Primrose Everdeen

"I don't care if we're rich. I just want you to come home. You'll try, won't you? Really, really try?"

- Primrose Everdeen

Primrose "Prim" Everdeen is Katniss Everdeen's younger sister. Unlike her sister in many ways, Prim, was the opposite of Katniss in both looks and character; having blonde hair like their mother as well as a talent for healing. She also has a cat named Buttercup and a goat named Lady.

Work
Prim has a goat named Lady who provides milk and cheese. Katniss, her older sister, rescued the goat and gave it to Prim on her 10th birthday after having shot and sold a young buck in the woods with Gale. Having so much money, they first thought to get Prim a hairbrush or cloth for a dress, but decided instead on a goat that had been injured.

Although Katniss was unsure if the goat would survive, Prim loved animals and was soon able to heal Lady with her mother's help. The sustenance provided by the goat helped Prim and her family to survive in the poor region of District 12 called the Seam. Prim also sold goat cheese to the baker for a generous amount of bread.

Other than her animals, Prim also had household chores and helped to take care of patients that people brought to her mother. Later, after Katniss escaped from the Quarter Quell, she turned out to be a very skilled doctor while living in District 13. During the war, she would work with her mother in the hospital and then go out to help the injured in the midst of battle - although this ultimately led to her death. While treating the wounded, exploding parachutes sent by a hovercaft went off before Katniss could get to her.

Early life
Not much is known about Prim's early life, but she is described as a compassionate young blonde girl with blue eyes.

She was born in late May, although the exact date is unknown. It is obvious from the beginning that Prim loves all living creatures. She saved a stray cat (whom Katniss tried to drown the second Prim brought him home) and named him Buttercup, insisting his muddy yellow coat matched the bright flower. Because of her love for animals, when Katniss once took her out in the woods beyond District 12 to teach her how to hunt and after successfully shooting a creature, Prim broke down in tears and wanted to help the dying animal.

Prim was also a good healer at an early age, often helping her mother with patients. Katniss noted that she never appeared to be fazed by wounds or nudity.

During Catching Fire, Katniss describes the day of her father's death. She explains that when alarms sounded in their school after the mining incident occurred, she went to Prim's classroom and found her waiting for her. The only other known event of her early life was mentioned in Mockingjay as Katniss recalls when her father was singing "The Hanging Tree" in their house when Prim was only a toddler as she made the rope necklaces.

The Hunger Games
At the reaping in The Hunger Games, it was Prim's name that was originally pulled out of the girls' reaping bowl. Katniss ran to and desperately volunteered for Prim, for she was so protective of her sister that she would die for her. She had not allowed Prim to take any tesserae and did everything she could to prevent Prim being thrown into the 74th Hunger Games, as she knew her little sister would not have lasted long in the competition, but in the end it hadn't mattered. Prim tries to stop Katniss but Gale Hawthorne holds her back and takes her away as she yells "No, Katniss! No! Don't go!" In the hour of farewells before traveling to the Capitol, Prim fiercely makes Katniss promise to win the Games and return home safely. Prim watched the Games with her mother and both of them hoped Katniss would survive. With some help from Peeta Mellark, her fellow district 12 tribute, she accomplishes this goal. Primrose is very excited to have her sister back in their new home in the Victors' Village.

Catching Fire
Prim is a more prominent character in the sequel, helping her mother with patients and keeping off the Capitol's toes. Prim continues to go to school and lives in her new house in the Victor's Village with her mother and Katniss. Prim is one of the people President Snow threatens to kill if Katniss does not prove that she was insanely in love with Peeta and that the suicide threat was an act of love not rebellion. Katniss keeps her mother and Prim out of her issues between her and Snow. Buttercup returns to Prim which makes her happy. When Katniss is about to give up and let things happen with Snow in control she thinks of Prim which gives her strength to go on. When Gale is whipped, along with Katniss having an injury from blocking a lash of it, Prim and her mother treat Gale and Katniss's injuries.

When Katniss was stuck in the woods due to the electricity being on 24/7, the Peacekeepers went to her house to arrest Prim and her mother to take in for questioning but Katniss made it there after being forced to jump over the fence. The Capitol has arranged for a showy wedding to Peeta, complete with a contest to decide her wedding dress, decided by voting residents of the Capitol. Prim makes Katniss promise not to try on any dresses until she gets home from school. When she arrived home, she helps Katniss with her dresses and keeps Katniss calm since she doesn't like this type of thing. She does her best to comfort Katniss when she is reaped for the 75th Hunger Games. Prim hugs Katniss and tries to make her happy.

During the reaping Katniss was chosen since she is the only living female victor of District 12. After she was reaped, Katniss wasn't able to say goodbye to Prim because of a new procedure. When District 12 is bombed, Gale saves Prim and her mother.

