The Hunger Games Summary (Chapter 19-27 END) #MIDTERM PROJECT

Chapter 19

• Katniss claps her hand over her mouth, but realizes no one heard her. She realizes the Gamemakers must have changed the rules because they wanted to play up the star-crossed lovers thing. Peeta must have been working this angle all along, she decides.
• She smiles so the camera can see.
• OK, so who is left? Foxface, whose fellow tribute is dead. Thresh, who is from Rue's district. And then Cato and the girl from District 2. They'll be teaming up for sure.
• In the morning Katniss sets out to find Peeta. Where would he be? Probably the stream.
• Katniss follows the stream until she finds some bloodstains. She calls out Peeta's name and then suddenly she hears a voice: "You hear to finish me off, sweetheart?" (19.19).
• It's Peeta and he's camouflaged like crazy in the mud and leaves of the stream bank. That must have been one of his skills. He's also wounded VERY badly.
• Katniss starts to help him out of the mud when Peeta whispers to her that they're supposed to be in love so it's OK for her to kiss him. Katniss laughs.
• Katniss washes Peeta off and then tends to his wounds. She digs out the tracker jacker stingers and applies the leaves like Rue did for her. Next, she applies the burn cream and then fever reducer.
• Then? The wound Cato gave him in his legs. Oozing and festering, it looks terrible. What to do? She uses some of the leaves to draw the pus out, then ointment and bandages.
• As Katniss washes Peeta's shorts in the stream, she learns that Peeta hasn't gotten anything from the sponsors. Peeta comments that Haymitch favors her – because they're just alike.
• Realizing Peeta can't move very far, Katniss constructs a shelter from some of the cave-like rocks, which she camouflages.
• Peeta is burning with fever and when he starts talking about not making it, Katniss gives him a kiss to shut him up. It works.
• She steps out of the cave for a moment and what does she see? A pot of hot broth. The message from Haymitch: romance = sponsors. More kissing!
• Katniss comes back to the cave ready for romance. She kisses the sleeping Peeta awake and shows him the broth.

Chapter 20

• Katniss feeds Peeta, smooches a little more, and then settles down to keep watch for the night.
• In the morning Peeta's fever is down. Katniss feeds him some berries she's collected, and then Peeta makes her rest while he keeps watch. He strokes her hair as she falls asleep.
• Katniss wakes in the afternoon, a little ticked that she slept so long. She makes Peeta drink water (he still has a fever) and tends to his wounds. His leg looks just awful. Without medicine, it will surely give him blood poisoning and kill him.
• With temperature blazing, Katniss uses some of the hot rocks outside to cook up a stew. She also sets some snares.
• Back at the cave, Peeta asks Katniss to tell him a story. He asks her to tell him about the happiest day she can remember.
• The first thing that comes to mind is hunting with Gale, but this won't go over well with the audience. She decides on the story of Prim's goat, Lady.
• The story? Ahem: Katniss had a bunch of money from selling one of her mother's lockets.
• Wait! Wait! Falsehood alert: The actual reason she had all the money? Gale and Katniss shot a buck in the woods and sold it to the butcher, Rooba. She, of course, couldn't say this on camera (poaching is illegal) so she has to change things up a bit.
• Continuing with the story: Katniss saw the Goat Man at the market who had a goat that is wounded with a mauled shoulder. Knowing it would be good for milk and cheese, she wanted to buy it for Prim.
• The Goat Man said that the butcher, Rooba, was buying her. Rooba showed up and let Katniss buy the goat instead of her.
• Gale and Katniss brought home the goat. Katniss bought a pink ribbon for its neck and Prim was thrilled. She and Mother began brewing up concoctions to heal the goat.
• Peeta says he understands why that day made Katniss happy and she says, yes, the goat was a goldmine. Peeta makes some jests at this. The two spar for a bit and then the trumpets blare.
• Claudius Templesmith, the announcer, invites all tributes to a feast. He says that there will be something at the feast that each of the tributes need in a book bag marked with their district's number.
• Peeta immediately says that Katniss is not going. Katniss objects and the two fight. Peeta says he'll follow her if she goes. Katniss knows he's stubborn enough to do it.
• Katniss goes out to get the soup, which Peeta eats with gusto. As she's washing the pot out, a parachute floats down from the sponsors. What is it? Sleep syrup – to knock Peeta out while she goes to battle it out at the feast.
• Katniss mashes up the sleep syrup with some berries and manages to get Peeta to take it. He realizes what's happening as the syrup knocks him out.

