Cassie Eggert

Professor Toohey

ENG 170-31

Research Paper

11 December 2023

Coriolanus Snow

Coriolanus Snow, the president of Panem and a main antagonist within The Hunger Games series, is a cruel, manipulative, and ruthless leader. He abuses his position of power as the president, suppresses the citizens of Panem, incites fear, and uses various manipulative tactics and threats, all to benefit himself and his obsession with maintaining his power. Snow’s actions throughout the series characterize him as a cold, callous, and manipulative man. He is self-serving and acts only to fulfill his own desires and hunger for power.  For these reasons, Coriolanus Snow can be considered a monster: a person who intentionally harms others with no regard or care for the consequences of their actions.

            The prequel to The Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins’ novel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, examines Coriolanus Snow throughout his younger years. We find out that the Snow family is “nearly destitute and fighting to keep up appearances” (McCluskey) as a result of a civil war throughout the districts and Capitol. Coriolanus Snow, as a senior student in the Academy, is assigned to act as a mentor for a tribute in the Hunger Games. With this job, Snow holds the hope that “if he gave an impressive performance as a mentor, with his outstanding academic record, [he] should be awarded a monetary prize substantial enough to cover his tuition at the University” (Collins, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes 13). Considering Snow is desperate for this prize and will do whatever he can to win it, his ruthlessness is implied early on. Although it may not be obvious right away, this trait follows him throughout the rest of the novel, as well as the rest of his life, and only becomes more prominent as time goes on.

            In The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Snow is assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird, the female tribute from district twelve. However, as he works to prepare her for the Games, “he slowly falls for her” (Zornosa)—Coriolanus and Lucy Gray’s romantic relationship, in the end, is a large factor in Snow’s descent into corruption. Lucy Gray ultimately wins the Games, and Snow returns with her to district twelve in the role of a “Peacekeeper, a soldier-police officer tasked with keeping the districts in line” (Zornosa). Although it is quite literally his job, Snow’s devotion to “keeping the districts in line” (Zornosa) still showcases his belief in the Capitol’s supremacy and superiority. He is upholding immoral ideals and perpetuating a corrupt system of power. Nonetheless, eventually, Lucy Gray recognizes Snow’s deception towards her, and “seems to set a deadly trap for him” (Zornosa). Snow feels betrayed, and carries these feelings of betrayal with him through his whole life, making him grow into a cold and bitter man.

However, later on in his life, Snow’s status as a monstrous figure was further developed by the rebellion within the districts; the rebellion threatened his control over the nation, and he would do essentially anything to protect his power and maintain the status quo. Regarding the rebellion, Snow addressed the nation of Panem, attempting to paint himself and the Capitol as a whole in a positive light:

Citizens, tonight I address all of Panem as one. Since the Dark Days, Panem has had an unprecedented era of peace. It is a peace built upon cooperation and a respect for law and order. In the past weeks you have heard of sporadic violence following the actions of a few radicals in the Quarter Quell. Those who choose this destructive path, your actions are based on a misunderstanding of how we have survived, together. It is a contract. Each district supplies the Capitol, like blood to a heart. In return, the Capitol provides order and security. To refuse work is to put the entire system in danger. The Capitol is the beating heart of Panem. Nothing can survive without a heart. The criminals that kneel before you use symbols for the purpose of sedition, which is why all images of The Mockingjay are now forbidden. Possessing them will be considered treason. Punishable by death. Justice shall be served swiftly. Order shall be restored. To those who ignore the warnings of history…prepare to pay the ultimate price. (Lawrence)

Snow’s address to Panem illustrates a sort of symbiotic relationship between the Capitol and the districts. He claims that the Capitol is essential in ensuring order, safety, and prosperity throughout Panem. He creates this relationship in order to manipulate the citizens of Panem into viewing the Capitol, and, by extension, himself, as a positive force that serves the nation beneficially. If Snow were to convince people to adopt this view, he would be able to easily maintain his control over the nation and its citizens. And, after all, that is all he really cares about. Snow’s passion for restoring order in the districts does not come from a place of care; he is so enthusiastic about the idea of order and stability simply because it strengthens his power over the people of Panem.

