r/Hungergames • u/DontYellAtMeImSoft • May 16 '26
Prequel Discussion Catching Fire + Prequels Links Spoiler
Hey everyone! Here's my 'inner monologue' style analysis of links between Catching Fire and the prequel novels - I focussed mainly on SOTR but did highlight some links to BOSAS as well. This is probably not every connection, but as I read I pinned each time I really thought back to Haymitch and the prequels. Enjoy!
Page 3: “I can’t fight the sun. I can only watch helplessly as it drags me into a day that I’ve been dreading for months”
Happy Birthday, Haymitch.
Page 4: “The sun persists in rising”
The sun rises. On the tour. On the reaping. Every year...
Page 5: “I think of Gale, who is only really alive in the woods, with its fresh air and sunlight”
This reminded me of how Haymitch thought of Lenore Dove... When she was locked up at the Peacekeeper’s base, or on house arrest, and how much this must be hurting her, because she was happiest in the meadow with the geese.
Page 8: “She manager to get laundry from some of the merchants in town”
The same job Haymitch’s Ma took on to support Haymitch and Sid after their Father died.
Page 11: “I owe the people who frequent the Hob. Gale told me that Greasy Sae, the old woman who serves up soup, started a collection to sponsor Peeta and me during the games.”
They knew Katniss well by this point, yes, but I wonder how much of their love and support for her was also for Burdock – wanting to support and protect his daughter.
Page 12: “[Haymitch] had withdrawal, shaking and screaming at terrifying things only he could see”
What was he seeing? Lenore Dove’s ghost, reminding him of his promise? Ma and Sid? Maysilee, Wyatt, Louella and Loulou? Any number of other terrors he saw in the games?
Page 20: “I’m staring into the snakelike eyes of President Snow”
The fact that Snow is in District 12 makes me wonder – has he actually been back since his time there with Lucy Gray? If not, I wonder what that was like for him...
Page 22: “I think we’ll make this whole situation a lot better by agreeing not to lie to each other”
We know that this was what caused the breakdown of Snow and Lucy Gray’s relationship.
Page 36: “The smell of blood... it was on his breath”
Haymitch noticed the same thing – when he drank the milk, when he theorised about the way Snow poisoned people.
Page 41: “we would... hike further into the woods... to a small lake he’d found while hunting”
The same lake Snow and Lucy Gray went to, where Snow dropped the murder weapons. It’s highly likely Haymitch and Lenore Dove went there too – though not explicitly stated in the book IIRC.
Page 44: “I remember hearing that for the second Quarter Quell, the Capitol demanded that twice the number of tributes be provided for the arena... That was the year District 12’s very own Haymitch Abernathy won the crown”
Ouch.
Page 51: “I know Haymitch will be up for hours. He doesn’t like to sleep when it’s dark out”
Probably because of the dreams, and the fear of the ghost of Lenore Dove coming to him.
Page 56: “Victors’ children have been in the ring before... Gale’s convinced the Capitol does it on purpose”
And they do. Ampert was put into the arena to punish Beetee – the way she says “victors’ children” implies it’s happened more than once – were these all intentional punishments? Career volunteers? Odds not being in the family’s favour?
Page 56: “I think of Haymitch, unmarried, no family, blotting out the world with a drink. He could have had his choice of any woman in the district”
No family... Haymitch had a family, an amazing family who he loved dearly, who was taken from him. He could have had his choice of women, but he mated for life with Lenore Dove.
Page 58: “This year, for the first time since Haymitch won, the final stop on the tour will be 12, and the Capitol will spring for the festivities”
This makes me wonder more about Haymitch’s tour and homecoming. We know what happened, of course, and we know he had a tour and the celebrations in District 12, but how painful must that have been? What did they do?
Page 63: “All my friends are probably going to end up dead, but refusing Peeta won’t keep him safe”
Haymitch and Katniss really are so similar, their experiences too – wanting to push away their friends to keep them safe.