Chapter 21

• Katniss camouflages the opening of the cave and thinks strategy: her ability to kill from afar will help, but she'll still have to jump into the fray to get the backpack.
• Katniss settles down to sleep, though it's freezing. She thinks of her family, who will watch the feast back home tomorrow. School will probably be canceled. Everyone will be cheering and watching. Gale too.
• Katniss wonders what Gale must think of the romance plot.
• About three hours before dawn, Katniss begins to prepare to leave. Remembering to keep up the star-crossed lovers plot, she gives Peeta a big old kiss before she leaves.
• Katniss heads to her old hiding place near the Cornucopia to see who shows up. As the sun rises, a round table raises out of the ground with the backpacks. Showtime!
• Suddenly, someone darts out of the Cornucopia itself, grabs a backpack and speeds off. Foxface! Katniss kicks herself for not thinking of hiding in the Cornucopia.
• Katniss sprints for the Cornucopia and a knife whizzes by, which she deflects. She turns and sends an arrow straight at the tribute who threw it (Clove), injuring her in the arm.
• Grabbing the backpack, Katniss gets sliced by another knife right in the forehead. Yikes! Blinded with the blood, Clove knocks her to the ground.
• The two exchange barbs: Katniss says Peeta is out hunting Cato (not true), and then yells his name. Clove silences her and calls her a liar. She says she'll kill her just like they killed Rue.
• Clove starts to cut Katniss's mouth with one of her many knives, when all of a sudden Thresh appears and attacks Clove. He apparently heard her mention killing Rue, and he's back for revenge. He bludgeons Clove in the skull with a rock. WOW.
• Thresh turns to Katniss with the rock. Katniss tells Thresh she was Rue's ally and that she killed Rue's attacker. Thresh lets her go, saying that now the two are even.
• With Cato approaching the scene, Katniss takes off for the woods. She makes it back to the cave, takes out a hypodermic needle from the backpack (medicine for Peeta, duh), and gives him a shot.
• Still bleeding from her head, Katniss blacks out.

Chapter 22

• Katniss wakes up, weak and dizzy to find Peeta nursing her. He feeds her and tells her to rest. He doesn't appear mad at her for drugging him.
• It's raining outside, which Katniss knows is probably aimed at Cato and Thresh. She tells Peeta about everything that happened at the Cornucopia, including Thresh letting her go because he owed her a debt.
• Peeta doesn't seem to understand, but Katniss says it's like the bread he gave her as a child. Katniss feels tears in her eyes thinking about Thresh dying. She tells Peeta she wants to go home.
• Katniss sleeps more and, when she wakes, the two eat what's left of the food. They're still famished.
• Realizing that romance is the way to get more food, Katniss decides to play up the lovey-dovey thing some more. She takes his hand and apologizes for drugging him. Peeta warns her not to do it again.
• The two spar a little and Katniss feels something – she's not sure what – and before you know it the two are lip-locked. For real! Katniss tells us that this is the first kiss she's had with him that makes her want another.
• No more hanky-panky for Katniss, though. The two snuggle down in the sleeping bag and get some rest.
• The next day, the rains continue, and Katniss and Peeta grow hungrier. Time for more romance!
• Katniss asks Peeta when he got a crush on her. He tells her the first day of school. He also mentions that his own father wanted to marry her mother. (WHOA.)
• Peeta said he knew he was a goner for her when in music class she stood up and sang the valley song. Of course, he could never work up the nerve to talk to her.
• Katniss is happy but also super-confused. These details sound real. Is Peeta actually telling the truth? Is he actually in love with her?
• Katniss stutters through some more words and then leans in to kiss him. That's when she hears a clunk outside: a tureen of lamb stew and rice! Looks like the romance plot worked.

