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1-Page Summary of Catching Fire
Overall Summary
Katniss has won the Hunger Games, an annual festival sponsored by her government. The government requires that each of the twelve districts of Panem send two competitors, one male and one female, to fight each other in a series of challenges until there is only one champion. The entire population watches the games on television. Katniss pretended to be in love with Peeta so they could win together.
Katniss Everdeen, the victor of the 74th Hunger Games, is back in District 12. She lives with her mother and sister Primrose, as well as a former victor named Haymitch Abernathy. One day while returning home from hunting for food in the woods, she finds President Coriolanus Snow waiting for her at her house. He informs Katniss that she’ll be going on a Victory Tour to all twelve districts. The president warns Katniss not to defy him again because he knows about her romance with Gale Hawthorne—her best friend since childhood who’s been referred to by the media as her cousin—and will punish them if she does so.
After the Quarter Quell, Katniss is worried about her family’s safety. To protect them, she makes a Victory Tour of all the districts. Haymitch and Peeta are also there to support her in this difficult time. Before they leave for District 11, Katniss’ mother gives her a pin shaped like a mockingjay – an endangered bird from Panem. While visiting District 11, Katniss remembers Rue – one of last year’s competitors who died during the Hunger Games and was from that district. She goes “off script” and tells everyone she will always remember Rue because of how bravely she fought in the games despite being so young (12). This inspires many people to clap or cheer for her which angers President Snow who orders his soldiers (Peacekeepers) to kill those who applauded after giving them warning shots first. Afterwards, Katniss talks with Haymitch and Peeta about everything President Snow told her before he killed Primrose Everdeen by forcing him into another game where he almost dies but is saved by sponsors at the last minute. After hearing what happened between Gale and herself when they kissed, Peeta realizes that he has been selfish because he only wants what’s best for himself even though it hurts others such as Katniss or Gale.
Katniss doesn’t feel anything special towards Peeta except friendship but understands that it would be unfair if she were forced to choose between him or Gale since both boys love her deeply. Therefore, she decides not to get married until peace is restored throughout Panem.
As Peeta and Katniss continue their tour, they stick to the script during all public appearances. Katniss begins to have nightmares about Rue and the Games, so she sleeps in Peeta’s bed for comfort. The last stage of their tour takes place in District 1—the Capitol—where the most powerful citizens live; President Snow is among them. At a ball, Katniss meets Plutarch Heavensbee, who wears a mockingjay watch that makes her suspicious.
Katniss, Haymitch and Peeta return to District 12. They learn that there are uprisings in other parts of Panem. In response to these uprisings, the government has sent more Peacekeepers to District 12: rules are being strictly enforced and people are jailed or killed for breaking the law. President Snow wants Katniss dead so she decides to leave with her family and friends. She tells Gale who is eager to join her but realizes that Peeta will be coming too. Shortly thereafter, Gale is savagely whipped for illegally hunting in the woods by a Peacekeeper named Romulus Thread who uses medicine on him which seems harsh and brutal but ultimately causes him to heal faster than usual. Katniss’s mother tends to dozens of victims of brutality by the government including Gale himself while Katniss herself tends most often only to Gale even kissing him once while he sleeps beside her after his whipping was done by Romulus Thread from The Capitol. Peeta sees them together when they were sleeping together and is angry at this because he thinks that it would make things harder between them later on if they had children since everyone knows about their relationship now because of what happened during The Games where both boys fell in love with one girl (Katniss) instead of two girls like before (Katniss & Madge).
