Mockingjays are an enduring symbol throughout the Hunger Games trilogy. In Mockingjay, the eponymous bird functions as a symbol for the rebellion as well as a meta-exploration of the nature of symbols. Mockingjay is the name given to an accidental cross between a Capitol-created species called jabberjays and common mockingbirds. After Katniss wore a mockingjay pin the 74th Hunger Games, mockingjays became a popular motif. To the people in the oppressed districts, they represented defiance to the Capitol’s tyranny.

In Mockingjay, Katniss fully embodies the symbol in her role as the Mockingjay. She becomes the face of the rebellion through a series of propaganda videos disseminated by the rebels. Katniss is already a celebrity figure to most of Panem, but as the Mockingjay, she embraces her power to galvanize the resistance effort. On the simplest level, the Mockingjay is just Katniss being herself. Her story is one of hope, resistance, and continued survival in the face of impossible odds, so she naturally inspires the downtrodden districts.

As the image of Katniss’s Mockingjay is spread across Panem, the symbol takes on a power of its own that is separate from Katniss’s actions. This is illustrated by Coin’s attempt to have Katniss killed in Chapter 19.