Mitchell

As a part of Squad 4 51, Mitchell is assigned to infiltrate the Capitol and spread propaganda amongst the rebels. Mitchell is an excellent sharpshooter. Tragically, he is killed on the mission by Peeta Mellark, who throws him onto a deadly pod in a fit of frenzy. 

Mitchell Character Profile

• Name: Mitchell
• Age: 40s/50s
• Gender: Male
• Place of origin: District 13
• Physical appearance: Older, well-built 
• Skills: Marksmanship 
• Strengths: Physical strength, loyalty 
• Weaknesses: Acting
• Loyalties: Rebel

Personality and Physical Description

“Two older guys, Mitchell and Homes, never say much but can shoot the dust off your boots at fifty yards.”

‘Mockingjay’

Mitchell does not speak much in ‘Mockingjay.’ He is an excellent rebel soldier with superior marksmanship skills. He is also highly loyal to the rebel cause and willing to sacrifice his life for the same. This is most likely the reason why he is assigned to the sharpshooters’ squad with Katniss Everdeen and the others.

Mitchell is silent but deadly. He is trained well in combat and can tackle Peeta when he is attacking Katniss. The only description given of the character in the book is that he is an older man like Homes. He also earns a reputation as being the worst actor in the group after his terrible reenactment of his reaction to the pod. He is also very alert as a soldier. As the squad makes their way across the Capitol streets, he wisely voices his concern about being attacked by Capitol hovercrafts.

The Star Squad

Not much is known about Mitchell’s early life. He lives in District 13 during the Second Rebellion. However, he might have defected from another district of Panem before the rebellion began.

He is trained as a soldier in District 13. He is well-trained with guns and has excellent marksmanship. As a result, he is assigned to Squad 451 along with Katniss Everdeen, Gale Hawthorne, Finnick Odair, Commander Boggs, and others. 

The primary mission of the squad is to infiltrate the Capitol and shoot propaganda films of some of the most popular and revered rebel soldiers. As a result, the squad tries to activate a pod in the street, so that Cressida and her crew can film their responses to the pod.

As Cressida wishes to get close-ups of their responses, they are required to re-enact them. Unfortunately, Mitchell earns the reputation of being the worst actor amongst them due to his terrible portrayal of desperation including grinding his teeth and flaring his nostrils. He provides much entertainment for the rest of the group with his bad acting.

“…it turns out that I’m not the worst actor in the squad. Not by a long shot. We’re all laughing so hard at Mitchell’s attempt to project his idea of desperation, which involves teeth grinding and nostrils flaring, that Boggs has to reprimand us.”

Katniss Everdeen in ‘Mockingjay’

Death

On their mission, Boggs accidentally sets off a pod that destroys his legs. In the chaos that follows, Peeta snaps back to his frenzied state of mind before the reverse hijacking. As a result, he attempts to crush Katniss’ skull. However, Mitchell stops him from attacking by pinning him to the ground. Unfortunately, Peeta’s strength, which was fuelled by the tracker jacker frenzy, proves too powerful for Mitchell. Peeta therefore pushes him onto another pod. The trap gets released and the pod is activated. 

The pod is a huge net that encases him with the four sides of the net being attached to four buildings. The net is lined with barbed wire which stabs him several times over, causing his body to ooze blood. 

“There’s a loud snap of a trap as the pod triggers. Four cables, attached to tracks on the buildings, break through the stones, dragging up the net that encases Mitchell. It makes no sense—how instantly bloodied he is—until we see the barbs sticking from the wire that encases him.”

‘Mockingjay’

Katniss and the others are unable to rescue Mitchell due to the thick black tar that begins filling the street up. All they can do is escape the tar by locking themselves up inside an apartment. After the pod has been deactivated, they go out to discover that the black tar has dried enough to stop flowing. The tar coats the street and the sides of the buildings. Worst of all, Mitchell has drowned in the foul black tar. Still caught in the net, he is encased within a teardrop of the tar above. All that is seen sticking out is the barrel of a gun and Mitchell’s hand.

Peeta is overcome with remorse and guilt for his actions. He believes that he is a threat to every member of the squad and he asks Gale Hawthorne to kill him. Katniss and the squad instead tie his hands up with handcuffs so that he cannot do more damage even if he goes rogue again.

“I don’t know how long he’s been watching, but by the look of misery on his face, long enough to see what happened on the street. How he went mad, tried to bash my head in, and hurled Mitchell into the pod.”

‘Mockingjay’

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