Timeline

CHAPTER 1

Chapter 1

On reaping day in District 12, Katniss hunts and trades with Gale, then prepares to face the public lottery alongside her mother and Prim. Their morning’s fragile warmth and jokes give way to the square’s oppressive spectacle, where the Capitol’s history and rules make the Games’ cruelty unmistakable. When Effie draws Prim’s name, Katniss’s dread becomes immediate and personal.

CHAPTER 2

Chapter 2

When Prim is chosen at the District 12 reaping, Katniss volunteers in her place, earning the crowd’s silent solidarity before Peeta Mellark is selected as the boy tribute. As they stand together awaiting the Games, Katniss recalls how Peeta once gave her bread when her family was starving—a kindness that helped her find hope and survive—making their impending fight feel painfully personal. The chapter moves between the stark public ritual and a memory of hunger and compassion, balancing defiance, grief, and uneasy gratitude.

CHAPTER 3

Chapter 3

After volunteering for the Hunger Games, Katniss says goodbye to Prim and her mother, entrusting their care to others while insisting that her mother stay strong. Gifts and farewells from the baker, Madge, and Gale offer comfort and practical advice, but Katniss leaves District 12 burdened by fear and the prospect of killing. On the lavish train to the Capitol, the mockingjay pin connects her to her father, while a rich meal and Haymitch’s drunken collapse reveal the strange excesses—and uncertain support—awaiting her.

CHAPTER 4

Chapter 4

Katniss and Peeta help their drunken mentor, Haymitch, but Katniss recoils from Peeta’s kindness, fearing the attachment it might create before they become enemies in the arena. A glimpse of dandelions brings back memories of how she kept her family alive after her father’s death, deepening her longing for home and her unresolved hurt toward her mother. The train reaches the Capitol, where Peeta and Katniss force Haymitch to take their survival seriously; as the dazzling city crowds cheer them, Katniss realizes Peeta is already fighting to live—and may therefore be fighting against her.

CHAPTER 5

Chapter 5

In the Capitol’s Remake Center, Katniss endures painful grooming before meeting her stylist, Cinna, whose quiet respect and bold plan to dress her in simulated flames set him apart from the Capitol’s usual excess. As she and Peeta ride through the opening ceremonies, their blazing costumes and linked hands win the crowd’s attention, giving Katniss her first flicker of hope that sponsors might help her survive. Yet the warmth between them unsettles her: she ends the night kissing Peeta’s bruised cheek while reminding herself he may be her enemy.