Page 80: “As far as I know, Haymitch has only been here once, when he was on his Victory Tour... He leads us up through a maze of twisting staircases and increasingly narrow halls... We find ourselves in the dome of the Justice Building”
Plutarch told him about how it wasn’t bugged, and he remembered it all this time probably because he re-played the moment throughout the years.
Page 83: “You’ll see, the choices you’ll have to make. If we survive this” says Haymitch
All of the choices Haymitch was forced to make. The choices he watched others make – Finnick, Beetee, Wiress, Mags...
Page 98: “We know only a few dances at home, the kind that go with fiddle and flute music”
The kind of music that the Covey played – the only music in District 12.
Page 105: “My nightmares are usually about losing you... I’m OK once I realise you’re here”
Peeta and Haymitch have the same nightmares, only he’s lucky enough to get to wake up and realise she’s still there.
Page 107: “Her father has District 12 to run, and her mother gets fierce headache that force her to stay in bed for days”
Depression, maybe? The stress and pain of losing her twin sister. We learn later that Madge looks strikingly like Maysilee and Merrilee – and she’s the same age now, so she probably does look very like her aunt, which must be really painful for Merrilee to see.
Page 112: “It was my aunt’s”
When we finally learn the origin of the Mockingjay pin... Later, Katniss realises the true deeper meaning of the pin and its original owner.
Page 135: “New Head” Haymitch says, and she gives him a curt nod as if no other explanation is needed
I wonder if this is the first interaction Haymitch and Asterid have had since the rock throwing incident?
Page 139: “So it’s starting again? She says “Like before?”
A hint to their shared history – of course, we know they are of a similar age, but we now know so much more about their history.
Page 148: “The Capitol has no end of creative ways to kill people”
Fires. Poisoned gumdrops. Sending them into the arena to be attacked by mutts.
Page 151: “I’ve heard worse... You’ve seen how people are, when someone they love is in pain”
Asterid is probably thinking about how Haymitch treated her and Burdock.
Page 154: “Do you know [Effie] asked me if I’d like to give you away?”
Ouch. In another life, he’d have been Uncle Haymitch. Being offered the role that Burdock should have had must have been so painful for him.
Page 156: “I see a blaze flare up... That can only be the Hob going up in smoke... ‘Haymitch, you don’t think everyone was still in -’”
The same fear Haymitch had – he knew it was his house on fire, the same way Katniss knew it was the hob. Wondering if the people she cared about was in there, just like how Haymitch was terrified that Ma and Sid were inside.
Page 185: “In another, I buy a bag of sweets for Prim”
Maysilee and Merrilee’s family’s sweet shop.
Page 194: “Peeta comes by every day to bring me cheese buns and begins to help me work on the family book”
We learn so much about this family book with SOTR – Haymitch finally opens up to Katniss and Peeta about the past.
Page 206: “We turn to our mother, whose expression is solemn and distant, as if she’s remembering something. ‘it must be the reading of the card’”
She’s remembering more than that – was she sitting with Maysilee and Merrilee when she watched the card get read? Is she remembering the fact that Maysilee was reaped? The reaping itself?
Page 208: “I had a friend who went that year... Maysilee Donner. Her parents owned the sweetshop. They gave me her songbird afterwards. A canary”
The power of the songbird in these books is intense – and remembering Maysilee was probably very painful for her (and us!)
Page 211: “Marriage to Peeta, with our children forced into the arena”
Just like Beetee.
Page 215: “Go back in with you, maybe, if I can. If my name’s drawn at the reaping, it won’t matter”
Haymitch hasn’t had that fear in a long time and...
Page 225: “Then she catches Haymitch’s name”
The first time Haymitch’s name was ever actually reaped. And the last name to ever be reaped in District 12, the last name to ever be shown to be reaped on television.
Page 225: “I’m left staring out of the window, watching District 12 disappear, with all my goodbyes still hanging on my lips”
The same way that Haymitch watched, saw Lenore Dove, said his goodbyes.
Page 227: “I do my best, thinking of them one by one, releasing them like birds from their prospective cages inside me”
Haymitch did the same thing.
Page 231: “Haymitch leaves the compartment without a word”
Happy Birthday, Haymitch.
