Mockingjay question

Oh, it was so much more than that.
Prim, throughout the series, was a picture of innocence and purity. She was perfect, in Katniss's eyes. When she died, it was the picture of the death of innocence and purity in war. But it also showed that children die in war, no matter how we try to shield them from it.
So, yes, it was very necessary to kill Prim, as sad as it was.

No it wasn't necessary neither was Finnick's death especially right after he was married. But that's what happens in war. People die. Suzanne Collins created a very realistic ending and not a perfect, fairy-taley, happily ever after ending! Even though I'm the most fierce Everlark shipper, I still think their ending together wasn't out of love, but out of need. It was like Katniss didn't have a choice and she was like, okay Peeta it is. Gale's suddenly disappearing wasn't weird either because he did what most people would do in real life out of guilt which was flee and not confront. All I'm saying is it was a realistic book and not everything necessarily happened for a reason...

But I think Finnick dying was wasteful. I don't think Katniss needed him to die for her to be more Isolated as someone stated in the comments. I do think Prim's death is important but I wish that Suzanne Collins would have spent more time on Prim's character as a whole. I mean we are invested in the story from the beginning because of Prim. However, I feel for this reason it would've been nicer to really experience more of Prim's own character and views. Like when she tells Katniss in book two that she and her mom fully support her and what she is doing to help the districts, Prim being trained to be a doctor in book Three. I think we were just getting a glimpse of the strong little fighter and rebel she was and to see that develop a little more in maybe more dialogue with mom, addressing mom's emotional and mental health and it's impact on Prim and how that ties into who she is on track to becoming in the future. Then killing her off. BOOM. I have to admit I hated that she died so young and seemingly innocent but with the little character development I feel it, yes gave us more "ideal" representation for woeful a Katniss' angst and helped to keep that story going for her character and the aftermath and impact of war, yada yada. But there would've been an even bigger and more interesting impact for me, had I had more story/life from Prim's character. All in all I DO NOT think it was not necessary to kill her, it just was not done right.

Prim's death served the dual purpose of Katniss realizing that Coin was just as bad, if not worse, than Snow, and to drive a wedge between her and Gale, regardless of the amount of responsibility the latter has over Prim's death. So yes, in the context of the plot, it was necessary.

Sad, but yes I believe it was necessary. Prim is the symbol of innocence and hope, and in a time of war it shows how these things can easily be destroyed. It also showed how Katniss sacrificed so much to protect her, and yet she still died.

Yes it was. After all Katniss did, she couldn't stop it.
To put it short and simply, Prim's death is a message from Suzanne Collins telling us all that children can and do also die in war. In war, you can't protect even the most innocent and vulnerable because war and destruction don't discriminate. It's very powerful anti-war stuff, if you ask me.

I think it was very necessary. Prim was the most important thing to Katniss. If I remember correctly, Prim was killed by a bomb dropped by President Coin. If it wasn't for that, would Katniss had killed Coin?

But also, the whole book is very political and is a statement on war and loss. The death of Prim is showing that even children and the innocent aren't safe from war, and it displays the devastating effects of violence. Prim both displays and represents innocence and purity, and this can be seen in several instances such as when she risks herself to save her cat & how she becomes a medic in a war even though shes only child. Even just her name, Primrose, was intentionally chosen by Collins to prove this, with the flower symbolising youth & kindness, but also ironically longevity and everlasting. This may be a nod to how although she is dead her legacy lives on through defeat of Coin.
Her death demonstrates the effects of war on even the innocent.

Sierra wrote: "I don't know why, but to me, it felt unnecessary for Prim to be killed.

Does anyone have any thoughts as to why Suzanne Collins killed off Prim, the most important person to Katniss?"

I feel like it was a metaphor for how war destroys purity and innocence. Prim was the most important person to Katniss throughout the whole series, so much so that she sacraficed herself for her. She was Katniss's connection to compassion and empathy. Killing her was showing that even after everything, Katniss couldn't have everything she wanted. I think it showed how war doesn't solve anything, it just kills the good in people.

Then at the end, Peeta becomes Katniss's connection to empathy and compassion. Her choosing Peeta is a metaphor for choosing peace and live instead of war and violence (Gale).

Yes, it was necessary to kill Prim. If President Coin didn't kill Prim, then Katniss wouldn't kill President Coin. Therefore, Katniss would never know the President's true colors, and Panem would be a city of destruction under President Coin's rule.

I think it was a good plot twist, because the whole book started with her, and ended with her.

While I understand the impact it was supposed to have and, in it's own way, completed the story, I still think that it would have been better if she hadn't been. Because it was so close to the end, it felt like she was a loose end that was just thrown away instead of explored. It was poetic, but overall it feels wasteful. Personally, it felt like Katniss was due to actually loose someone close to her (don't get me started on Finnick) and Suzanne went in for the kill by blowing up Prim. I think while she was a symbol of purity, innocence, and loss, it would have been better if it was her mother. Prim's character would have been used in a better way if she had been there to help Katniss heal.

“That was one of the first questions I asked her when we sat down: 'Did you always know that [Prim] was going to die?' And she said, 'Oh yeah, of course, that's the whole point.'”

(source: EW article "The Hunger Games bibge-read: Revisiting Mockingjay ahead of the prequel" )

The entire point of the series is about the evil of war and the effect of war and its violence on the innocent and young. It wasn't just for shock factor for the readers.

I do think killing Prim was necessary. Endings aren't all happy. I think killing Prim was a key part in the story because Katniss would've used her arrow on Snow, because there wasn't a reason not to. Panem would be governed by Coin, and I can't see that being good. I also think the same thing of Finnick's death. Those two main character's deaths drove Katniss to see the light.

No it wasn' t. But that seems to be the author ' s point :(

Prim's death led to a series of events that led to Katniss assassinating Coin. So yes, it was necessary.

I don't think Prim should have died but the author of Divergent, Veronica Roth, wrote at the end of her book that she thinks its good to kill off people that you are attached to. If she would have just killed off people that didn't mean anything then the books would be happy but they wouldn't be realistic. Veronica Roth said that she likes to make her book as realistic as possible, and I agree with her. I think killing off people that you are attached to is a good but, sad, thing. It does make us want to keep reading though!

Prim died as a way to write Gale out of the love triangle, he says it himself that without being able to protect Katniss's family that he can't compete with Peeta anymore.

Finnick died as means to further isolate Katniss during her struggles.

Defenitely not.

No it wasn't necessary, it just added to Katniss's pain and torture.

She wanted to add to the fact that Katniss had gone through so much torture and make sure we hate the capital even more. She wrote the book s to humiliate the government, you know.