Name: Rosmery De la O. Ms. Lunt English 9, Period 2 Date: June 20, 2024 Exploring Identity Identity defines a person by their personality, including how they speak, dress, and act around others. In the novel The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, Starr Carter witnesses her best friend get shot and killed by a police officer, and she struggles to speak up after his murder. Star begins the novel as an individual living two different lives, but after the community of Garden Heights protests, she finds her voice. Therefore, Starr Carter, the protagonist, struggles with her identity since she feels like she has to be two different people, influenced by racism and police violence, and by the end of the novel she has become an activist. First of all, Starr feels like she has to be two different people …show more content…
Most importantly, Starr decides to speak out because she is the only witness. She wants to do an interview so that people can hear what really happened that night and to take into account that she is the only witness who was there. “ I hate it,” I say. “If people knew why he sold drugs, they wouldn’t talk about him that way” (Thomas 287). The interview was only based on what Khalil did, he sold drugs. However, they didn't ask if it was really a hairbrush. It was very frustrating to be there. He had reason to give his version, but they just ignored it to give priority to whether Khalil really was a criminal. It's too much for a 17-year-old girl, deciding whether to speak out for the safety of her family or seek justice for Khalil. Therefore, Starr Carter, the protagonist, struggles with her identity since she feels like she has to be two different people, influenced by racism and police violence, and by the end of the novel she has become an activist. In the novel, Starr fits in and feels more at home in Garden Heights rather than at her school, Williamson