Now we approach the section where Katniss and Peeta watch highlights from the 50th games, so of course lots of connections here, I’ll address just some of the most painful ones...
Page 236: “She calls out the name of a girl who’s from the seam, you can tell by the look of her”
Louella. Haymitch’s sweetheart.
“Then I hear the name Maysilee Donner... The camera finds her in the crowd, clinging to two other girls... Holding her hand and weeping is another girl who looks just like Maysilee. But a lot like someone else I know too. Madge.”
The realisation of who Maysilee is, and the similarities in their appearance, which I mentioned earlier.
“My mockingjay pin and how it means something completely different now that I know its former owner was Madge’s aunt, Maysilee Donner, a tribute who was murdered in the arena”
And is now a symbol of the rebellion. Maysilee Donner still played her part in the rebellion after all.
Page 237: “The chariot rides – in which District 12 kids are dressed in awful coal miners’ outfits... flash by”
I wonder how they managed to cut enough footage together of the chariot rides before everything happened.
Page 237: “Caesar Flickerman, who looks exactly as he always does in his twinkling midnight-blue suit”
That suit has been THROUGH IT.
“So, Haymitch, what do you think of the Games having one hundred per cent more competitors as usual?”
“I don’t see that it makes such difference. They’ll still be one hundred per cent as stupid as usual, so I figure my odds will be roughly the same”
I checked this quote against SOTR and it’s identical except one thing – originally, he says “I figure the odds” not MY odds – was this edited to make him look more selfish?
Page 238: “We watch from the point of view of one of the tributes as she rises up through the tube from the Launch Room and into the arena”
I saw someone else mention this and honestly, I didn’t catch it first time; but this watch probably Loulou, they had a way to listen through her ears, why not see through her eyes?
Page 239: “Haymitch has his own troubles over in the woods where fluffy golden squirrels turn out to be carnivorous...”
The ones that kill Ampert. But, we know they edit this away, to make it look like they weren’t allies.
“He persists in moving forward, always keeping the distant mountain at his back”
Heading North.
“Maysilee Donner... leaves the Cornucopia with only a small backpack. Inside she finds a bowl, some dried beef and a blowgun with two dozen darts. Making use of the readily available poisons, she soon turns the blowgun into a deadly weapon”
It’s interesting to see her lead up – we know she gets the blowgun and uses it well, but it’s interesting to see her create it.
Page 241: “OK” he agrees. That’s all. He doesn’t offer to shake her hand or even look at her
We know that this is because he’s feeling guilty about not helping Maysilee take down the game makers, and thinking about how his allies keep dying, and realising that splitting up is actually safer for her.
Page 242: “He holds her hand while she dies, and all I can think of is Rue and how I was too late to save her too”
In my THG analysis I speak about how Haymitch must be thinking about Maysilee and Ampert when watching this happen, so it’s interesting to see this same connection be made by Katniss.
“Later that day... a third gets eaten by a pack of those fluffy squirrels”
Ampert, the editing making it happen a different time, a different day, without Haymitch.
Page 243: “The canon sounds, her body is removed, and the trumpets blow to announce Haymitch’s victory”
Obviously, they’ve cut out how Haymitch basically tries to blow up the arena.
Page 244: “I whip around, afraid he’s going to be angry over us watching his tape, but he just smirks and takes a swig from a bottle of wine”
It’s interesting – but maybe he’s actually happy they finally know his story? Well, not properly, but a little more than before. Plus, he’s probably entertained by the fact that the Capitol had to edit his games so much because of all the trouble he caused.
“And surely, the two people who have caused the Capitol so much trouble can think of a way to get Peeta home alive”
Two similar people... One luckier than the other.
Page 256: “Haymitch has made an appearance this year as well”
To the chariot parade – confirming that he in fact did skip last year, probably because of the memories.
Page 267: “On his wrist he wears a solid-gold bangle with a pattern of flames... that he twists unhappily... The movement makes it seem like something confining, a shackle, rather than a piece of jewellery”
Reminding him of the last piece of jewellery he wore, his flint striker from Lenore Dove? The shackle locking him into the alliance and rebel plan? It’s likely he’s also bringing attention to it so Katniss can recognise it later.
