Mockingjay Pin
Lionsgate, ca. 2013
Metal, painted with gold
5 x 4 x 1 cm
Purchased from Hottopic, 2013
Personal collection
The Mockingjay pin comes from the trilogy of books in the The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins that was published between 2008-2010. The pin is an object the main character Katniss Everdeen is given. The mockingjay depicted on the pin becomes a symbol of hope and rebellion within the series as Katniss wears it into the Games. The Hunger Games became extremely popular when it was turned into a movie series in 2012-2015, and therefore the mockingjay pin became a top selling merchandise object. This specific mocking jay pin, as there are multiple versions of it, is a replica from the second book/film, Catching Fire.
I purchased this pin from a store called Hottopic. It is a hotspot for pop culture as well as popular movie and tv show merchandise, apparel and swag. I bought this pin for the same reason why most people buy this pin, I had read the trilogy and watched the movies and I wanted other people to know I had done that. I also felt connected to the main character and story, in a way I felt was distinct and much more personal than any other person who had done the same. When I wore the pin, it made me feel unique and special like I was the main character or the symbol of hope in the reality of my modern world although the pin was mass produced globally. Most likely over hundreds of thousands of people had the same pin, sought out after watching the movies and/or reading the books.
Today, our society appears to be experiencing a tamer, more civilized version of the post-apocalyptic world depicted in The Hunger Games. With the current COVID-19 pandemic, many compare the experience of having to leave their house to grocery shop to being engaged in hunger games although the worst situation occurring for a person grocery shopping today is possibly acquiring the virus, a risk that is very minimal with precautions. Death in the hunger games is inevitable for all but one. I would say The Hunger Games is an extreme comparison; if anything, our society is the best version of the hunger games.
Anna Golding