Arlo Chance was a coal miner from District 12 and a rebel soldier during the Dark Days. Ten years after the war, he was executed, inspiring Lucy Gray Baird to write "The Hanging Tree" song.
Quick Answers
What was Arlo Chance's occupation before he became a rebel soldier?
What event inspired Lucy Gray Baird to write 'The Hanging Tree' song?
What was Arlo Chance's role during the First Rebellion?
What was the outcome of Arlo Chance's attempt to sabotage the coal mine?
How did Arlo Chance's actions impact District 12 after the First Rebellion?
Biography[]
- "They're all malcontents, but this one's the ringleader. Name's Arlo something-or-other."
- —A Peacekeeper major regarding Arlo Chance[src]
He was an ex-soldier and had also been toughened by many years of hard work in the coal mines of District 12.[1] Although the rebels lost the war, he was determined to try to keep things going. Ten years later, he tried to sabotage coal production at the mine with a bombing, but accidentally killed three people in the process. He failed in his goal and was arrested by Peacekeepers for murder.[2]
Film adaptation[]
In The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, Arlo was said to have shot and killed two coal mine managers and a Peacekeeper. According to Commander Hoff, the murder weapon was later found and swabbed for DNA, which proved Arlo's guilt.[3]
Death[]
He was hung publicly at the hanging tree, a makeshift gallows that was used in place of the proper one that the Capitol kept promising to send. Coriolanus Snow and Sejanus Plinth, both newly recruited Peacekeepers, were made to attend the execution, as they had performed well during training drills. During the execution, a woman, Lil, appeared, shrieking his name. Horrified, he shouted for her to run. The trapdoor was then released and he dropped fifteen feet, killed instantly. In the wake of his hanging, the jabberjays in the forest took up his cry,[2] which was then transformed into music by the mockingjays.[4]
Legacy[]
Arlo's execution inspired Lucy Gray to write "The Hanging Tree".[5] The song survived in the memory of Katniss Everdeen, though its historical context had been lost by the time she learned it.[6] In The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1, Katniss sang it in a propaganda video, and district rebels took it up as a protest song.[7]
Trivia[]
- Arlo is heavily implied to be related to Woodbine Chance.
- Arlo and Lil served as the inspiration for the "Hanging Tree" song.
- It's possible that Arlo and Lil were lovers.
References[]
- ↑ The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Chapter 28
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Chapter 22
- ↑ The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
- ↑ The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Chapter 23
- ↑ The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Chapter 24
- ↑ Mockingjay, Chapter 9
- ↑ The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1