Sunrise on the Reaping Characters: Full List & Analysis

Who drives the story

Main characters

Haymitch Abernathy

A sixteen-year-old moonshine distiller from District 12, reaped on his birthday into a rigged Quarter Quell. He defies the Capitol at every turn, wins the Games, and loses his mother, brother, and girlfriend to Snow's revenge, becoming the drunk mentor the trilogy remembers.

Appears in:: Part 1: The Birthday That Wasn't; Part 2: The Parade and the Body; Part 3: The Arena Fights Back; Part 4: Victor, and What Victory Means
Themes:: Propaganda as erasure; The cost of defiance; Alliance against the odds; Grief as inheritance; The show must go on

Lenore Dove Baird

Haymitch's girlfriend, a Covey girl he meets in secret in the woods. Snow has her killed by a poisoned gumdrop in Haymitch's own hands, and her dying plea becomes the book's title and its charge.

Appears in:: Part 1: The Birthday That Wasn't; Part 2: The Parade and the Body; Part 4: Victor, and What Victory Means
Themes:: The cost of defiance; Grief as inheritance

Maysilee Donner

The wealthy, sharp-tongued District 12 tribute and original owner of the mockingjay pin. She saves Haymitch twice over, kills Gamemakers, and dies by waterbird mutts sent as punishment.

Appears in:: Part 1: The Birthday That Wasn't; Part 3: The Arena Fights Back
Themes:: The cost of defiance; Alliance against the odds

Louella McCoy

Haymitch's neighbor and close friend, killed in a chariot accident at the Tribute Parade. Her body becomes Haymitch's first act of open defiance and the Capitol's first cover-up.

Appears in:: Part 1: The Birthday That Wasn't; Part 2: The Parade and the Body
Themes:: Propaganda as erasure; The cost of defiance

Lou Lou

A kidnapped, tortured, drugged girl from District 11 installed as Louella's body double. She dies inhaling toxic pollen, protected to the end by Wyatt.

Appears in:: Part 2: The Parade and the Body; Part 3: The Arena Fights Back
Themes:: Alliance against the odds

Wyatt Callow

The District 12 oddsmaker whose family has long gambled on tributes' odds. He spends his own life on the first day shielding Lou Lou.

Appears in:: Part 1: The Birthday That Wasn't; Part 3: The Arena Fights Back
Themes:: Alliance against the odds

Ampert

Beetee's son, forced into the Games as punishment for his father's rebellion. He dies under squirrel mutts after the sabotage flood fails.

Appears in:: Part 2: The Parade and the Body; Part 3: The Arena Fights Back
Themes:: The cost of defiance

Plutarch Heavensbee

A Capitol cameraman who appears sympathetic, feeds Haymitch the sabotage plan, and later, on the Victory Tour, spurs him to keep fighting. The early rebel behind the camera.

Appears in:: Part 1: The Birthday That Wasn't; Part 2: The Parade and the Body
Themes:: Alliance against the odds

President Coriolanus Snow

Panem's tyrant, who threatens Haymitch, replaces a dead girl with a drugged double, edits the broadcast, and murders Haymitch's family and girlfriend as the price of victory.

Appears in:: Part 2: The Parade and the Body; Part 4: Victor, and What Victory Means
Themes:: Propaganda as erasure; The cost of defiance; The show must go on

Silka Sharp

The final Career, from District 1, who kills Wellie and dies when her own axe rebounds off the force field.

Appears in:: Part 1: The Birthday That Wasn't; Part 3: The Arena Fights Back; Part 4: Victor, and What Victory Means

Also in the story

Supporting characters

Beetee

Victor of the 34th Games, mentoring his own son as punishment. He architects the plot to flood the arena's computer systems.

Appears in:: Part 2: The Parade and the Body
Themes:: Alliance against the odds

Drusilla Sickle

District 12's cruel escort, who re-stages the reaping with Plutarch to erase Woodbine Chance's killing from the broadcast.

Appears in:: Part 1: The Birthday That Wasn't

Sid and Willamae Abernathy

Haymitch's ten-year-old brother and widowed mother, the family he distills moonshine to feed. Both die when Snow has their house burned.

Appears in:: Part 1: The Birthday That Wasn't

Burdock Everdeen

Haymitch's best friend, Lenore Dove's distant cousin, and the future father of Katniss and Prim. Haymitch pushes him away in his grief.

Appears in:: Part 4: Victor, and What Victory Means
Themes:: Grief as inheritance

How they are connected

Key relationships

Haymitch Abernathy President Coriolanus Snow
He defies the Capitol at every turn, wins the Games, and loses his mother, brother, and girlfriend to Snow's revenge, becoming the drunk mentor the trilogy remembers.
Lenore Dove Baird Haymitch Abernathy
Haymitch's girlfriend, a Covey girl he meets in secret in the woods.
Lenore Dove Baird President Coriolanus Snow
Snow has her killed by a poisoned gumdrop in Haymitch's own hands, and her dying plea becomes the book's title and its charge.
Maysilee Donner Silka Sharp
The wealthy, sharp-tongued District 12 tribute and original owner of the mockingjay pin.
Maysilee Donner Haymitch Abernathy
She saves Haymitch twice over, kills Gamemakers, and dies by waterbird mutts sent as punishment.
Louella McCoy Haymitch Abernathy
Haymitch's neighbor and close friend, killed in a chariot accident at the Tribute Parade.
Lou Lou Louella McCoy
A kidnapped, tortured, drugged girl from District 11 installed as Louella's body double.
Lou Lou Wyatt Callow
She dies inhaling toxic pollen, protected to the end by Wyatt.
Ampert Beetee
Beetee's son, forced into the Games as punishment for his father's rebellion.
Plutarch Heavensbee Haymitch Abernathy
A Capitol cameraman who appears sympathetic, feeds Haymitch the sabotage plan, and later, on the Victory Tour, spurs him to keep fighting.
Drusilla Sickle Plutarch Heavensbee
District 12's cruel escort, who re-stages the reaping with Plutarch to erase Woodbine Chance's killing from the broadcast.
Sid and Willamae Abernathy Haymitch Abernathy
Haymitch's ten-year-old brother and widowed mother, the family he distills moonshine to feed.

Go deeper

Sunrise on the Reaping themes & symbols

Propaganda as erasure · The cost of defiance · Alliance against the odds · Grief as inheritance

Themes explained

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The full story act by act, the ending explained and a quick quiz.

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