Admittedly, it's been a while since I have brushed up on my Hunger Games knowledge, but I do know that after Katniss' father's death, her mother became secluded and quiet. Both her mother and Prim do not work, and since District 12's whole deal is coal and mining, most of its citizens have a dark, dirty, gritty look. Katniss hunts for her family and takes care of them.