The Hate U Give Rhetorical Analysis

“To money and fame, I changed my name
And played a different game
Tired of being trapped in this vicious cycle
If one more cop harasses me I just might go psycho.” – Tupac Shakur

“Tupac’s idea in the meaning behind the words that made up T.H.U.G. Life was that society’s perception and treatment of children who live in the ghetto has negative implications for everyone…” (Tariq 21), In the essay “Politics and Protest”, Malcolm Tariq cites these lines from Tupac Shakur in order to emphasize how the Black community constantly change their identities to fend off negative stereotypes from white people. Tariq’s description of the challenges of the black community coincides with Angie Thomas’s novel, The Hate U Give (2017), where Starr Carter, a teenage

Ever since the death of Kahlil, Starr hides her emotions away from her loved ones and friends. The loss of Kahlil struck Starr abnormally as it sent her down a path of PTSD and anxiety. Starr would suffer from Kahlil’s death until a nationwide television interview. Here, Starr unhinges every lingering emotion about One-Fifteen, “I’d ask him if he wished he shot me too.” (290). Starr could not contain her anger anymore. For most of her life, Starr covers her feelings and identity away from onlookers to see. Now, with a newfound sense of hope, Starr unbuckles her restraints, presenting a new fighting stance against One-Fifteen. Starr’s grief and anger wash away as an improved Starr appears from the ashes of her old grievances. With the help of Ms. Ofrah, Starr’s lawyer, uses her voice as a weapon for the campaign, “Justice for Kahlil”. As a member of this movement, Starr participates in many violent riots, especially the Magnolia Riot, where she steals an amplifier and chants about how “Everyone wants to know how Kahlil died… But this isn't about how Kahlil died, It’s about the fact that he lived, His life mattered, Kahlil Lived!!” (412). Starr's message was finally set free. With the power of her voice, Starr fights back against One-Fifteen as she breaks her deadly code-switching cycle. She is now no

Khalil’s death is a life changing event for Starr. Starr is left tramatized while combatting and hiding away from the harsh realities of our society. Black lives are not taken seriously as shown in Angie Thomas’s analysis. Black people murdered by police officers are often forgotten. People like Starr are forced to fight for the recongition of victims, only to recieve little from society. Code-switching and camaflouging our identities is one way of coping with society, but as Tupac once said “We was asking with the Panthers, We was asking with them, you know, the Civil Rights Movement. We was asking. Now those people who were asking, they are all dead and in jail, so what do you think we are going to do?” - Tupac Shakur. Tupac’s message is clear- it is time to stand up and speak