Literary Lads That We Love: Haymitch Abernathy

[deathmallow]

Because sorry, you know every time I see the young'uns of Peeta, Finnick, and Gale being featured and Haymitch being left on the sidelines ignored, I feel compelled to step in and defend just how amazing he is. ;) For lisal825's Literary Lads That We Love meme

Comments

[weekendsinner]

Wow, that was fast! Loved this - you made a bunch of excellent points.

Favorite bits:

...did it cleverly enough that nothing was overt enough to draw some attention in a totalitarian regime where setting one foot out of line is likely to invite harsh consequences....Haymitch isn't just smart, he's savvy.

YESYESYES! I touched on this point in my post as well, and I agree completely. He 'fights' in a way that's smart, careful, and behind-the-scenes, because he's seen enough to know that one wrong move, and it's over.

...willing to say what needs to be said and not sugarcoat it.

...doesn't get the nation's love for it, or anyone's admiration. He just does it, again and again and again...

...not even insisting on their respect or their gratitude, let alone their affection. (oh, my poor Hay baby :( )

...a study in what might seem like a bunch of contradictions, but it adds up to one impressive, complicated, remarkable man who plays a huge role in The Hunger Games and deserves far more credit than he usually gets.

AMEN. <3 One

[deathmallow]

Thanks! Haymitch always deserves more love. I just added the point that he somehow keeps going despite having nobody there as his "rock", BTW, because I feel that's also significant. Katniss has Peeta, Finnick has Annie, but Haymitch somehow manages without anyone to lean on.

I'm reaaaally hoping they're not noticing him as more than "drunk mentor guy" only to stick him with Effie. ANYONE else, honestly? ;)

I'm sorry I apparently missed the Ladies' version of this last year, because I would totally have fired one off for Johanna as well. The more I write those two, the more I appreciate both their large similarities, but their subtle differences that actually help each other. A lot of the Johanna meta would have some of the same points as here, but I'd emphasize some differences as well.

[weekendsinner]

"I'm reaaaally hoping they're not noticing him as more than "drunk mentor guy" only to stick him with Effie. ANYONE else, honestly? ;)

Haha, thankfully, there seems to be genuine appreciation for his smarts and bravery these days. :)

Also, it would be so much fun writing and reading Johanna meta! <3 NEEDS TO HAPPEN, just for the heck of it!

[deathmallow]

One certainly hopes so. Dude needs appreciation! :D

I may do the Johanna meta later, then, just to complement the Haymitch one. God knows after something like 850,000 words of Hayhanna I ought to know how these two tick. XD

[deathmallow]

Admittedly, I can readily ramble at length about Haymitch, and Johanna, since they're the two chars I write the most. ;)

I really do love the complexity of him and how non-traditional he is as a char. He's not just the buffoonish useless drunken mentor, and he's not a shiny happy mentor either.

Thank you for letting me submit to this at the last minute! I didn't know about it until I saw weekendsinner posting about Finnick.

[deathmallow]

Thank you so much! Haymitch is awesome, the end. :D

[marble_sharp]

Brought a tear to my eye. ;)

Your analysis of Haymitch just makes me sideeye anyone who doesn't love him or at least respect him. Really.

[deathmallow]

Damn straight. And this is why he deserves an encouraging and supportive romantic relationship of his very own? ;)

[marble_sharp]

Yes, yes, by the name of not!Effie, I presume?

[deathmallow]

"Noeffie" is a very good character paired with Haymitch. ;)

[mathgirl24]

Nicely said!

[deathmallow]

Thank you! MINIOOOOON ICON!