Examples Of Diversity In The Hate U Give By Anni Thomas

416 Words2 Pages

In "The Hate U Give," Angie Thomas portrays diversity through a cast of characters from various ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. The book follows the story of Starr Carter, a sixteen-year-old black girl who witnesses the fatal shooting of her unarmed friend Khalil by a police officer. As Starr navigates the aftermath of the shooting, she must confront issues of race, identity, and justice.

One of the ways that Thomas demonstrates diversity is through the characters' ethnic backgrounds. Starr's family is black, and many of the other characters in the book are also black. However, Thomas also introduces characters from other ethnic backgrounds, such as Starr's white boyfriend Chris, her friend Hailey who is half-white and half-black, and her friend Maya who is Asian American. By including characters from different ethnic backgrounds, Thomas shows that issues of race and justice affect people from all walks of life. As Starr reflects on her friendship with Hailey, she notes, "I don't know which is worse -- to be a black person around Hailey or to be Hailey around black people" (Thomas 117). This quote highlights the challenges of navigating interracial friendships and shows …show more content…

Starr's family lives in a poor neighborhood, and her father is a former gang member who now runs a grocery store. However, Starr attends a predominantly white private school where many of her classmates come from wealthy families. Through Starr's interactions with her classmates, Thomas shows the contrast between the two worlds that Starr inhabits. When Starr's friend Hailey makes a racist comment, Starr reflects, "I know where I come from and what I've been through, and I'm not ashamed of it. But I don't want to be defined by it either" (Thomas 103). This quote highlights the tension between Starr's identity as a black girl from a poor neighborhood and her desire to transcend those