Sunrise on the Reaping

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains graphic descriptions of violence and death.

Haymitch Abernathy wakes up on the morning of his 16th birthday, which coincides with the reaping ceremony for the Hunger Games. Haymitch lives in District 12, the poorest of 12 districts in Panem, all of which are under the thumb of the powerful Capitol. 50 years ago, a coalition of rebel districts participated in a civil war against the Capitol. They ultimately lost, and as punishment, the Capitol instituted the Hunger Games. Each year, two children from each district are selected or “reaped” from a pool of “tributes,” then made to enter an arena and fight to the death in a televised competition until only one remains. This year’s Hunger Games is a Quarter Quell, a special edition of the games held every 25 years. In honor of the second Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be selected for this year’s games.

Haymitch lives with his 10-year-old brother Sid and his mother, whom he calls Ma. Ma has raised Haymitch and Sid alone since the death of her miner husband in a coal fire. Haymitch supports the household by helping an elderly woman named Hattie Meeney make and sell white liquor.