She does not speak, but gestures and communicates with facial expressions and affection. She is elderly, matronly, and not interested in fighting. She is courageous and heroic nevertheless.
The fact that our culture devalues Mags' strongest traits is evident in how few youtube videos there are of her scenes, even though many of her scenes were very impactful. She ultimately gave her life for her country, but at first it appears she only does it to save Peeta. Her part was small, yes, but Kashmere and Gloss were too, and there were also bad. Those were the ones from districts 1 and 2 that trained from childhood to fight in the games, and saw them as chances to prove the superiority of their districts). Yet, there are numerous fan videos made in those character's honor. Mags was not a smaller part than theirs, if anything it might have been bigger role. Yet Mags is almost entirely ignored.
Some of the most character-revealing moments, like when Mags first meets Katniss, no one has cared to post or share. She and Katniss both volunteered to go in place of younger children who were randomly selected to fight in the Hunger Games. The two veterans mutually insist with sincerity, Katniss by words and Mags though delicate gestures, that the other was the bravest. They downplay their own acts of heroism. Mags brings out the gifts in Katniss that Katniss does not see that she has, the traits that could make her a good teacher, a good mother, a good friend. These same traits made Katniss a friend to Rue, and helped wake up a large portion of their country. These traits are not respected in our dominant (in more ways that one!) culture.
Mags agrees to teach Katniss to weave beautiful fishing lures, since she comes from a fishing district, in exchange for Katniss teaching her to hunt. Since I cannot share these marvelous clips, I will share an interview with Lynn Cohen, who played Mags, where she shows - albeit with words - the kind of personality Mags also had.
Mags only ever fought in the Hunger Games at all because she volunteered in the place of a child that had been randomly chosen. No explanation is given in the film of how she survived. Mags does not speak at all, presumably because of the trauma of her first time in the games or an injury sustained there. Mags basically raised Finnick O'Dare, a favorite of the Capitol, who was selected at 14 and was the youngest person ever to survive the Hunger Games. Mags is introduced, in Haymitch's informative video for the District 12 tributes, as Finnick O'Dare's only weakness. She is like a mother to him and he would do anything, even die, to protect her.
The Hunger Games fans have commemorated Mags only in her death scene, though her heroic nature and her gentleness are equally important. In fact, these attributes are different applications of the same traits. Mags' age and gentleness were at least as powerful of traits as any abilities Finninck or any of the other fighters had. Mags was successful in forging an amiable connection/alliance with Katniss, where Finnick had failed miserably. In addition to what this character contributed by gaining Katniss's respect and trust, she also raised Finnick. All the nutrition he had to get strong enough to win the Hunger games at such a tender age was prepared and chosen by her. Her skill in making fishing hooks suggests she may have had a part in providing it as well as preparing it. Whatever noble ideals Finnick had that made him support the Revolution despite being treated like a King in the Capitol would have been instilled by her. His strength, his skills in fishing, any decency he had, would have likely been there at least partly because of Mags. Everything she brought to the revolution was valuable, and she brought a lot.
In the special event designed to eliminate "The Mockingjay" Katniss Everdeen, in which only survivors of previous Hunger Games are chosen, Mags is clearly the least likely to succeed. During this event, when the small band of allies - Mags, Finnick, Peeta, and Katniss - have to cover distances, Finnick basically gives Mags a piggy-back ride.
Katniss did not know that half the tributes - including Finnick, and presumably Mags - were part of a plot to end the games and help overthrow the Capitol. Katniss, as the unwilling symbol of hope for the revolution, had to get out alive at all costs. Keeping her in the dark about the plan was equally important.
President Snow had threatened Katniss's family; she had to convince the districts that the dual-suicide bluff she and Peeta pulled to get out of the 74th Hunger Games without killing each other was an act of passion, not defiance (it was defiance). Katniss also had no intention of surviving twice. Whether she believed her family would be safer if she died keeping up the die-hard romance act, or cared more for Peeta than for herself, or just wanted out of the pain the post-traumatic stress was causing her is unclear (from the film at least).
Even if Katniss had wanted to leave Peeta behind when he fell in the poison fog, she would certainly not have done so; President Snow would have killed her family. Mags knew that Finnick had to carry Peeta, or both he and Katniss would die in the fog. Finnick would never, ever, leave Mags by choice, so she kissed her adopted son goodbye and hurried into the fog, where she very quickly died.
The Lesson: Strength is not measured in viciousness or in capability for violence. Neither is courage, or valor, or power or worth. As a society we need to think less like Panem, and get this reality through our heads. The epiphany is looong overdue.
Godspeed.
~M.S.
