The Mockingjay was created when the mutant birds were set free. These mutants were used during the rebellion to spy on the citizens of the district. They were sent out to listen then would fly back to the Capitol to repeat everything they heard. After the rebellion had ended the birds were set free. They were expected to die out. Instead it mated with the mockingbird. This new bird was able to listen and repeat a melody that was sung to it. Other Mockingjays would join in and could carry on for hours. The creation of this new species became a sign of hope, that anything was possible. A sign that through all the cruelty of the Capitol, anything was possible. Before leaving for the games Katniss was given a pin with a Mockingjay on it. In the arena Katniss is faced with many difficult situations, but she is able...
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to stay true to who she is, she never loses that. The Mockingjay becomes a symbol of Katniss, which in that later books, becomes so much more.
Hope is something that the mockingjay symbolizes. The mockingjay, a freakish hybrid created from the genetic experiments of the capitol, is something that is beautiful and hopeful that springs unexpectedly out of a tyrannical rule. Just like the mockingjay, Katniss and Peeta offer that hope; they are something strong and good that comes out of the awful measures that the capitol takes against the people. In that sense, the mockingjay also represents Katniss, and the hope and strength that she gives the people. Against all odds, she survives, and creates a fresh new hope for everyone.
It also symbolizes how Katniss and Peeta use the "experiments" of the games against the capitol. The capitol set up an elaborate hunger games tournament, altering the environment and influencing the players, just like they did in creating a new species of bird. But then, enter the unknown factor, the wild creature (the mockingbird or Katniss and Peeta) and it created a hybrid that was able to oust the creators of their own genius. Peeta and Katniss take what the capitol has given them, the games, and infuses them into their own lives, making them their own, just as the mockingjay has done.
I hope that helped; good luck!