Summary
- President Snow's quotes in The Hunger Games reveal his hunger for power and control. He is a cunning, all-knowing villain who terrifies Katniss.
- Snow's understanding of the human condition and his ability to manipulate it is what makes him truly terrifying. He always seems to know what's going on with Katniss.
- Snow warns that hope is stronger than fear, and he knows how to use both to his advantage. He understands the power dynamics and motivations of the people in Panem.
Though The Hunger Games franchise is about a dystopic society and an oppressive government, it's President Snow (Donald Sutherland) who is the antagonist at the heart of the story, and President Snow's quotes shine a light on his hunger for power and control. President Snow is one of the creepiest, most insidious villains in the Young Adult fiction pantheon, and Donald Sutherland portrays him perfectly. He's an all-knowing, cold, and clever man with a wealth of life experiences, which only makes him all the more terrifying - and powerful. Even his flaws work in his favor, making him feel more realistic.
His wisdom and position of power allow him many opportunities to voice his mind. He's very quotable, even if most of his words are threats. His knowledge is undeniable, as is his understanding of the human condition. It's this that terrifies Katniss above all else. Somehow, he always knows what's going on with her. Fans of The Hunger Games franchise have been given a glimpse into Snow's (Tom Blyth) earlier life thanks to The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, allowing them to see how he became such a cruel villain.
“Snow Always Lands On Top.”
The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes
Though Coriolanus Snow is arguably the most powerful man in Panem’s dystopia by the time Katniss is a tribute in the Hunger Games, that’s not the case for young Coryo, who is an Academy student when he’s made to mentor Lucy Gray Baird during the 10th Hunger Games. His family was once a prominent member of society in the Capitol, and Coryo still puts on the pretense that he, his grandmother, and his cousin aren’t starving or about to lose their home.
One of the most repeated of the future President Snow's quotes in the prequel movie is the idea that “Snow always lands on top.” It’s not just a reminder of the Snow family pushing through to have more power, but a pun on their surname. Snow, after all, blankets everything in the winter and really is “on top.” Casca Highbottom, however, does point out that “Snow falls” as well as he does his best to prevent the Snow family’s rise to power. Highbottom loses out though.
"Convince Me."
Catching Fire
President Snow pays a surprise visit to Katniss's house in Victor's Village after the first Games. He's there to threaten her, but he pretends like he's trying to help her. If she does what he asks, she probably could save herself and her family, but she also knows that Snow is impossible to appease.
He's come to tell her he knows that her romance with Peeta is an act, even if she does care about him in another way. She doesn't yet realize the full extent of her actions in the arena, but Snow knows the only way to rectify them is to convince the world of her romance. But most importantly, she must convince him first. Katniss is not an actress, and Snow is well aware of that, so his words are something of a trap.
"Fear Does Not Work As Long As They Have Hope, And Katniss Everdeen Is Giving Them Hope."
Catching Fire
Many fans of The Hunger Games will President Snow for his quote about hope being stronger than fear, but it's more than just a one-liner. Snow lives and rules by this notion, for better or worse.
In Catching Fire, Snow meets with Plutarch Heavensbee, the new Head Gamemaker, to talk things over. He knows that with Katniss in the Games, things will be a little rocky in Panem. Little does he know that Plutarch has a plan of his own with the rebels. In any case, Snow is quick to warn him that as long as Katniss gives her ers hope, fear will not work on them. Snow is used to ruling through fear, and as someone who was a child during Panem's First Rebellion, he understands motivators like hope and fear better than most.
"Whatever Game You Think You're Playing, Those Out There Are Not Playing It With You."
Catching Fire
Plutarch wants to ensure that the Quarter Quell is in his control, not Snow's, but he needs to present the illusion of Snow being in control so as not to arouse suspicion. The president may not suspect Plutarch's stance, but he does sense that he has a few tricks up his sleeve.
Snow ensures that Plutarch understands his suspicions and that he can't just do whatever he wants. Plutarch wants to manipulate the Quarter Quell, from the Reaping to the Victors, but Snow warns him that people won't be happy with his choices.
