The mask of indifference is a metaphor for hiding Katniss's feelings.
Figurative language is language that is not meant to be taken literally. The most common types of figurative language are probably simile, metaphor, and personification. A simile compares two unlike things indirectly, usually with the words “like” or “as” used in the comparison. A metaphor, on the other hand, is a more direct comparison where you describe something as if it were something else. Personification is when you describe something nonhuman with human qualities.
The quote you have included is from the beginning of the book, when Katniss is explaining how she learned from a young age not to question the government.
When I was younger, I scared my mother to death, the things I would blurt out about District 12, about the people who rule our country, Panem, from the far-off city called the Capitol. Eventually I understood this would only lead us to more trouble. (Ch. 1)
Katniss says she learned to hold her tongue, which is an idiom. It is a common figure of speech, based on a metaphor, meaning she learned not to speak up. The rest of your quote is related to this metaphor. When Katniss says she learned to turn her face into an “indifferent mask” she does not mean that she literally wore a mask. She means that she learned to hide her feelings so that her facial expressions did not show them.
The metaphor of the mask of indifference is an important one for Katniss. It extends beyond not getting in trouble for speaking against the Capital. Katniss learned to hide all of her feelings as a coping mechanism for a difficult life. Throughout the rest of the book, Katniss tries to hide her emotions behind indifference so she will not get hurt. When you are fighting to survive a daily basis, which she did even before going to the Hunger Games, this is a valuable skill.
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