Summary and Analysis
Part 2:
Chapter 11
Summary
Katniss knows she must cross the electric fence and get back inside District 12, but burrowing under the fence is impossible because the ground is frozen. Instead, she climbs a tree and jumps down over the fence. She injures her heel and tailbone, and she has to hide her limp as she walks home.
She arrives home and is surprised to see two Peacekeepers waiting to speak with her. The Peacekeepers inform her that the fence surrounding District 12 will now have electricity 24 hours a day, which she understands is intended to let her know that Thread is aware she was in the woods today.
The Peacekeepers leave and Katniss' mother tends to her broken heel. For the next week, Katniss is on bed rest. Peeta visits her often, and the two of them work on a family book. She describes to him various plants and their medicinal uses, and he draws them for her. The work helps take her mind off the threat of the Peacekeepers, and she enjoys spending time with Peeta on an activity that is not involved with the Games.
Though Katniss usually avoids watching the television because of all of the propaganda, she has been watching it lately to find the footage of District 13 that Bonnie and Twill claim is old and being reused. She finally finds a broadcast of the district, and at the very end of it, a flash of a mockingjay wing appears.
Analysis
Katniss wonders whether Thread knows that she has gone into the woods and turned on the fence to trap her in there so he can punish her. The theme of imprisonment and Katniss' desperation to break free of the Capitol's captivity appears again in the form of the electrified fence. It is not coincidence the fence is turned back on the day she goes back into the woods; instead, it is meant to send her a message that she is physically trapped within District 12.
The project she works on with Peeta is significant because it represents the first activity the two have been a part of that isn't related to the Games, strategizing, fighting for survival, or hunting their opponents. The Capitol has never allowed Katniss and Peeta to have a normal friendship or healthy relationship. Though the Capitol has twisted, manipulated, and damaged Katniss' relationships with others, her relationship with Peeta seems to be healing despite the threats hanging above both of their heads.
The footage shows that Bonnie and Twill were correct about the same mockingjay appearing in each shot. This is significant because, despite the improbability of the situation, it seems that all signs point toward the existence of a District 13. Katniss didn't want to believe in it, but now it appears that she will be able to trust in not just the footage, but also in the mockingjay and the rebellion it represents.