Suzanne Collins faced a unique challenge when she wrote The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. The story revolves around a character whose future readers already know well—Coriolanus Snow, the tyrannical president of Panem. The question was how to make this character compelling and human despite his infamous fate. The result is a complex tale that contrasts ambition, power, and betrayal, ultimately setting the stage for Snow’s future as Panem’s leader.
The story introduces Lucy Gray Baird, a District 12 Covey girl chosen for the 10th Hunger Games. She is a challenge for 18-year-old Coriolanus, who has fallen from the wealth and prominence his family once enjoyed. After the civil war in Panem, the Snow family’s fortune is diminished, and Coriolanus is eager to regain his standing. He is given the daunting task of mentoring Lucy Gray, a responsibility he hopes will lead to a reward—a university scholarship. However, things grow complicated when Coriolanus and Lucy Gray begin to fall in love.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Ending Explained
Yet, their romance is anything but typical. Set decades before Coriolanus becomes the ruthless president of Panem in The Hunger Games, the prequel depicts a young man who is already showing signs of a villainous path. He is consumed by paranoia, devotes himself to a dangerous worldview, and betrays those closest to him. At the end of the novel, Lucy Gray’s fate is left uncertain, and many questions remain unanswered, particularly in relation to her relationship with Coriolanus.
In the film adaptation, starring Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler, the ambiguous ending from the book is faithfully recreated. Here, we explore the unresolved details that follow the end of Songbirds and Snakes.
Coriolanus’s ambition and growing paranoia are the driving forces behind his eventual betrayal of Lucy Gray. After Coriolanus kills Mayfair, the mayor’s daughter, he and Lucy Gray decide they have no future in District 12 and plan to escape together. However, things take a dark turn. Coriolanus inadvertently reveals to Lucy Gray that he is responsible for not two, but three murders—an unanticipated betrayal.
Their escape leads them to a lakeside hut in the woods, a familiar place for the Covey. Coriolanus soon finds the weapon used to kill Mayfair and begins to devise a plan to dispose of it. But there’s a problem: Lucy Gray knows the truth about the murders. Initially, Coriolanus believes that Lucy Gray is loyal to him. He rationalizes that she would never betray him because doing so would implicate her in the crimes.
However, Coriolanus’s growing anxiety pushes him further into paranoia. When Lucy Gray leaves the hut to gather plants by the water, Coriolanus follows with the rifle in hand. To his horror, he finds the scarf he had given her, but Lucy Gray is nowhere to be seen. A snake emerges from under the scarf and bites him. This leads him to irrationally believe that Lucy Gray has set a trap for him, betraying him entirely.
Did Lucy Gray Actually Booby Trap Coriolanus?
Coriolanus’s suspicions about Lucy Gray are based on his mounting paranoia, but his point of view is unreliable. It’s left unclear whether Lucy Gray ever intended to turn on him. Her true motivations remain a mystery. The book suggests that snakes are common in the area and that Lucy Gray’s scarf often comes undone, casting doubt on Coriolanus’s version of events.
Despite the uncertainty, Coriolanus’s reaction is extreme. He believes Lucy Gray is actively plotting against him and pursues her through the woods, shooting blindly at anything he thinks is her. He eventually hears her singing “The Hanging Tree,” a haunting song she wrote after witnessing the execution of a District 12 rebel. Frustrated and consumed by rage, Coriolanus fires recklessly, convinced that Lucy Gray has betrayed him.
In his mind, Coriolanus justifies his actions, reasoning that the Covey would cover up Lucy Gray’s death if they found her body. He even contemplates the possibility that he hadn’t hit her, further complicating the mystery of what truly happened between the two.
Does Lucy Gray Survive?
The book and movie leave Lucy Gray’s fate ambiguous, providing no definitive answer. There is the possibility that she could have been wounded or even killed by one of Coriolanus’s reckless shots, as he fired blindly in her direction. However, there is also evidence suggesting she could have escaped. The faint cry Coriolanus hears and the brief image of Lucy Gray running through a thicket of trees point to the idea that she may have survived.
Furthermore, Lucy Gray is familiar with the woods, giving her the advantage of potentially outsmarting Coriolanus and escaping his pursuit. Whether or not she lives remains unanswered, leaving viewers and readers to speculate.
Even if Lucy Gray does survive, her memory is systematically erased by the Capitol. Dr. Volumnia Gaul, the Head Gamemaker, makes efforts to eliminate all records of the 10th Hunger Games. By the time of the 74th Hunger Games, which occurs in the first book of The Hunger Games series, it is stated that District 12’s first victor is unknown, and there’s no mention of Lucy Gray, further erasing her from public memory.
Despite this, Lucy Gray’s legacy lives on in other ways. The songs she wrote, including “Deep in the Meadow” and “The Hanging Tree,” are sung by Katniss Everdeen in the future. These songs play a crucial role in inspiring the revolution that ultimately leads to the downfall of the Capitol. Collins has stated that Lucy Gray’s influence is significant, even though she is largely forgotten by history. Her music, unbeknownst to Coriolanus, becomes a symbol of rebellion and resistance.
Lucy Gray’s Legacy and Freedom
Actor Rachel Zegler, who portrays Lucy Gray in the movie, has expressed her own hopes for her character’s fate. She imagines Lucy Gray as free, perhaps one day living a life outside of Panem’s oppressive system. While the novel offers no closure on Lucy Gray’s life, Zegler’s vision reflects the enduring hope for her character’s freedom, one that has sparked a range of fan interpretations.
In the end, Lucy Gray’s impact is undeniable. Even though her story may have been erased from the Capitol’s history, her songs live on, creating an enduring link to the events that will eventually bring Snow’s reign to an end. Despite the tragic end of her romance with Coriolanus and the uncertainty of her fate, Lucy Gray’s influence continues to ripple through the story of Panem, becoming part of the revolution that brings down Snow and the Capitol.