"It's Her."
Mockingjay
President Snow may be as cold as ice, but he knows Katniss better than she would like him to. He's an excellent analyst of character and is quick to figure out how to deal with people.
In Mockingjay, one of his staff alerts him to the fact that Katniss and her unit are alive after being presumed dead. Snow won't take her word for it and insists that he be shown the footage. He immediately recognizes her, even from a distance, despite her weak disguise. The way he utters the words is insidious and chilling. He sounds almost relieved and hopeful.
"... I've Been Watching You. And You Watching Me."
Mockingjay Part 2
At the end of the series, after the rebellion has been won, Katniss visits Snow in his rose garden. He's weak and dying, but he still has a few words to say to her. He tells her that they've been so busy focusing on each other that they overlooked the third party: Coin and her rebels.
Katniss is still reeling from the death of her sister, and she thinks that Snow is to blame. "I'm afraid we've both been played for fools," he tells Katniss, and she realizes he's right. He wants her to feel that she has lost just as much as he has from this fight, and it's this conversation that pushes Katniss to kill Coin instead of him. Katniss knows that she has to eliminate Coin as a threat, but at this point, the people will eliminate the threat of Snow.
"We Both Know I'm Not Above Killing Children, But I'm Not Wasteful."
Mockingjay Part 2
During the above conversation in the rose garden, Katniss begins to realize that maybe Snow isn't the real enemy - rather, it's the system. She believes that it was Snow's order that killed Prim, but he reveals that it was Coin's.
Katniss now understands that even if Coin comes to power, the system will be just as barbaric and totalitarian. She uses the same methods that the Capitol does to get what she wants, and as Snow points out, it's wasteful. Snow's moves, in his opinion, are very calculated. He's not killing for the sake of killing, or putting people in positions to die simply for his own amusement. The death that Snow sows is part of his careful plans, and he knows killing children outside of the Hunger Games arena isn't going to keep the public in his control.
"Oh, My Dear Miss Everdeen. I Thought We'd Agreed Never To Lie To Each Other."
Catching Fire, Mockingjay Part 2
The very last thing Snow says to Katniss is something that brings her full circle. It's one of the first things he says to her in Catching Fire, where he visits her privately and speaks to her alone for the first time in the series.
Snow is a lot of things, but as he says, he's not a liar. He rules with pride, and when he reveals the truth about what District 13 and the rebels have done during the rebellion, Katniss questions her stance. She's been advised to someone who she'd like to lead Panem after the war is over, but she doesn't know who. So, as she's about to shoot Snow, she re these words.
"You Fought Very Hard In The Games, Miss Everdeen. But They Were Games."
Catching Fire
When President Snow visits Katniss's house in District 12, she is naturally terrified. Seeing him in the flesh in her own home is bad enough, but what he tells her chills her even more. Now that the Games are over, Snow points out the stakes are much higher. Katniss initially believed that winning the games meant that Katniss would be done with the President's intimidation and could be free to live her life, but that's not at all the case.
He's warning her about her dangerous act with the berries and how this could have been perceived by viewers. "Would you like to be in a real war? Imagine thousands of your people, dead. Your loved ones, gone." The two of them come to a sort of agreement that she must remedy her actions by convincing everyone that she did it out of love for Peeta.
"Ms. Everdeen, It's The Things We Love The Most That Destroy Us."
Mockingjay
District 13 sends a team of men to rescue Peeta, Johanna, and Annie from the Capitol, but they must distract Snow from the invasion. Katniss speaks to him over a video call, but Snow is aware of the plot the entire time.
She tells him that she never meant for any of this to happen, never meant to start a war. Suddenly he says, "Ms. Everdeen, it's the things we love most that destroy us." They look at each other a moment, trying to read one another. Then Snow smiles. "Did you think I didn't know your friends are in the Tribute Center?" He abruptly cuts the call, leaving Katniss fearing for both Peeta and Gale's lives. This particular President Snow quote proved so memorable from the original movies that it is also used to the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes prequel and is used at the end of the movie itself as his relationship with Lucy Gray Baird crumbles.