Mockingjay
Prim is a larger character in Mockingjay than in either of the two previous books. She lives in District 13 with her mother, sister, and Buttercup in Compartment E for most of the book. Like before, Katniss is always trying to protect her. Prim surprises Katniss with how mature and strong-willed she has grown. When Katniss is challenged by the idea of being the Mockingjay, Prim wakes up from her sleep and asks her what she will do, and telling her that she knows how much her mother can hear. Prim tells her what she would do if she had to become Mockingjay, and promises to keep this a secret from their mother before going back to sleep with Buttercup.

Prim dreams of becoming a doctor and shows her proficiency at healing as she helps the injured during her time in District 13. When District 13 is attacked by the Capitol, Prim nearly gets trapped out of the safe quarters because she goes back to rescue Buttercup, but makes it back with Gale just in time. Gale went to check the Everdeen family compartment to make sure it was clear and found Prim with Buttercup. After Mrs. Everdeen leaves to the first aid station, Prim and Katniss bond together. Prim relays to Katniss the information she was taught during orientation for new citizens and surmises that it was probably just a bunker missile. Prim tells Katniss her dream job about being a doctor. Katniss becomes worried for Peeta, but she is comforted by Prim who reassures her that President Snow wouldn't kill him because he needs him. Katniss asks her what she thinks they'll do to him and Prim replies, "They'll do whatever it takes to break you."

Before Katniss goes to the Capitol with her squad, Katniss says her final goodbye to her family. Prim says "Next time we see each other, we'll be free".

Although she is not yet 14, Prim is allowed to go to the Capitol during the final battle as a nurse, which Katniss is unaware of until she sees Prim in the barricade in front of Snow's mansion. Katniss only notices Prim when she sees her plait down her back and her untucked shirt at the back just as it was on the day of the reaping.

Death
After the Capitol children barricaded at President Snow's mansion were injured by explosions caused by rebels dropping parachutes (identical to the ones used by tributes' sponsors during the Games) carrying bombs of the same design that Gale and Beetee devised during Mockingjay, she runs in to help an injured child and hears Katniss calling her name. Before Katniss can reach her and bring her to safety, the second wave of bombs explodes, killing Prim and other medics. Prim's last word ever in the book is "Katniss". After the war, Peeta brings a series of evening primrose bushes to Katniss and they plant them around their home in District 12 as a memorial to Prim.

It is said that Coin (in Mockingjay) ordered the bombing that killed Prim. After Katniss had found out, she killed Coin.

Physical description
She has been described to have a merchant look, much like her mother. Prim had fair skin, blond hair and blue eyes (however, in the film, they are hazel), unlike the majority of the residents of the Seam in District 12. She had a small stature, partly due to being underfed for the majority of her life. Katniss describes her as having a face "as fresh as a raindrop, as lovely as the primrose for which she was named." When she wore clothing, from her reaping outfit to her medic uniform, Prim continuously had a "duck tail," one that earned her "little duck" as a nickname. This duck tail was how Katniss could identify her while she was assisting the injured Capitol children.

Personality
Prim loved all living creatures, even the most unsightly ones. She has a pet goat that Katniss gave her as well as a gruesome, ugly cat she named Buttercup. Starving and swarming with parasites, Prim brought the wretched creature home one day. Katniss intended to drown him, but Prim begged so hard for Katniss to let him live that she decided to allow the cat to stay. She, like her mother, had a passion and talent for healing. Prim stayed at her mother's side with even during the most horrid cases, even though she was "scared of her own shadow." According to Johanna Mason, after Katniss Everdeen won the 74th Hunger Games along with Peeta Mellark, all of Panem adored her.

Prim's goat, Lady, was first adopted into her family when Katniss was browsing and trading in the Hob on Prim's birthday. An old goat herder had a sick nanny goat, mauled by a dog, the wound swollen with infections, and after much haggling and bargaining, Katniss bought the goat and a pink ribbon for her neck. Upon presenting the weak, near-dead nanny to Prim, medical attention was given to her immediately. Eventually, Lady healed well. Though purchasing the goat on a whim, Katniss does not regret her decision, for Lady pays her stay well with goat's milk and cheese to eat and to sell. Lady died in the bombings of District 12, but Buttercup managed to survive, much to Katniss's disappointment.



Family
Prim was the youngest of the Everdeen family; her sister is Katniss. Her father, Mr. Everdeen, died in a mine explosion four years before, leaving her mother, sister, and herself alone. The three of them lived in the Seam with Lady the goat and Buttercup the cat.

