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A charismatic, defiant, and cunning 16-year-old tribute from District 12, Lucy is also a talented singer and dancer, but her ability to perform goes far beyond her ability to entertain people. Even when she first takes the stage during her Reaping and sings to the crowd, she’s making a calculated decision to advertise herself to those who might be able to help her survive the Games. She doesn’t see the benefit in appearing like a scared child who’s been given a death sentence, as she knows all the other tributes can also do that. Her colorful clothes and seemingly carefree demeanor are pretty distractions: they cover a shrewd intelligence and an intense sense of purpose honed from her difficult, unstable childhood. When Lucy arrives on the scene in Panem, she’s still a low-priority tribute. Children from District 12 tend to be weakened by poverty and the coal dust in the air, dying early in the games. However, when the Arena is bombed and Lucy saves Coriolanus’s life, he realizes that she has some serious grit under her soft surface. When he asks her how he can pay her back, Lucy has a simple request: she wants Coriolanus to take her seriously as a potential winner. It’s a massive tone shift in their relationship, which ends up being the driving force in both of their lives for many years.
In most of her public interactions, Lucy switches between vulnerability and faux confidence as she weighs up what will work best to manipulate those around her. She seems as surprised as everyone else when she develops genuine feelings for Coriolanus, but when she does, she uses her wiles to protect him from the few obstacles she’s able to help with. Although Coriolanus doesn’t always understand her—and Lucy doesn’t always want him to—Lucy is very loyal to him once she decides he can be trusted. The only comparable loyalty she holds is to the members of the Covey, the nomadic group of musicians with whom she grew up. She doesn't see herself as being a citizen of District 12, but she certainly doesn't feel aligned with the luxuries of the Capitol.
Lucy is primarily aligned with herself; like Coriolanus, she has learned that the best way to deal with the harshness of Panem life is to tread lightly in most relationships. Because Lucy is such a skilled flirt, it’s never quite clear to the reader how serious or how intense her feelings are about anything. At times she seems very loving, especially in tender moments like her song at the Hob for Coriolanus, but she also always keeps her cards close to her chest.
