Why did Katniss agree with President Coin?

Question

At the end of the third book of the Hunger Games, President Coin proposed a certain plan. Katniss agreed to it, though the reason behind agreeing seems out of character. Why did she agree?

The plan is that there would be a final Hunger Games occurring, with the participants being children of the people of the capitol. Katniss say "I vote yes... for Prim". After enduring two Hunger Games herself, it seems strange that she would agree to a Hunger Games using children from the capitol.

Answer 1

I have a different take on why Katniss agrees with President Coin. I believe that Katniss connected the dots and realized the Coin was responsible for Prim's death afterall. She voted yes to feign allegiance with President Coin. As was previously said, if she wasn't with Coin then she was a threat. By agreeing with Coin, Katniss gains her trust and the chance to avenge Prim's death.

At this point of the story Katniss has some serious doubts as to the motives and methods undertaken by Coin to win the war. Did Coin bomb the children at the end of the war to frame the Capitol? Did Coin ensure Prim was killed in the explosion to sway The Mockingjay from any Capitol sympathy? Is Coin just as evil as President Snow? When President Coin proposes a final hunger games Katniss realizes the answer to her questions is yes. Coin truly is the same as Snow, and responsible for killing Prim. Coin must die. Voting yes gains Coin's trust.

Katniss votes yes to the final hunger games... "for Prim". Remember that Prim put this entire story into motion. It seems only fitting that Prim should end it. Katniss lures President Coin into believing Prim's death swayed her complete allegiance to District 13. However, it just the opposite. Katniss knows the capitol was framed for Prim's death and is now set on a mission of revenge. Katniss may just as well repeated that same sentiment when she shot Coin through the heart: "For Prim". It's always been for Prim. Not for the Capitol, not for the rebels, not for the hunger games. For Prim.

Answer 2

It isn't really stressed, but Katniss was very distraught at the end of the series, with the death of her sister. There is some fair evidence that she has had psychotic breaks previously in the series, but the death of her sister really affected her. Remember, Katniss basically volunteered her life in place of Prim's in the first book, and really everything she did was to protect Prim and, to a lesser extent, her mother, at least initially.

So, she felt like since Prim died, it would be right for the children of the people responsible to die as well. It seems like it took her a while to connect the rest of the dots as to who she ultimately believed responsible.

Answer 3

I was confused too when I read the ending if her motives were to agree and kill Coin when she agreed or if she was just distraught and out of character. It's really hard to tell because Collins usually writes everything that is going through Katniss's head in a lot of detail, but doesn't now. Her internal thoughts during the meeting was that a new Hunger Games would be wrong, but agreed otherwise. I think Collins watered down Katniss's internal thoughts during this part so that it would be a surprise when Katniss killed Coin instead of Snow.

Answer 4

I really don't think she was agreeing to vote for the Games at all. I see her reply completely differently. I think that while she was silent, she was thinking only of what she was going to have to do in the next few minutes. How she was expected to go out and kill Snow, even though she knew he was telling the truth about the bombing. She was coming to terms with the idea of killing Coin, and was saying her conclusion alloud. It really makes more sense to me. Why would she need Coin's trust? She already has the bow and arrow, the chance to kill Coin. And Coin's not going to suddenly doubt her safety and miss the execution.
So, I don't think she ever agreed to have the new Games, really. How could she, after going through them twice? After working so hard to free the districts? After pitying the workers in the Nut, after seeing Capitol children killed by Gale's own brainchild? No, she couldn't possibly condemn 23 more children to death, and because she didn't need Coin to trust her in order to kill the woman, I don't think she lied, either.