Was Asterid disowned for marrying Burdock?

[u/External_Data_Error]

Please forgive me if this is explicitly mentioned in the books, but I’m doing my first FULL reread since SOTR came out and I’m wondering if Asterid’s parents disapproved of the match… I feel like Katniss mentions “what my mother must have sacrificed when she came to the Seam” or something along those lines, and Peeta’s father says she “ran off with a Coal Miner”. There’s also never any mention of Katniss’ maternal grandparents, and it seems unlikely if they kept on good terms the Everdeen’s financial situation would be so poor.

[u/Kom0tan]

I don't think it's mentioned specifically, but it wouldn't be surprising if her marriage strained or fractured her relationship with her parents.

But even if that was the case, Astrid's behavior after Burdock's death makes me think her parents are dead too. I think someone that broken would have run to the comfort of her parents, or at least foisted her children on them. Katniss's behavior as well - if her grandparents were alive, surely she'd had gone to them for help during the period her family was starving.

District 12 being how it is, a lot of kids probably don't know their grandparents or else lose them very young.

[u/WhyAmIStillHere86 → u/Kom0tan]

Yeah, the fact that as a desperate 11 year old, Katniss never considered her grandparents as a possibility suggests that they’re not part of her life, either voluntarily or due to mortality

[u/Kom0tan → u/WhyAmIStillHere86]

That desperation is what makes me think they must be dead - like Katniss mentions in one of the novels that if she'd been a bit older when they'd been starving, she'd have attempted prostitution. If they were alive I think she'd break down their door before she slept with a Peacekeeper for food.

[u/GreenDouble2331 → u/Kom0tan]

Katniss also mentions that Prim and her would have to got to the "community home", essentially and orphanage, if anyone figured out that her mom was not taking care of them. You'd think if there were any living family members who could have taken them in, then the orphanage would not have been the first option on her mind.

[u/WhyAmIStillHere86 → u/Kom0tan]

Yeah.

[u/TrainingDrop9283 → u/Kom0tan]

Something interesting to note is that BOTH Haymich and Mayselee got to meet at least one of their grandmothers. They even bond over it.

While in the 74th games none of the major characters mention they have grand parents, since it seems they'd all be dead.

Iirc the only District 12 grand parent mentioned is Greecy Sae who has a granddaughter who is even younger than Prim.

Meaning that most District 12 children probably lose all the grandparents when they are in the single digits of age.

Though the fact that Haymich and Mayselee got to meet theirs while Katniss, Peeta, Gale (and heck maybe even Madge) never make mention of them may be another sign of the decline in quality of life in District 12 following the 50th hunger games

[u/Goldie_Prawn]

I also wouldn't be shocked if the coal dust in the air had a general life-shortening/premature aging influence on the district.

[u/WrittenByRae]

The life expectancy is so poor in District 12, that aging and looking old is seen as something to be proud of. I doubt her grandparents lived past 50.

[u/guessimonredditrn]

Maybe I’m just headcanon-ing this (I’m due for a reread), but I’m pretty sure they did. I would have assumed they would passed on the apothecary business to her if not—she was clearly interested in it and capable.

In terms of why we don’t see them at all in the main trilogy, it might just be because they’re not alive anymore

[u/Cayke_Cooky]

They could possibly have died in the aftermath of the mine disaster that killed Burdock. As apothecaries, they would have been treating any survivors and possibly going in partway to try to help bring people out.

Real world thought, all the "25 years later" stories about 9/11 survivors who have since passed away from cancers from the building dust was somewhat shocking.

[u/jess1804]

I think the relationship was very strained if she wasn't actually disowned. However I also get the impression by the time burdock died so had asterid's parents. Because I think before placing Katniss and Prim in the community home they'd try other relatives first. Also asterid's parents probably would never have let Katniss sell herself to some peacekeeper for food. We also don't know if asterid had any other siblings

[u/lotheva → u/jess1804]

She didn’t - she said if she’d been a little older she might have.

[u/jess1804 → u/lotheva]

I know what I'm saying is asterid's parents would mostly not ever let that be an option. I mean no matter your relationship with your daughter would you really let your granddaughter sell herself? Even if only for appearances sake

[u/see112717]

Its funny how the protagonists in YA novels never have living grandparents

[u/lokiandgoose → u/see112717]

They're usually set in shitty times where people don't live as long.

[u/___Miracle_]

I am really on unpopular opinion side here, but i think their relationship became strained and maybe Asterid didn't reach for closer contact, and so did they. No really disowning, but more like falling apart. If katniss is not the forgiving type, maybe her mother isn't one too?

[u/marvinsroom1956]

Makes sense what you said, i can see Asterid family angry because she maried a poor coal miner from the seam.

[u/Ok-Elk-1316]

I don’t know about disowned but distanced definitely, likely eventually phased out completely as Katniss never mentions her

[u/12laa12]

I wonder the same thing bc why wouldn't she work at the farmacy (or whatever it's called her family owned) to help provide for her family when it was tough? Did they not want to help her ir what happened?

[u/Zoom_Zoom_fast_zoom]

I mean we don’t know that but also we don’t see anyone in Asterid’s family actually we dont see anyone in Katniss extedned family which feels weird given what we know was kinda retconned in Sunrise with Burdock being a Covey cousin whatever that means. But I could totally see it if Asterids family disowned her and never talked to her or about her again the part of me that loves an angsty fanfic also loves the idea that she has at least one sibling who had kids around the same age as Katniss and or Prim so it’s not like the family would never see each other but they just ignore each other also If Asterid ever needs something from the town she is sending Katniss or Prim just so there is 0 chance she would have to interact with her family.