8 Lessons Snow Learns From Lucy Gray In The Hunger Games: Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes

Warning: This article contains major spoilers for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes sees Coriolanus Snow meet Lucy Gray Baird, and through her, he learns several vital lessons that shape who he is as president of Panem. The prequel movie takes place 64 years before the events of The Hunger Games when Snow is only a teenager about to finish school. At first, it’s difficult to imagine that he would grow up to be the despicable dictator seen in Katniss’ story, but over time, things begin to change—and this has a lot to do with Lucy Gray’s influence.

Lucy Gray Braid is far from an evil character. In fact, she is a lot like the other District characters seen in The Hunger Games. Like Peeta and Katniss, she was reaped to enter the arena against her will and was forced to fight to the death by the Capitol of Panem. Still, through his time with her, “Coryo” Snow learned several lessons that would drive him through his years in The Hunger Games. Whether or not the conclusions he came to in The Hunger Games:The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes were correct, he believed them to be a sort of wisdom that qualified him to rule over the country with an iron fist.

8 Snow Sees In Lucy Gray That District Citizens Aren’t What He Thought

Capitol Children Were Raised To Believe District Citizens Were Like Animals

Coryo grew up in the Capitol during the war, and either through fighting or the terrible conditions of the time, both his parents were killed. This meant that he had a far from positive outlook on the Districts. To him, they were the villains—monsters responsible for tearing his family apart and the loss of the Snow fortune. Therefore, when he was made a mentor in the games, he did not expect to feel compassion for his tribute. Lucy Gray was entirely different from what he had pictured. Ultimately, though this could have taught Snow to treat the Hunger Games‘ Districts with kindness, it only enabled him to see them as intelligent adversaries rather than mindless and dangerous animals.

7 Lucy Gray Teaches Snow How Powerful Public Adoration Can Be

The Adoration Of The Crowd Went On To Be A Key Feature In The Hunger Games

Before the 10th Hunger Games, the Capitol threw the tributes into an arena and let them kill one another. There was no Tribute Parade or Interview Night as was seen in The Hunger Games. The tributes weren’t cleaned, dressed, and treated like celebrities, and there was no betting system in place. Ultimately, this all got started with Lucy Gray. During her reaping ceremony, she performed a song for the audience, leaving a mark on the Capitol citizens. Snow used this first impression to his advantage and suggested the interviews and sponsors to keep Lucy Gray alive. This carried on through subsequent Hunger Games and was why Snow understood how dangerous Katniss was when the crowd turned in her favor.

6 Snow Realizes The Power Of Music Through Lucy Gray

Lucy Gray’s Songs Played A Part In Katniss’ Rebellion

At first, Snow enjoyed and encouraged Lucy Gray’s musical performances. However, over time, he began to notice the small touches of rebellion that existed in her songs. As a Capitol citizen, Snow understood how dangerous any amount of rebellion was and was astounded by Lucy Gray’s fearlessness. What he didn’t know at the time was how Lucy Gray had immortalized her message in these songs. “The Hanging Tree Song” was written by Lucy Gray and was still remembered as a symbol of rebellion years later during The Hunger Games—something that must have enraged President Snow.

5 Lucy Gray Proves How Important Confidence Is In The Hunger Games

Lucy Gray Needed Snow To Believe That She Could Actually Win

Just as in Katniss’ time, District 12 tributes didn’t typically have great odds prior to the 10th Hunger Games. This meant that Snow was devastated when he was assigned the District 12 girl—he knew he had almost no chance of winning. However, Lucy Gray came to the Capitol determined to live, making a significant difference in the arena. Still, this confidence was nothing compared to the confidence of the crowd. Lucy Gray told Snow that if he wanted to help her, he needed to act as if he believed she could win. In doing so, Snow gave his tribute the edge.

4 Snow Learns Through Lucy Gray How Quickly Humanity Turns To Violence

The Hunger Games Are Meant To Demonstrate Humanity’s Innate Violent Nature

A common question throughout The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is, “What are the Hunger Games for?” At first, Snow believes that the answer is what the Capitol has been telling everyone—that the games are meant to punish the Districts for rebellion. However, the truth is that the Hunger Games are intended to demonstrate how even the most innocent in society—children—will easily turn into savage killers. It’s a reminder for the Districts and the Capitol alike, and Snow saw this in both Lucy Gray and himself, ultimately leading him to believe that society needs totalitarian control or the world will become the Hunger Games.

3 Lucy Gray Teaches Snow How Subtle Rebellion Can Be

Lucy Gray Subtly Sparked Rebellion In District 12 (Just Like Katniss)

Lucy Gray winning the Hunger Games wasn’t the spectacle that it was when Katniss won in The Hunger Games. Instead, the events following her victory in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes were rather anticlimactic. She was sent back to District 12 to live out her life, and the Capitol quickly forgot all about her. However, the impact within the District was different. Lucy Gray wasn’t supposed to survive, but the fact that she did was the spark of a rebellion that nearly got out of control. This lesson from Lucy Gray is precisely why Snow recognized what a danger Katniss’ behavior in the arena really was.

2 Lucy Gray Is Who First Inspires Snow To Kill Through Poison

Snow Is Known In The Hunger Games For His Preference For Poison

Though Lucy Gray could undoubtedly be defined as the titular songbird, she is also something of a snake. From the moment she was reaped for the Hunger Games, she demonstrated her affinity for the slithering animals, slipping a poisonous snake down the dress of the mayor’s daughter, Mayfair Lipp, whom she knew had rigged the drawing to ensure Lucy Gray was selected. Then, in the arena, the District 12 tribute used snakes and hidden rat poison against her competitors. This inspired Snow to use rat poison to murder Casca Highbottom at the end of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Decades later, Snow would still be remembered for this weapon of choice.

1 Snow Learns Through Lucy Gray How Dangerous Love Is

Snow Frequently Used People’s Loved Ones To Manipulate Them

It’s difficult to say if Coriolanus Snow really fell in love with Lucy Gray Baird. He certainly believed he had, but the fact that he so quickly turned on the girl when it benefitted him suggests otherwise. Regardless, Snow ultimately determined that love was a weakness. After Lucy Gray, it’s assumed that he never fell in love again. He specifically married someone that he didn’t like, knowing that a legitimate loved one could be used against him. His understanding of this was demonstrated in The Hunger Games when he used Peeta against Katniss during the war. He had learned what a dangerous tool love could be from Lucy Gray all those years before during the time of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.