Sunrise On The Reaping Draws A Strong Parallel To An Underappreciated Hunger Games Character

Suzanne Collins' upcoming novel, Sunrise on the Reaping, will delve into an entirely new story within The Hunger Games universe, yet the book already draws some connections to previous Hunger Games characters. Announced back in June 2024, Sunrise on the Reaping will follow Katniss and Peeta's mentor, Haymitch, as he enters the 50th Hunger Games. Although the novel is set to be released in March 2025, a brief excerpt from the start of the book was published by People, and it offers an early look at the highly anticipated story.

So far, there are a few main elements of Sunrise on the Reaping that audiences already know about. In Catching Fire, it is revealed that the Haymitch's Hunger Games were a Quarter Quell, meaning they were extra dangerous. Of course, Haymitch won his games, but at a great cost. After finding a loophole in the arena, the Capitol punished him by killing all his loved ones. However, in People's Sunrise on the Reaping excerpt, readers get to meet Haymitch's little brother, Sid, and his world-weary mother for the very first time, leading to some interesting Hunger Games parallels.

Haymitch's Ma Is Almost Identical To Gale's Mother Hazel

What This Haymitch/Gale Connection Means

Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Hunger Games franchise

After reading the opening pages of Sunrise on the Reaping, one character that comes to mind is Gale's mother, Hazel Hawthorne. In the excerpt, readers briefly see Haymitch's mother, who is a hard-working laundress who lost her husband in a mining accident, and who has strict expectations for her son. In The Hunger Games, Hazel is also a widow and a laundress, and is tasked with caring for her three sons and a daughter on the way. Although Haymitch's mother does not have as many children, both women share a strong work ethic and weariness.

In The Hunger Games, readers saw how Gale's bitterness resulted in his downfall, and the same could be true for Haymitch in Sunrise on the Reaping.

At first glance, the connection between Haymitch's mother and Hazel may seem innocuous. Based on what readers know of Panem, it makes sense that these women have similar lives, even decades apart. However, some theories can also be made about how Haymitch's story will parallel Gale's. Like Gale, Haymitch has his whole family riding on his shoulders, which makes him amibitious, resourceful, and perhaps a bit resentful. In The Hunger Games, readers saw how Gale's bitterness resulted in his downfall, and the same could be true for Haymitch in Sunrise on the Reaping.

There Is An Important Motif In The Hunger Games Of Single Mothers In District 12

How Sunrise On The Reaping Will Expand On Panem

Now that readers have an inside look at Haymitch's story, a common theme is coming to light about parents in Panem. Haymitch, Gale, and Katniss all have single mothers whose husbands were killed in the mines, leaving them to provide for their families, alongside their eldest children. Even characters like Coriolanus Snow and Lucy Gray Baird lost their parents in varying ways, showing just how vulnerable children in Panem can be. Clearly, this is an important idea for The Hunger Games franchise, and one that Sunrise on the Reaping may expand upon.

Something that will be interesting about Sunrise on the Reaping will be seeing how a young boy like Haymitch grows up in the world without a solid father figure. Arguably, Haymitch becomes a father figure for Katniss, so it will be worth exploring how Haymitch comes to terms with having no father. As readers already know, Haymitch's story is a tragic one, yet this gives Collins plenty of opportunity to shed light on the culture and history of Panem. Hopefully, Sunrise on the Reapingwill make The Hunger Games franchise even more evocative.