Sunrise on the Reaping

“‘Because the reaping’s going to happen no matter what I believe. Sure as the sun will rise tomorrow.’

Lenore Dove frowns. ‘Well, there’s no proof that will happen. You can’t count on things happening tomorrow just because they happened in the past. It’s faulty logic.’”

This quote encapsulates a central theme of the novel. Most of Panem, including Haymitch is conditioned to accept the continued existence of the Hunger Games. The Capitol actively discourages independent and critical thought to keep the districts subservient. Lenore offers a differing viewpoint, stating that the historical existence of the status quo doesn’t have to guarantee its continuation. Lenore’s defiance and hope here function as a foil to Haymitch’s gloomy apathy, introducing The Complexities of Submission and Control.

“For the first time, I understand that when they show the reaping live it isn’t really live. There must be a five-minute hold on the broadcast in case something like this happens.”

Haymitch’s revelation that the reaping is not aired live marks a key moment in the development of the way he understands Capitol propaganda. By manipulating what is presented as a live broadcast, the Capitol has the power to write their own truths and erase history. The Capitol’s tight control of the narrative thus introduces The Dangers of Media Monopoly and Propaganda, revealing how the government attempts to control its citizens through manipulating and limiting access to information.

“In fifty years, we’ve only had one victor and that was a long time ago. A girl who no one seems to know anything about.”

This line, spoken in passing, references Lucy Gray Baird, whose life and disappearance are explored in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. The erasure of Lucy’s history at the hands of Snow and the Capitol is yet another example of how the Capitol suppresses the districts by altering their perception of reality. The existence of a District 12 victor has been almost entirely obscured to avoid inspiring hope or agency among District 12 residents, who are the poorest and most disenfranchised of all.

“NO PEACE, NO PROSPERITY! NO HUNGER GAMES, NO PEACE! It’s the same campaign they used on our square back in District 12, but with slogans geared to the Capitol residents. Seems the Capitol has to convince its own citizens, too.”

Arriving in the Capitol for the first time, the tributes see how the propaganda used in the districts is extended to the Capitol. Capitol citizens are no less controlled than district citizens, but the propaganda they see is focused on maintaining their own prosperous lifestyles and denying the cruelty of the Hunger Games, reflecting The Complexities of Submission and Control.

“If this is still being recorded and possibly aired, at least in the Capitol, maybe it does make a difference if I resist as best I can. Maybe this is where I paint my own poster.”

After becoming cognizant of the all-important power of propaganda, Haymitch and his fellow tributes attempt to combat the Capitol’s narrative through public displays of defiance. In doing so, they hope to undermine the Capitol’s use of The Dangers of Media Monopoly and Propaganda by encouraging Hunger Games viewers to see the districts in a new light.

“They said no cuffs, but there are Peacekeepers a buzzer away and there are cameras everywhere. She nods to one in the corner of the elevator. No attempt has been made to conceal it. They want you to know they’re watching. Or think they’re watching, even if no one is.”

One of the Capitol’s control tactics is surveillance. Tributes are monitored for seditious behavior, which is swiftly and ruthlessly punished. The feeling of constant surveillance causes them to self-censor, which feeds into the Capitol’s suppression of differing opinions and critical thought. The meek compliance of even tributes awaiting near-certain death speaks to The Complexities of Submission and Control.

“The more I think about it, the more my despair grows. Every year we let them herd us into their killing machine. Every year they pay no price for the slaughter. They just throw a big party and box up our bodies like presents for our families to open back home.”

Throughout the novel, Haymitch struggles to understand why the districts allow the Hunger Games to happen year after year. The answer lies in David Hume’s concept of implicit submission: Through a set of manipulation tactics and a flood of propaganda, the Capitol has instilled a helpless mindset in the residents of Panem, even though the citizens outnumber the ruling elite by a large margin.

“I remember the joy on Lenore Dove’s face when I gave her the poetry, the kisses that followed, and feel stronger. They can’t destroy what really matters.”

Haymitch has a brief moment of hope when he realizes that all of the Capitol’s violence can’t destroy his love for Lenore or the good memories they share. This viewpoint is somewhat subverted by Lenore’s murder after the Games. For decades, thinking of her causes Haymitch unbearable pain. In the Epilogue, however, this sentiment returns, as Haymitch has made progress toward processing his trauma and can once again enjoy his happy memories of Lenore.

