This story is syndicated from Viper Times, the newspaper of Verrado High School in Buckeye, AZ. The original version of the story ran here.
This spring, the fifth installment of the Hunger Games series, “Sunrise on the Reaping,” was released to readers worldwide. The novel tells the story of Haymitch Abernathy, a beloved supporting character from the original trilogy, and how he won his own Hunger Games 24 years prior to the events in the series’ first book.
Engaging as the story may be, there’s more to this book than the compelling action and breathtaking twists.
The series has always included political commentary focused especially heavily on the dangers of fascism and authoritarian regimes. Suzanne Collins, the author of the Hunger Games novels, has said she only writes and releases another addition to the series when she has something to say about the political climate of the world. And Collins had no shortage of words for her commentary in this installment.
Last week, President Donald Trump said in an interview that he didn’t know whether he was required to uphold the Constitution, ignoring his oath. He also wouldn’t commit to adhering to laws on due process. His administration’s comments and actions feel like a less violent but similarly powerful version of the government Collins describes.
“Sunrise on the Reaping” opens with Haymitch waking up on the morning of the “Reaping,” the ceremony in which contestants are chosen for the “Hunger Games,” an annual, televised fight to death required by the federal government of “Panem.” Coincidentally, it’s also Haymitch’s 16th birthday. When Haymitch attends the ceremony, the male “tribute” called to the stage to be in the games attempts to escape and is brutally shot. Haymitch’s girlfriend, Lenore Dove, retaliates and is attacked by Peacekeepers, the military force that maintains order in the “districts” into which Panem’s government has divided the fictional nation. Haymitch intervenes, and as punishment is chosen to replace the dead tribute.
Curbing protests is a hallmark of the current administration, with student protestors and journalists arrested and speedy abductions regardless of age and legal status. Especially in the case of the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, many supporters of Palestine have taken to city streets and college campus lawns to protest against the U.S. government’s support of Israel, claiming that funding the fight facilitates the murder of Palestinian citizens. These largely peaceful protests have been met by heavy resistance from dissenting citizens, university officials and, importantly, law enforcement.
When Haymitch takes the stage and the Reaping ends, the staff who helped conduct the ceremony receive champagne. The server initially offers some to Haymitch, but quickly withdraws it when remembering Haymitch’s age. Haymitch is seen as old enough to compete in a lethal game, yet isn’t seen as old enough to have a sip of wine. Conservative lawmakers in the U.S. continue to revoke child labor laws while simultaneously limiting youth freedoms of expression.
When the tributes are whisked away to the train station to travel to the Capitol, where the games will commence, the staff who are supposed to take care of them treat the tributes like animals or second-class human beings. They’re chained to the wall inside the train and are reluctantly offered food by the servers. The tributes’ escort, Drusilla, isn’t afraid to outright verbalize her disdain for them. She comments on their clothing, and calls them names like “district piglets.”
The Capitol citizens’ dislike of the tributes alludes to the opinions many in America today have about the lower class, criticizing them for “entitlements” and campaigning for a government that helps fewer citizens. In 2024, Pew Research found that almost two-thirds of Republicans believed helping the poor with government aid does more harm than good. Collins reflects this in the conflict between Capitol and district residents, as shown by the disrespectful comments and prejudiced actions directed towards the tributes — comments that read like aggressive X feeds.
The way the people in the Capitol lust after the games shows even more how the people of the districts in Panem are essentially viewed as animals. The way the Capitol’s residents cheer them on and provoke them into violence is reminiscent of bystanders in a dog fight. The lack of empathy and outright insensitive nature of the audience of the games displays just how little respect the wealthy citizens of Panem have for the humanity of the less fortunate.
At a celebration, Capitol attendees watch a replay of a past game. The edited version leaves out anything that paints the Capitol and President Snow in an unfavorable light. The erasure of these monumental moments in the games is reminiscent of the censorship many news outlets and publications face today.
If an unflattering piece is written about the current administration, the publication that released it stands at risk of repercussions. The Associated Press — long known as a neutral wire service of facts-only hard news — continues to be excluded from White House press events because, as Trump explained, they chose to use the term “Gulf of Mexico” even though he issued an order to rename it the “Gulf of America.” Recent court rulings requiring the Trump administration to readmit AP reporters have gone ignored. The White House also took control of its press pool in an unprecedented move, changing its composition to include media more aligned with them ideologically.
Repeated denials of unfavorable headlines are also commonplace with the Trump administration. Despite losing a Supreme Court case 9–0 on the mistakenly deported Maryland man, Trump officials continued to state that they had in fact won.
“Sunrise on the Reaping” exaggerates these comments and actions to see how far they can be taken if left unchecked. It’s another beautifully written novel from Collins that perfectly captures the current trajectory of our country. By implementing these problems into her novels, Collins effectively exposes these issues to young people and adults who read her books, but who might not be fully aware of what’s happening in the country. Like characters in the book who seek to help when they see wrong, readers may do the same, and we can sooner take steps to fix these issues in America and the world as a whole before they become extreme.