Chapter 23

• Katniss and Peeta eat a small portion of the stew, knowing if they gorge themselves, they'll get sick. Then it's more kissy face for the camera.
• Katniss teases Peeta for liking a girl from the Seam, but he reminds her that if she wins, she'll be living in Victor's Village in a fancy new house. Their neighbor, of course, would be Haymitch. (HA.)
• The two tease Haymitch a bit, which the audience probably enjoys. Katniss realizes that she might not get along with Haymitch very well in person, but the two have been able to communicate throughout the Games. She understands his messages through the gifts he sends.
• Katniss asks Peeta how Haymitch won the Hunger Games. Peeta says by outsmarting the others. Maybe Katniss has been underestimated Haymitch.
• The anthem plays and Katniss finds out Thresh is dead. She's pretty bummed. They realize Cato will be hunting them.
• The two take turns sleeping and watching and eating. Katniss considers that they might actually win. What would she do? Who would she be?
• Who will Peeta be, she wonders? Will they be friends? Something beyond that? She thinks of Gale.
• In the morning the two eat the rest of the food and set out to hunt. As the two move through the forest, Peeta is, unfortunately, SUPER-loud. He stomps and clumps and scares off the game.
• Katniss asks him to take his boots off and the two of them are a little quieter, but not much.
• The two decide to split up: Peeta will gather roots and Katniss will hunt. She teaches him a whistle to use to say he's OK.
• After having caught some game, Katniss realizes she hasn't heard the whistle in a bit. She whistles, no response. Back at their meeting point, she sees a bunch of berries that have been gathered, but no Peeta.
• Suddenly, he appears and Katniss is relieved but still angry at him for not whistling. She also notices that some of their food is gone.
• That's when the cannon fires. The hovercraft appears, and they see Foxface lifted out of the arena.
• That's right: crafty old Foxface ate some of the berries Peeta collected. Apparently, they were poisonous!

Chapter 24

• Katniss explains to Peeta that Foxface must have been watching him gather food and eaten his berries. They save a handful of the berries, just in case they can fool Cato in the same way.
• Speaking of which, he probably knows where they are now, what with the canon, but instead of running, Katniss suggests they make a fire, roast their meat, and wait to see if he shows up.
• He doesn't. Time to make camp for the night, but Peeta can't climb, so Katniss agrees (reluctantly) to head back to the cave. Then she gives him a smooch. (Gotta play up the romance.)
• Back at the cave, the two eat and Peeta nods off. Katniss tucks him into bed and thinks about Cato and his crazed tantrum when he lost the supply pyramid. Maybe the guy is insane.
• Her thoughts turn to Foxface: probably the smartest tribute out there. The only way they got her was through Peeta's mistake. Is Cato as smart? He definitely lacks control with that temper.
• The next day the two eat and head out only to find the stream all dried up. The Gamemakers must be driving them to the lake for a "bloody fight to the death" – so that's where they head (24.46).
• At the lake, there's no sign of Cato. Katniss makes Rue's mockingjay call and the trees come alive with the song. The song is cut off, though, when someone smashes through the trees: Cato – wearing body armor.
• But wait. He's not running for them. He's running FROM something. But what?
• Creatures. He's being pursued by creatures. Katniss stumbles after Cato. And runs.

