The pearl, the Necklace, and the book were useless

[Suzan Madrid]

i have just finished reading mockingjay, and i have to say that i feel disappointed of the general events' flaw through out the book.
i was most disappointed by one particular event, Peeta's highjacking.
It is not the trauma of him not knowing what's real and not real nor is the fact that he couldn't remember how much he loved Katniss that bothers me, but its the way the whole issue was handled.
Katniss had a pearl and a necklace as gifts from Peeta. She had his drawings in the plants' book as well. We all know that gifts and paintings are usually reflections of one's soul. Now, Why on earth wasn't that used to heal Peeta of the highjacking and make him remember who he really was?

Another disappointing thing is how we are never told what happens to the pearl. There was no mention for it falling with the pill when Katniss tore the pocket after killing Coin.
Since katniss placed it in the pocket of her suit, I kept thinking that it will some how appear in an epic scene that will shift the story in a new more interesting direction!

Was i focusing so much on it? was it just a piece of book 2 with no meaning at all?

It will be great if someone can answer my questions.
Please forgive any grammar mistakes, writing in a different language than my own isn't really the easiest job on earth

Thanks

[RedRose]

You've got great English I thought pretty much the same, I finished reading MockingJay feeling like a lot of things hadn't been resolved.
What I wanted to know was why they kept mentioning the red-headed Avox. Katniss was intrigued by her in The Hunger Games, and she's mentioned again in Catching Fire and MockingJay. I really believed she had more relevance to the story because they kept going back to her again and again.

[gsmiro]

I had the same questions as you did about the pearl and necklace. It would be a great idea to somehow use them to re-establish the lost relationship between Katniss and Peeta. And I also wondered about why the pearl was not mentioned afterwards.

[Tom]

The pearl is a key symbol of Peeta and Katniss' relationship. I also feel that it would be nice for it to make a happier re-appearance. The last mention of it where it clinks against the handcuff was anything but happy. But being a realistic story, happiness is probably a rarity given their situation.

My take on the fate of the pearl was that Katniss' rebel uniform was destroyed by the fire. She wasn't wearing her Mockingjay suit during her battle in the Capitol. Or the uniform had to be destroyed during the rescue. It could also have been among the pile of personal belongings, along with the lockette, back home in D12. Although those appeared to be items she left behind in her bunker in D13. So it's equally likely the pearl would not be among them.

With the lockette, it's a wider symbol of Katniss' love for the people she cares about. It also symbolises Peeta's sacrifice. It's tragic that the people featured inside the lockette have left her. Prim's dead. Her mother has left for another district. Gale is banished from her life.

On a less serious note, when Katniss went hysterical hiding inside the mansion wardrobe, she found a strayed morphling pill in her pocket. Perhaps she actually swallowed the pearl instead? Whatever she took didn't calm her down given she was still hysterical the next morning.

[gsmiro]

True. There are all possible explanations. But I would question the motive or the purpose of the author in leaving out the pearl. If I remember correctly, her personal keepsakes, like the necklace reappeared later when she returns to D12, but the pearl was not mentioned. So in a sense, I felt the complete destruction of the relationship between her and Peeta in terms of this symbolism. Perhaps there's other reasons on the author's part to make the pearl disappear.

[Tom]

The pearl was kind of a parting gift from Peeta to Katniss moments before their separation. Katniss thought that it would bring her strength in her final moments in the arena. In MJ, she found strength by bringing the pearl out to remind her of Peeta when he was captive, then to remind her of the old Peeta when he was hijacked. If the omission of the pearl is not a mistake by SC, I hope that her message to us is that Katniss no longer needed to sought strength from the pearl because:

1) she and Peeta are reunited in person,
2) the old Peeta has fought his way back from the hijack, and
3) "Peeta", is the rock!

These are all Katniss really needs to put her on the road to emotional recovery and happiness.

[gsmiro]

I think you definitely made a great point for the pearl not being needed in the end. But personally, I don't mind seeing the pearl again, especially during the time she completely shut down after Prim's death. I guess my thinking was, if the pearl was such a important symbolism and represented Peeta's affection towards Katniss, then perhaps it should merit another metion or contribute to the final development in the book. And wouldn't it be a great keepsake to pass it down to their children at the end?

[Tom]

I think you definitely made a great point for the pearl not being needed in the end. But personally, I don't mind seeing the pearl again, especially during the time she completely shut down after Prim's death. I guess my thinking was, if the pearl was such a important symbolism and represented Peeta's affection towards Katniss, then perhaps it should merit another metion or contribute to the final development in the book. And wouldn't it be a great keepsake to pass it down to their children at the end?

I agree reinvoking the pearl during the final difficult moments would have added a special touch to the ending, similar to how Buttercup's return triggered a massive emotional response from Katniss (and to many readers!). Passing it down to the children would remind them of their parents' sacrifices that brought them a brighter future. The lack of resolution to the pearl is a big sticking point to the readers. Even if we know for sure that it was destroyed by the fire at least we get a sense of closure, albeit not a satisfactory one.