“I remember having the same discussion with Lenore Dove. She said quaff means to drink, usually something with alcohol. And the guy telling the story in the song is trying to stop thinking about how he lost his true love.

‘I think the important part is that it makes you forget terrible things,’ I say.”

Here, Haymitch discusses the idea of “nepenthe,” a drug that induces forgetfulness in Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven. This scene foreshadows Haymitch’s eventual turn to alcohol as his own form of nepenthe, numbing his painful memories of his family and Lenore. The poem also functions as an important motif in the text, as Haymitch’s own experiences of grief and isolation mirror that of the poem’s speaker.

“No, but I do. And I will orchestrate your death based on your behavior from here on out. You decide what you want Lenore Dove and your mother and that dear little brother of yours to see. You can die clean and fair, or we can open the Games with the slowest, most agonizing death ever to befall a tribute. And yes, you should be thanking me for giving you the option.”

From the outset, Haymitch is slated to die in the arena due to his defiant behavior in the lead-up to the Games. Snow demonstrates how the Capitol uses violence and the threat of death as a control tactic, while also exploiting the bonds of love and community. The thought of how his loved ones could be punished or affected will continue to haunt Haymitch, reflecting The Complexities of Submission and Control.

“You don’t think like the rest of us. You’ve done a better job of holding onto yourselves, despite the Capitol.”

This quote, spoken by Plutarch in reference to District 12, partially explains why first Haymitch, and then Katniss, are selected as key figures in the rebellion. Since District 12 is treated so poorly by the Capitol, it is slightly easier for its residents to cling to their agency, though Sunrise on the Reaping shows that Capitol propaganda still has a significant effect on District 12’s populace.

“A young woman with lavender hair, a dress like a grape gumball, and green checked stockings. Four black hats stacked on her head, clothes bags draped over her arms, she wheels a cart of spiky shoes into the center of the living room and announces, ‘Who’s ready for a big, big, big day!’”

Sunrise on the Reaping features cameos from many prominent characters in the original trilogy, including a young Effie Trinket, who goes on to become Katniss and Peeta’s escort in The Hunger Games. Seeing younger versions of these familiar characters often offers a new perspective on their personalities and their roles in the overall canon—for example, Effie is shown as a caring sister and an essentially kindhearted young woman who is brainwashed by Capitol propaganda.

“Listen, Haymitch, I know you don’t like me, and you certainly don’t trust me, but you should know that, despite appearances, a desire for freedom is not limited to the districts. And your misfortune does not give you the right to assume so. I hope after tonight you’ll consider this.”

Here, Plutarch tells Haymitch that anti-establishment sentiment exists even in the Capitol. He calls out the fact that Capitol citizens, while sold the illusion of freedom, are not actually free. Plutarch’s participation in the rebellion reframes Haymitch’s understanding of what Capitol citizens are capable of, teaching him more about The Importance of Resistance.

“One last thing. From the Capitol’s perspective, the Games are the best propaganda we have. You tributes, you’re our stars. You carry it out. But only if we control the narrative. Don’t let us.”

Plutarch’s urging to take back the narrative resonates throughout the novel, as Haymitch and the other Newcomers try to take control of their own portrayal while fighting against the Capitol’s unilateral control of the media. In challenging the way the Capitol wishes to portray them, they attempt to expose and undermine The Dangers of Media Monopoly and Propaganda.

“There’s been a lot of concern in the Capitol lately that district citizens are aspiring to break in here. It’s not entirely unfounded, particularly with people from One and Two who work closely with us. Luxury and military, you know. There are Capitol-born folks assigned out there who’ve got mixed families they want to bring here now.”

This quote illustrates how the Capitol uses class divisions to distract from the essential injustices of Panem. By keeping Capitol citizens occupied with the fear of infiltration from the districts, the Capitol prevents them from realizing that they, too, are being manipulated and used. This quote also highlights the folly of the way the Careers treat the lower-numbered districts—though they believe they are closer to the Capitol, they have no chance of truly assimilating.

“The Games must end. Here. Now. Every death reinforces the importance of the arena plot succeeding.”

In the arena, Haymitch transforms from passive submission to righteous anger as he sees his peers be violently and senselessly killed. The Capitol’s violence is intended to encourage subservience, but it backfires, instead fueling Haymitch’s subversion and belief in The Importance of Resistance.

