The Hate U Give Literary Analysis

Angie Thomas’s “The Hate U Give” portrays the journey of Starr Carter as she confronts the issues of identity, race, and justice. Throughout the book, Starr experiences intense psychological and moral growth, with one pivotal moment of deciding to protest to show her courage and voice. Starr’s decision to join the protest in “The Hate U Give” represents a pivotal moment where she finds her voice and realizes her responsibility in fighting for justice, creating the book’s theme of moral development and recognizing one’s role in the world. Before Starr decided to protest for justice after Kahlil’s unjust killing, she struggles with internal conflict and fear, which makes her hesitant to speak out against injustices due to the overwhelming pressure and the circumstances they are

She always said “If [she] saw it happen to somebody, [she] would have the loudest voice” to make sure the world knew what happened, but now that she is in that place, “[she’s] too afraid to speak” (Thomas 34/35). This evidence shows the internal conflict and fear that Starr experiences as she deals with the aftermath of witnessing the shooting of her friend, Kahlil, by a white police officer. Prior to Kahlil’s death, Starr saw instances of police brutality and racial injustice against the black community, causing her to express her support for social justice causes through social media activism, such as tweeting hashtags and sharing posts. She says that if she ever witnessed an injustice firsthand, she would have the courage to speak out and ensure the incident was widely known. However, when Starr finds herself stuck in the middle of the tragedy of witnessing Kahlils murder herself, she is challenged with the harsh reality of the dangers and consequences of speaking up. Regardless of her initial intentions and convictions, she struggles with feeling scared, realizing that being involved in the traumatic event has messed with her