Manipulation/Motif

Manipulation, which is the act of trying to influence others to act a certain way or feel certain emotions, serves as a motif in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. As might be expected, individuals try to manipulate each other. On a broader scale, an entire society becomes accustomed to being manipulated by the government.

The main character of this novel is Coriolanus Snow, and he proves himself to be a master of manipulation. The earliest examples of this are relatively minor as Coriolanus is extremely careful about how others see him. Coriolanus's family was wealthy and powerful before the war left them devastated in multiple ways. The family is so poor that there is no way to buy the new shirt Coriolanus needs for his first appearance as a mentor for the Hunger Games. His cousin Tigris comes to the rescue by remaking an...