Mrs. Everdeen eventually returns to her profession as an apothecarist and a healer. However, due to Katniss’ actions, the districts are increasingly becoming rebellious, and the Capitol is cracking down on the residents. When District 13 declares open rebellion on the Capitol, Mrs. Everdeen works as a medic in the Second Rebellion. She also trains her younger daughter, Primrose Everdeen, to follow in her footsteps.
Mrs. Everdeen Character Profile
- Name: Mrs. Everdeen
- Age: Early 40s
- Gender: Female
- Place of origin: The Merchant Section, District 12
- Physical appearance: Fair skin with blonde hair and blue eyes
- Skills: Healing, using herbs and plants for their medicinal properties
- Strengths: Empathetic personality, ability to work under stressful conditions
- Weaknesses: Unable to care for her family due to grief and depression
- Loyalties: Rebel
Personality and Physical Description
The character of Mrs. Everdeen is colored by Katniss’ hatred and resentment toward her. Although Katniss believes that her mother is useless, we can understand that Mrs. Everdeen cared for her husband very much. She even chooses to leave behind her life in the Merchant Section to marry Mr. Everdeen, despite the relative poverty she would have to live the rest of her life in. After her husband’s death, she is overcome with grief and depression and falls into a daze. As a result, she is unable to care for her daughters, although she still loves them.
Mrs. Everdeen snaps out of her depression when Katniss is reaped into the 74th Hunger Games. The once “useless” mother of Katniss becomes more actively involved in her children’s lives. She begins to bear the responsibility of parenthood while also returning to her occupation as a healer. By nature, she is a nurturer and a caregiver and is able to channel these qualities to help several district residents in their times of need. She is also a good teacher, facilitating Prim to follow in her footsteps by teaching her medicine.
Coming from the Merchant Section, Mrs. Everdeen has fair skin, blond hair, and blue eyes. This is in stark contrast with her daughter, Katniss, who has olive skin, dark hair and gray eyes.
Biography
Early Life
Mrs. Everdeen grew up in the Merchant Section of District 12. Her parents ran an apothecary business, working as healers on the side. As such, Mrs. Everdeen led a relatively easy life compared to her classmates from the Seam. Her best friend Maysilee Donner was reaped into the Second Quarter Quell (50th Hunger Games) along with Haymitch Abernathy. Unfortunately, Maysilee lost her life during the Games and Mrs. Everdeen felt the loss of her friend deeply. Maysilee’s parents gave Mrs. Everdeen their daughter’s songbird to remember her by.
Marriage
Mrs. Everdeen was very pretty and could have had her pick of partners at the Merchant Section. Even Peeta’s father confesses to him that he would have married her if he had the chance to. However, Mrs. Everdeen fell in love with Mr. Everdeen, a poor coal miner from the Seam. She left behind her relatively carefree life to live with her husband in the Seam. Mr. and Mrs. Everdeen eventually had two children, Primrose and Katniss Everdeen.
When she was 11 years old, Katniss’s father passed away in a tragic mining accident. Mrs. Everdeen’s grief for her dead husband rendered her incapable of taking care of herself or her children. As a result, Katniss was forced to take on the responsibility of caring for her family and bringing up her sister. Slowly, Mrs. Everdeen recovers from her severe depression to restart her apothecary business, and she eventually gets better with the help of medicine.
74th Hunger Games
Primrose’s name is called out during the Reaping ceremony of the 74th Hunger Games. However, Katniss, the heroine of the Hunger Games series, volunteers in her place and becomes the female tribute for the year. Before leaving, Katniss desperately begs her mother to snap out of it and take care of her sister while she is gone.
Mrs. Everdeen presumably does as she is told. Gale Hawthorne, Katniss’ best friend offers a great amount of help to Katniss’ family during this time. Mrs. Everdeen is relieved when Katniss survives the Games and comes back as a victor. She moves into the Victors’ Village with Katniss and Prim. Here, life is luxurious and Mrs. Everdeen does not have to worry about providing for her family ever again.
75th Hunger Games
Mrs. Everdeen is struck with tragedy once again as Katniss is forced back into the arena during the Third Quarter Quell. However, this time, she is much more responsible in caring for herself and Prim. As a skilled healer, she continues healing those who are suffering from ailments and injuries with natural herbs and medicine. She begins training Prim to become a healer as well.
The Second Rebellion
President Snow targets District 12 at the end of the 75th Hunger Games when Katniss blows up the arena. Fortunately, with the help of Gale, Mrs. Everdeen, and Prim survive the bombing of District 12 and escape to District 13 together. Mrs. Everdeen begins working full-time as a medic for those injured in the war. She also helps to train young children aspiring to become medics themselves, including her daughter, Primrose.
Mrs. Everdeen finally begins healing her relationship with her daughters and finds a purpose for herself. However, tragedy strikes her again when Prim passes away in a bombing during the rebellion. Mrs. Everdeen is stronger this time around, however, and has learned from her past mistakes. Thus, instead of shutting down after Prim’s death, she mobilizes herself to work even harder, thereby drowning her grief in her work. She moves to District 4 where she continues to work as a healer.
FAQs
Does Katniss’s mother have a name?
Katniss’ mother’s name is never revealed in The Hunger Games books. As the story is told mainly from Katniss’ point of view, she is only ever referred to as her mother. Most people assume her last name to be Everdeen since she was married to Mr. Everdeen.
Why did Katniss’ mother abandon her?
After Mr. Everdeen’s death, Katniss’ mother abandons her children emotionally, leaving them to fend for themselves. This is because she was deeply struck by grief and was too depressed to care for her kids. As a result, Katniss (being the older child) became the provider for the family. She learns to hunt with her bow and arrow, which eventually helps her survive the arena after forming an alliance with the District 11 female, Rue.
What did Mrs. Everdeen do?
Mrs. Everdeen works as a healer. Although she forgoes this profession for a long time after her husband’s death, she picks it up again eventually, helping to cure the injuries and ailments of District 12 residents. In Mockingjay, she works as a medic for the rebels in the Second Rebellion.
What happens to Katniss’ mom in the end?
In the end, Katniss’ mother is struck with grief yet again when her younger daughter, Primrose Everdeen, is killed in the war. This time, however, instead of falling into a daze, she decides to move to District 4 and bury her grief in her work.
What was Katniss Everdeen’s job?
Katniss Everdeen did not have a job, as she was only 16 years old at the time of the reaping for the 74th Hunger Games. She was therefore still in school. After the end of the Second Rebellion, she presumably takes up a job to help rebuild the nation. However, the books do not mention her occupation.
What did Peeta’s father say about Katniss’ mother?
In the first book, Peeta’s father, Mr. Mellark confessed to Peeta one day that Katniss’ mother was so sweet and beautiful that he wished to marry her. However, Katniss’ mother decided to run off with a coal miner from the Seam instead. He also admitted that the coal miner had a beautiful voice and every time he sang, the birds would stop to listen.
Who portrays Mrs. Everdeen in the movies?
Paula Malcolmson portrays Mrs. Everdeen in the movies.
