MELANCHOLY OF HAYMITCH ABERNATHY IN SUZANNE COLLINS’S SUNRISE ON THE REAPING

Abstract

Sunrise on the Reaping (2025) by Suzanne Collins portrays the psychological impact of violence and loss experienced by Haymitch Abernathy under the authoritarian rule of the Capitol. Previous psychoanalytic studies of mourning and melancholia have examined various literary works, but this novel has not yet been analyzed using the theory. This study aims to analyze the symptoms of melancholia in Haymitch as a result of the Capitol's cruelty and the process through which he emerges from this condition. The study employs a qualitative method with library research as the data collection technique. The primary data consist of the narration, dialogue, and actions of the character in the novel, while the secondary data consist of related books and articles. The data are analyzed using Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory of mourning and melancholia. The findings show that Haymitch experiences melancholia after his mother, younger brother, and lover, Lenore Dove, are taken from him by the Capitol. The symptoms include recurring nightmares and self-blame, withdrawal from loved ones, alcohol addiction, a search for Lenore Dove's grave, hallucinations of vengeful ghosts, and the obligation to mentor tributes who die every year. Haymitch emerges from melancholia after approximately 25 years, when Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark bring the Hunger Games to an end. These findings confirm that the detachment of libido from a lost object is a long and gradual process. This study extends the application of Freud's theory to popular fiction and shows that authoritarian power can produce prolonged personal trauma.