“Who do I think I am? Why did I think I could change anything? That I could take on the Capitol, with all its might, and bring the Hunger Games to a standstill? Me, a sixteen-year-old kid from the trashiest district in Panem with little schooling and no outstanding skills.”

In the immediate aftermath of the failed arena sabotage plot, Haymitch returns to a mindset of learned helplessness, lamenting that he ever believed change was possible. Eventually, he will re-align his goals and carry on, realizing that setbacks do not spell the end of the movement.

“After the Games comes the fallout from the Games. Spreading out like ripples in a pond when you toss in a rock. Concentric circles of damage, washing over the dead tributes’ families, their friends, their neighbors, to the ends of the district. White liquor and depression, broken families and violence and suicide. We never really recover, just move on the best we can.”

Haymitch identifies the way that the Hunger Games create a legacy of trauma that destroys families and communities. He pinpoints the lasting effects of trauma and the impossibility of fully recovering from the kind of suffering endured by the tributes and their families. This quote contains heavy foreshadowing, as nearly all of the “damage” Haymitch references becomes part of his own post-Games experience.

“I think about it. Her emphasis on manners, her pretty picnics. And I remember her words that first day on the train. ‘Listen, Louella, if you let them treat you like an animal, they will. So don’t let them.’ This morning’s poster says, We’re civilized. We appreciate beautiful things. We’re as good as you. It’s an extension of her campaign to show the Capitol our value.”

Though the Hunger Games series primarily centers on war and climactic anti-establishment action, Collins also explores quieter forms of resistance. Maysilee’s insistence of being treated like a person is framed as a valid and effective form of rebellion against a system bent on dehumanizing district residents. In stressing the value of Maysilee’s quieter acts of rebellion, the novel reinforces the idea that The Importance of Resistance is reflected in small acts as well as large ones.

“The fate I have been trying to defy ever since I saw that perverse birthday cake on the train has come home to roost like the raven in the poem, forever perched above my chamber door. I am completely in Snow’s power and his to manipulate. His puppet. His pawn. His plaything. It is his poster I am painting. His propaganda. I am trapped into doing his bidding in the Hunger Games, the best propaganda the Capitol has.”

When Snow sends Haymitch poisoned milk, he plays on their shared knowledge of the Capitol-controlled media to essentially force Haymitch into a death by suicide on camera, reflecting The Dangers of Media Monopoly and Propaganda. Despite all of his efforts to take back agency and prevent the Capitol from controlling the narrative, Snow retains the ultimate power. The milk serves as a reminder of just how easily the Capitol can alter Haymitch’s public perception and toy with his life.

“‘Don’t you…let it…rise…’ she gets out.

Tears choke me. ‘I can’t stop it. You know I can’t stop it.’

Her head jerks a bit to the side ‘…on the reaping,’ she whispers.”

Sunrise on the Reaping takes its name from Lenore’s plea not to let the sun rise on another reaping after her death. Her request calls back to her earlier conversation with Haymitch, in which they debated the inevitability of the Hunger Games and whether the past defines the future. Though Haymitch descends into hopeless despair after Lenore’s death, he ultimately fulfills his promise by aiding Katniss.

“The raven. The unforgiving songbird. Repeatedly reminding me of President Snow’s crystal-clear message to me on my homecoming. That I will never get to love anyone ever again. Nevermore. Because he will make sure they end up dying a horrible death.”

Poe’s The Raven features prominently throughout the novel, as Haymitch’s life begins to parallel that of the haunted speaker searching for his lost Lenore. The bleak refrain of “nevermore” underscores the hopelessness Haymitch feels after losing everyone that he loves. Haymitch’s experiences during and after the Hunger Games contextualize his prickly personality and reluctance to form connections as an adult.

“We do want you. You shook up the Capitol, both figuratively and literally, with that earthquake. You were capable of imagining a different future. And maybe it won’t be realized today, maybe not in our lifetime. Maybe it will take generations. We’re all part of a continuum. Does that make it pointless?”

Plutarch’s conversation with Haymitch in District 11 summarizes the Hunger Games series’ take on revolution and The Importance of Resistance. Where Haymitch feels totally defeated, Plutarch contextualizes his actions as part of a much greater whole. He points out that, though revolution may be slow to arrive, this doesn’t mean that their sacrifices are wasted—on the contrary, every life given for the cause and every act of defiance counts toward the revolution’s eventual success.