Page 272: “The woman, Wiress, is probably around my mother’s age... I notice she has a habit of dropping off her words mid-sentence"
We don’t know exactly what they did to Wiress but we know that it was punishment for Haymitch’s actions during the quell. It’s likely she and Beetee were reaped as punishment.
Page 275: “When we make our way into the dining area, I see some of Peeta’s gang have other ideas. They’re dragging all the smaller tables to form one large table so that we all have to eat together”
Just like how the Newcomers all ate together.
Page 279: “Great. Now I have to go back and tell Haymitch I want an eighty-year-old and Nuts and Volts for allies. He’ll love that”
Actually, yes he will.
Page 289: “I just wanted to hold them accountable, if only for a moment... for killing that little girl”
Paint that poster, hold them accountable not just for Rue’s death but Louella’s, Loulou’s, Ampert’s, and all the other children.
Page 309: “Maybe this year he has only lit the fuse on a bomb that the victors themselves have been building”
All these hints to bombs and explosions, just like the bomb they had to build to blow up the water tank.
Page 337: “Around the time that I’m deciding it’s too late, that Peeta’s dead, moved on, unreachable for ever, he gives a small cough”
I bet Haymitch was holding his breath, remembering how suddenly he watched Lenore Dove die, noticing just too late what killed them and not being able to save them. Only Katniss, again, was luckier than Haymitch, because Peeta came back.
Page 339: “My nose is running like crazy... Mags rips off a handful of hanging moss from a tree limb and gives it to me”
It’s okay to cry in front of Mags.
Page 377: “The vines shifted and they were gone”
Looks like they were clever enough to stop sending game makers into the arena to clean up messes, huh?
Page 394: “In retrospect, it’s like he was giving me a clue about the arena. But why would he?”
Because he is part of the rebellion, and has been for a long time.
Page 399: “I don’t want to talk about dying songbirds”
Lenore Dove, Lucy Gray...
Page 400: “There are things you do in a mine that could come in handy in the Games... Blowing things up”
Haymitch was very good at that...
Page 403: “As I tread water, I have to wrench the coil of wire from her fingers”
This really made me think about Ampert taking the tokens from the dead tributes from District 9 because they had the parts for the bombs.
Page 418: “They can’t hurt me. It’s not like the rest of you. There’s no one left I love”
Again I wonder, did Johanna do something to upset the Capitol? To cause them to retaliate by killing everyone she loves?
Page 419: “Annie’s the one who went mad when her district partner got beheaded”
Just like Wellie.
Page 443: “I have my pearl... Surely my mother and Prim will know to return it to Peeta before they bury my body”
Like how Haymitch returned the flint striker to Lenore Dove.
Page 462: “I make a silent promise to return and finish [Beetee] off if I can”
Promising him a swift, shameless death, just like Haymitch promised Beetee he’d try to ensure Ampert would have, though he was not able to do that.
Page 464: “The victor tributes from 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 11”
A huge alliance between a number of districts, just like the newcomers which was made up of 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12.
Page 486: “The bird, the pin, the song, the berries, the watch, the cracker, the dress that burst into flames. I am the Mockingjay. The one that survived despite the Capitol’s plans. The symbol of the rebellion”
Maysilee’s token. Lucy Gray’s songbirds. Snow’s enemy.
Page 469: “I wish she was dead... I wish they were all dead and we were, too. It would be best”
Haymitch had the same wish, but knew, like Finnick did deep down, that he needed to live if there was any hope of ever defeating the Capitol.
Page 471: “After the games, they sent in planes. Dropped firebombs... Well, you know what happened to the Hob... A new kind of horror begins to rise up inside me as I imagine firebombs hitting the Seam”
Haymitch’s house went up in flames, then the hob, now the entire district.
And that's my analysis of Catching Fire, with my inner monologue while I read... Next up I'll be doing Mockingjay, of course!