Chapter 25

• The creatures chasing them are big old wolves that are clearly genetic "muttations" engineered by the Capitol (25.1).
• Cato, Katniss, and Peeta all scramble for the safety of the Cornucopia. Cato reaches the top first, and then Katniss. Just as she's about to draw an arrow to shoot him she hears Peeta cry out with the mutts on his heels. She helps him climb to the top.
• That's when Katniss gets a closer look at the pack of wolves: their eyes are strangely human. That's when she realizes that they ARE humans. The Capitol has somehow engineered the dead tributes into KILLER WOLVES.
• Katniss fires into one of the wolves' (Glimmer's) throat. Then she recognizes Foxface, the boy from District 9, and worst of all, RUE. Peeta recognizes them too.
• Peeta and Katniss fight off the pack, but then Cato (who had been recovering from being chased) comes up behind Peeta and gets him in a headlock.
• Katniss doesn't know what to do. Her arrows are useless. Plus, if she shoots him, he'll take Peeta down with him into the pack of snarling wolves. Stalemate.
• Peeta signals for Katniss to shoot Cato's hand, which she does, and Cato releases Peeta while he knocks Cato back into the wolf pack. Unfortunately, Cato doesn't die right away. He is being torn to bits by the wolves.
• Still, though, no cannon. They can hear Cato slowly dying and moaning. What's worse is that Peeta is losing blood from his leg.
• Katniss cuts off a sleeve from her shirt and makes a tourniquet for Peeta with her arrow. He may lose his leg, but it could also save his life.
• Listening to Cato die is a nightmare and Katniss just wants his suffering to end. The Gamemakers won't put him out of his misery though, because "this is the final word in entertainment" (25.44).
• Katniss makes Peeta stay awake through the night so he won't lose consciousness. Peeta tells her to shoot Cato with the arrow she used for his tourniquet. Katniss does and the cannon fires.
• They did it! Yeah! But wait. Nothing happens.
• They move down to the lake where the announcer's voice booms out that there has been YET ANOTHER change in the rules. That's right! Now there can only be ONE winner.
• Katniss draws her arrow but can't kill Peeta. She won't let him kill himself. So what do they decide to do?
• Katniss grabs the red poisonous berries that killed old Foxface. Peeta gets her idea, and they both take some in their hand. It's tragic lover suicide time! Peeta kisses her and then they start to pop them in their mouth.
• Then suddenly, the voice of the announcer:
• "Stop! Stop! Ladies and gentlemen, I am leased to present the victors of the Seventy-fourth Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark!" (25.94).

Chapter 26

• Katniss and Peeta spit the berries out and flush their mouths with water. A hovercraft appears and zips them right up.
• Doctors whisk Peeta away behind a glass door and Katniss pounds on it. They're working away, though his heart stops twice.
• The hovercraft lands at the Training Center, and Katniss starts throwing herself against the glass. Then she's jabbed with a needle and all goes black.
• When Katniss wakes, she's naked in a bed in what seems to be a kind of recovery area. Her body is totally healed, clean, and all her scars are nearly gone. Her hearing is back in her left ear too.
• An Avox comes in and Katniss asks if Peeta made it. The Avox nods yes. She eats the clear broth the Avox brought in and realizes she will soon be home! She tries to get up but instead slips back into unconsciousness.
• The waking, sleeping, and eating cycle continues for a bit. Then Katniss wakes one day and nothing is plugged into her arm. No restraints anywhere. All her scars are gone. Her skin feels like satin.
• Katniss dresses and immediately finds Effie, Haymitch, and Cinna. Hugs all around. No Peeta, though, since their reunion is to be televised.
• Katniss goes with Cinna to be readied for the reunion. She tries her best not to be annoyed by the prep team.
• Cinna brings out a simple yellow dress that is padded with curves since Katniss has lost so much weight. Cinna tells Katniss that they did want to surgically change Katniss.
• Katniss looks very unassuming and innocent in her outfit. She knows there's a reason for the simple dress, but Cinna doesn't fill her in. Or can't. He just says he thought Peeta would like it.
• Before she is taken to the stage, Haymitch clues her in that she's kind of in trouble with the Capitol. They're furious at the whole suicide stunt thing. He tells her that her only defense is to be madly in love with Peeta.
• Katniss asks Haymitch if he already told Peeta this, and Haymitch says that Peeta is "already there" (26.59).
• Katniss knows she's in danger. So is Peeta, and possibly her family. She's got to pull this off. Now, there's so much more at stake.
• What did Haymitch mean when he said that Peeta was "already there" (25.67)? Is he in love with her? Does Katniss have feelings for Peeta?
• Katniss has no idea. It's all too complicated. And she has time to think about it now because "the most dangerous part of the Hunger Games is about to begin" (25.69).

