Mockingjay: Chapter 18 Summary & Analysis

In the days following her meal with Peeta, Katniss devotes herself to training for her mission to the Capitol. She learns military tactics, and practices operating various weapons, including guns and futuristic cannons. The TV crew films her training.

At the end of her training, Katniss must face an obstacle course that is designed, she’s informed, to target her own weaknesses. The course involves Katniss “shooting” Peacekeepers, and culminates with her receiving an order to hold her fire immediately. The rebel leaders believe that Katniss’s biggest weakness is her inability to follow orders. In this case, however, Katniss follows the order, passing her test.

Katniss, Finnick, and Gale are summoned to Command, where Plutarch shows them what they’ll face in the Capitol. Surrounding the Peacekeepers’ barracks, there is a complicated maze of booby traps and elaborate challenges designed to kill or trap anyone who tries to make his way through. Before leaving the Capitol, Plutarch stole a holograph of the plans for this area, meaning that he’ll be able to direct Katniss through it. Katniss realizes that she’ll be participating in another version of the Hunger Games: an elaborate series of challenges. She’s eager to participate this time, however, because President Snow will, in essence, be a competitor along with her.

Katniss is assigned her position in the upcoming mission to the Capitol. She will be paired with Boggs, whom she likes. Finnick, whom she’ll be working with closely as well, tells her that Johanna will not be coming on the mission. In the obstacle course, Johanna’s challenge was to survive a course flooded with water—a gruesome reference to the water torture she endured at the Capitol. Instead of continuing to work her way through the obstacle course, Johanna cowered from the water and began to scream. Knowing that Johanna had experienced too much trauma to be an asset to the team, Boggs cut her from the mission. With the young victors prepared to fight, Haymitch and Beetee—who will manage their progress from District 13—wish them good luck. Katniss and Finnick admit to each other that they haven’t told their families what they’ll be doing on their mission—they’ve only said that they’re “going away” for a while.

The mission leaves District 13 and heads for the Capitol. Outside the Capitol, there is a huge field of “pods”—essentially mines, which may or may not contain elaborate booby traps. Katniss and other soldiers shoot as many pods as they can, disabling them. Instead of exclusively aiming for the pods they know to be booby-trapped, the soldiers aim for many different pods. If they only targeted the pods they know to be dangerous, the Capitol would realize that Plutarch has the holographic plans to the area. One soldier shoots at a pod that releases a hail of metal darts, one of which kills her instantly.

As the days go on, Katniss feels bored—she has very little to do. She begins planning to break off from the rest of her group. There is a device called the Holo—a complicated electronic map of the Capitol, including details about the “pods” that are located in the different areas of the city. Boggs controls the Holo, and if anyone in his squad, including Katniss, repeats the word “nightlock” three times, the Holo will explode. Katniss decides to find a way to steal the Holo from Boggs, break off from his group, and go into the city in search of President Snow.

As Katniss plans to steal the Holo, she’s surprised to find that Peeta has arrived outside the Capitol, sent by President Coin herself. Katniss wonders why Coin would send Peeta into battle when he’s clearly not ready yet. Katniss wonders if Coin wants her dead.