Snow acts monstrously not only to maintain his own power and influence, but also that of the Capitol. There is a class divide between the Capitol and the districts. Snow actively works to uphold that divide, and to keep the Capitol in a position of power and privilege. Snow, along with others holding positions of power in the Capitol, manipulate the citizens of Panem to “fall into certain habits that perpetuate the existing social order” (Dunn and Michaud 278) and teach them that “the Hunger Games and the Capitol’s superiority are just the way things are” (Dunn and Michaud 278) in order to preserve power in the Capitol, as well as the prevailing social hierarchy. He consistently manipulates the people of Panem to benefit himself and to uphold the system of oppression—a system which allows for the prosperity of the Capitol through the exploitation of the other districts.

There is some speculation surrounding Snow’s death. He died either as a result of “chok[ing] to death while laughing” (Collins, Mockingjay 425) or was “crushed [to death] by the crowd” (Collins, Mockingjay 425). Either way, his death is a result of his monstrous ways. If he choked to death on his blood, his death was a consequence of his thirst for power, as well as his ruthless methods in maintaining that power. Snow would kill his political opponents, or even his “allies who had the potential to become threats” (Collins, Mockingjay 192) with poison. However, he would also drink “from the poisoned cup himself to deflect suspicion” (Collins, Mockingjay 192). As a result, Snow developed mouth sores, the bleeding of which would have caused him to choke to death. On the other hand, if Snow was crushed to death by citizens, he was killed as a result of the public’s built-up rage at him and his actions. Either way, Snow’s monstrosity ultimately led to his demise.

Throughout his lifetime, Coriolanus Snow has certainly lived up to the title of “monster.” Many, if not all, of his actions and ideals were selfish, callous, and power-hungry. Snow acted in his own self-interest and was never really at all concerned about the ways in which he impacted others. As long as he got what he wanted and was able to preserve his power, superiority, and influence, he did not care whether or not he hurt people, nor was he concerned about the ways in which he directly impacted those around him—collateral damage was never a large issue in Snow’s eyes. Snow was not only willing to do whatever it took to benefit himself, he also was completely willing to do whatever he needed to in order to keep the Capitol powerful and superior to the districts. He would take any action to perpetuate the social norm in Panem, even if it meant exploiting the citizens within the districts and treating them as though they were inferior and subordinate, as long as it meant that the Capitol would be viewed as dominant and more distinguished. Finally, and most obviously, Snow was complicit in the murder of children through his endorsement of the Hunger Games. These ideas demonstrate how Snow’s monstrosity goes beyond the scope of selfishness. Snow negatively impacted and changed the lives of an immense amount of people for his own gain, and with little to no remorse to go along with his actions. Because of this, Coriolanus Snow can be considered a true monster.

Works Cited

Collins, Suzanne. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Scholastic, 2020.

Collins, Suzanne. Catching Fire, Scholastic, 2009.

Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games, Scholastic, 2008.

Collins, Suzanne. Mockingjay, Scholastic, 2010.

Dunn, George A., and Nicolas. Michaud. The Hunger Games and Philosophy a Critique of Pure

Treason / Edited by George A. Dunn and Nicolas Michaud. Wiley, 2012, eBook.

Lawrence, Francis, director. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1. Lions Gate

Entertainment Inc., 2015.

McCluskey, Megan. “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Adds New Dimensions to the One-

Note Villainy of ‘The Hunger Games’ President Snow.” Time, Time, 19 May 2020, time.com/5838257/the-ballad-of-songbirds-and-snakes-review/. Accessed 29 November 2023.

Zornosa, Laura. “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Reveals the Origin of President Snow’s

Vendetta Against Katniss .” Time, Time, 17 Nov. 2023, time.com/6336929/hunger-games-prequel-snow-katniss/. Accessed 29 November 2023.