Chapter 27

• The reunion show, hosted by Caesar Flickerman, begins. The support team comes out and then Katniss and Peeta (supported by a cane) are transported to the stage. She runs to his arms and they kiss for quite some time.
• The two sit in a love seat, and after a glance from Haymitch, Katniss kicks off her sandals and snuggles up to Peeta and puts her head on his shoulder.
• Now it's time for the show: they have to watch a three hour re-cap of the entire games. This year the editors have made it into a love story.
• Peeta carries the romance for the first part (staying awake under the tracker jacker tree, etc.), but Katniss's role picks up after Rue's death, when she shouts out Peeta's name.
• The berry suicide moment is played and then it ends, thankfully, with Katniss pounding on the glass in the hovercraft, calling Peeta's name. Pretty compelling.
• President Snow then appears on stage with a crown which he breaks in half and puts one on Peeta's head and the other's on Katniss's. He is smiling but his eyes are "as unforgiving as a snake's" (27.10).
• The evening's festivities conclude and then it's time for the Victory Banquet. Afterwards, Peeta and Katniss are separated and sent to separate rooms to sleep and prepare for the final interview tomorrow.
• Determined to talk to Peeta, Katniss slips out to the roof, but he's not there. She tries to leave her room again later that night, but she's locked in. Imprisoned! But by whom?
• The next morning, it's interview time, and Katniss is prepped again by the stylists and then ushered into a sitting room with a love seat. Caesar Flickerman is there to ask questions.
• Peeta and Katniss snuggle up again (per Caesar's suggestion) and the questions begin. Peeta does most of the talking as he has a great rapport with Caesar.
• Finally Katniss has to talk. Caesar asks her when she knew she was falling for Peeta. Katniss fumbles but Caesar helps by reminding her of the night she called out his name when she heard that two tributes could win. Recovery!
• Caesar changes the subject to all their injuries and he asks Peeta how his new leg is. Katniss blames herself because she used the tourniquet, but Caesar points out that she saved his life. Katniss gets upset and buries her head in Peeta's shirt.
• Caesar then asks Katniss about the berries. She says she couldn't bear the thought of being without Peeta. Peeta agrees. Good job! The interview is over.
• Katniss collects things from her room (the mockingjay pin) and then is whisked away to a train to be taken back to District 12. She'll see her support team again soon when she and Peeta go on the tour of the districts that the victors always go on.
• Katniss changes into a plan shirt and pants. She starts feeling like herself and Peeta's arms around her shoulders starts feeling "alien" (27.58).
• The train stops for fuel, and she and Peeta walk outside for air. She can only think of Gale. Haymitch appears and tells them to keep up the lovey-dovey stuff until they're back in the district and the cameras are gone.
• Haymitch gone, Peeta asks Katniss what that was all about. It comes out that Peeta thought that love stuff back in the arena was real, but Katniss didn't. Well, not completely. She doesn't know what she feels. The closer she gets to home, the more confused she is.
• Peeta asks her to let him know when she figures it out. He goes back to the train.
• When the train pulls into the station, there are cameras everywhere. Peeta extends his hand to Katniss and says, "One more time? For the audience?" (25.82).
• Katniss takes it as they step onto the platform.