THUG

Question 1

The Hate U Give

Summary (Key Factors)

Answer 1

• The Hate U Give is narrated by Starr Carter, who offers commentary and insight into the events that unfold.
• Starr speaks in the first person, offering subjective observations without intentionally distorting the truth.
• Starr tells the story in a colloquial manner, reacting to events as they occur.
• The story is set in the 2010s, in Garden Heights, an inner-city neighborhood in the southern United States.
• The protagonist is Starr Carter, who must gain the courage to seek justice for her friend Khalil after he is shot by a police officer.
• The rising action includes Starr giving a statement to the police, deciding to testify before the grand jury, and condemning King and One-Fifteen on television.
• The climax is when Starr testifies before the grand jury, bringing to light the full truth of what happened the night Khalil died.
• The falling action includes the grand jury’s decision not to prosecute One-Fifteen, the protest, the burning of the Carter family store, and the arrest of King.
• The motifs include hip hop, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” and Harry Potter.
• The symbols include One-Fifteen, Maverick’s roses, and Garden Heights.
• The story includes foreshadowing, such as Khalil’s world-weariness, King’s threat to Maverick, Lisa’s anecdote about Starr’s birth, and Maverick’s worry about the store.

Question 2

The Hate U Give

Themes

Answer 2

Identity and Blackness

• The Hate U Give explores the relationship between race and identity
• Starr struggles to navigate her identity in two different worlds - Garden Heights and Williamson Prep
• Starr switches her speech, mannerisms, and behaviors to fit in with each circumstance
• After Khalil’s shooting, Starr is reluctant to speak about his death to her friends and boyfriend
• Starr feels “too black” to talk about Khalil with her school peers and “too white” to stand up for him at home.

The Weaponizing of Stereotypes Against Black People

1. The Hate U Give explores how stereotypes of black people are used to justify violence and racism against them.
2. These stereotypes protect white communities from confronting systemic racism.
3. One-Fifteen presumes Khalil is violent because he is black, which is evident in his defense of the murder.
4. The media works to disguise the racism in One-Fifteen’s actions by perpetuating stereotypes of black boys as violent and dangerous.
5. The media prioritizes protecting law enforcement and perpetuating stereotypes over black lives.

Cyclical Nature of Racialized Poverty

• Black communities are kept from opportunities and resources needed for financial prosperity due to widespread racism.
• Poverty feeds on itself, affecting generations of black families.
• Many black characters in the book are trapped in poverty and resort to selling drugs for financial security.
• This intergenerational cycle is difficult to break due to inadequate access to resources such as education, employment, and protection from police brutality in black communities like Garden Heights.