The Hate U Give Themes

Almost 60 years since the Civil Rights Act of 1964, stories about police brutality towards African Americans continue to remain relevant, now more than ever. During the last few years, there has been an increase in the discussion surrounding racism and police brutality, but the issue persists and can make the childhood and teenage years even more difficult for black youth compared to white youth. Angie Thomas’ novel ‘The Hate U Give’ (2017) follows the point of view of Starr, a young black girl, who is the sole witness in a police shooting that kills her childhood best friend, Khalil. Through the different settings and situations Starr faces in the aftermath of Khalil’s death, Angie Thomas explores the struggles of growing up as a young, black

During the first 9 chapters, Chris is the only white character in Starrs life who Starr genuinely feels like she can be herself around: “… I don’t have to decide which Starr I have to be with him. He likes both.” (p. 85) Starr usually feels like she must put up a façade at her majority-white school. She’s afraid to be ‘too ghetto’ or fall into stereotypes like the angry black girl, but not around Chris. This is primarily due to her and Chris’ shared interests in traditionally black media or hobbies like ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ or rapping. Starr does not feel judged for having these interests around Chris and can be her authentic ‘black’ self around him, to a degree. But through the novel, Starr realizes that no number of shared interests will make her less black or Chris less white: “…I suddenly really, really realized that Chris is white. Just like One-Fifteen.” (p. 107) Starrs blackness will always create a disconnect between her own experiences and her friends’. Starr can forgive Chris’ mistakes, but his whiteness remains as the central conflict in their relationship, a theme echoed in the rest of the

At her majority-white school, Williamson Prep, Starr tries to distance herself from her blackness, in fear of being stereotyped: “Basically, Williamson Starr doesn’t give anyone a reason to call her ghetto.” (p. 74) When Starr is at Williamson, she doesn’t use slang, doesn’t get angry or annoyed, is non-confrontational – these are all negative stereotypes surrounding black people, which Starr desperately tries to avoid. She already feels like an outsider, as one of only two black people at her school, and in an attempt to avoid standing out even more, she avoids anything stereotypically black. Even at home, Starr struggles to express herself to her fullest self, although for entirely different reasons than at Williamson. At Williamson, she avoids anything tied to her blackness, while at home she tries to wipe all traces of Williamson and whiteness away: “…anytime he [Starrs dad] finds out a black person is with a white person, suddenly something’s wrong with them.” (p. 46) At home, Starr instead feels judged for being with a white boy, particularly by her dad, who is incredibly proud of being black. Starr views her own relationship as a betrayal towards her blackness, so she hides it. This conflicting set of expectations between Williamson and her home means, that Starr has nowhere where she can truly be