Katniss Everdeen
Katniss Everdeen had a strong relationship with her sister, Prim. Katniss stated that Prim was the only one she was sure she loved. Katniss did everything to keep Prim safe. She worked very hard to keep Prim alive and happy, hunting for food, selling, and trading at the Hob. Katniss once wanted to give Prim a gift for her birthday even though she had no money to spend, but bargained for a goat which Prim later named Lady. Katniss even tolerated her sister's ugly cat she found and kept as a pet named Buttercup. Katniss was very protective of Prim and planned and did everything to make sure Prim wouldn't have to take tesserae so she would have a better chance of never being reaped into the Hunger Games. This backfired when Prim was reaped to participate in the 74th Hunger Games. Katniss was willing to die for Prim and volunteered for her. Prim tried to stop Katniss since she knew she would most likely not survive the horror of the Games but Gale Hawthorne held her back. Katniss' bravery was strong in this part. In Catching Fire, Katniss tried her best to protect Prim from President Snow. She reminded herself Prim is the reason why she must go on. In Mockingjay, Katniss and Prim's relationship grew much deeper and the two become closer than ever when Katniss struggled with her fear for Peeta's safety while he was being held at the Capitol. Prim would always comfort and listen to Katniss and give her some advice to her problems. Katniss was heart broken and became depressed enough to attempt suicide by trying to starve herself to death and weeped many times after Prim was killed in a bombing that could have been from one of Gale's bombs. When Prim's cat, Buttercup travels all the way from District 13 to 12 just to find Prim, Katniss yells at him "She's dead!" and later the two mourn over Prim together. Later on, Peeta comes back holding what Katniss thinks are just roses, and is about to yell at him because that was just another one of his hijack moments to break her, but before she does she realizes they are not normal roses but evening primrose, the flower that Prim was named for.Peeta brought the flowers to plant around the house as a memorial to Prim.

Buttercup
Prim had a strong, loving, relationship with her cat Buttercup. Katniss tried to drown Buttercup. Buttercup had a smashed-in nose, and was the ugliest cat Katniss had ever seen. Prim found and healed Buttercup. Prim would always sleep with him and he would always watch over her during the night to make sure she would stay safe. In Catching Fire, though he did not like the new house he lives in with the Everdeens in the Victor Village, he would often leave but come back for Prim. In Mockingjay, the two were glad to be able to be with each other after Katniss made a request to keep Buttercup for Prim's sake. He continued to protect her over the night and slept by her. Prim was willing to be killed for Buttercup after she almost died during the bombing of District 13 by the Capitol. Prim realized he was still in her room and went there to retrieve him so he wouldn't be killed, but both of them would have died if not for Gale Hawthorne. Buttercup traveled all the way from District 13 to 12 just to find Prim but was sad when he did not find her. Katniss yells at him "She's dead" and the two mourn together for Prim. Katniss keeps Buttercup as he is the only thing left of Prim.

Mrs. Everdeen
After Mr. Everdeen was killed, Mrs. Everdeen all but abandoned Katniss and Prim. Although Katniss held a grudge against her, Prim maintained her love for her mother, even brushing and plaiting her hair before leaving for school in the mornings as Mrs. Everdeen sat in stillness. This routine lasts until the incident with the bread, when Mrs. Everdeen comes 'back to life', figuratively speaking, and reclaims her role as mother figure.

In the film adaptation of The Hunger Games after Katniss volunteers, Mrs. Everdeen is seen comforting Prim by hugging her. Before Katniss leaves for the Capitol, Mrs. Everdeen promises to take care of Prim and watch out for her while Katniss is gone.

After Primrose is killed in Mockingjay, Mrs. Everdeen unexpectedly moves away from District 12 to District 4. Katniss Everdeen's hunting partner, Gale Hawthorne, also flees to District 2. As of Katniss's later years, she is the only Everdeen living in District 12. It is not known if Katniss lives in her old home, but she marries Peeta Mellark, her partner in the 74th and 75th Hunger Games.

Film portrayal
Prim is portrayed by newcomer Willow Shields in The Hunger Games film.

Trivia

 * Primrose is named after the plant "Evening Primrose," which is a plant that grows yellow perennial flowers in the early spring. Where it grows wild it is often one of the very first flowers of spring, and is plucked before others even appear.
 * Katniss has said that Rue reminds her of Prim, that the two share alike traits
 * She is the one of the few known characters in The Hunger Games to own her own animal. Her animals are Buttercup, a cat, as well as Lady, a goat.
 * Although Katniss and Prim love one another the two are very different personality wise. Prim is very forgiving unlike Katniss. Also Katniss tried taking Prim hunting once but she was afraid of the woods and also would talk about how they could heal a shot animal.
 * In the book, it is said by Katniss that neither Prim nor Rue could "tip the scale at seventy pounds soaking wet", suggesting that she weighed less than seventy