chose to kill Coin at the execution instead, putting an end to her reign of terror before it could begin.
Why was Coin worse than Snow?
The difference between Coin and Snow is that Coin hasn’t had the opportunities her rival had to be abusive and cause catastrophic harm. This is clear in how easily she gives in to Katniss’s demands. If it was really a matter of safety, Coin would not have granted permission to them to go hunting.