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The Theories of Hate
2
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Mariam Ahmed
The Theories of Hate
The Hate U Give is a 2017 young adult novel by Angie Thomas.
Introduction
Starr Carter, an African-American teen, moves between her underprivileged neighborhood, Garden Heights, and her upscale suburban prep school, Williamson Prep. When Starr sees her childhood best friend, Khalil, shot and killed by a police officer, the fragile balance between both worlds is disrupted. Starr must gain the courage and confidence to testify before a grand jury and seek justice for his death while keeping up with her double life.
Background Info.
Background Information
Starr Carter lives with her parents Maverick and Lisa, her brother Sekani, and her half-brother, Seven. Maverick was born into a life of crime and was the son of the biggest drug dealer in Garden Heights. Lisa is a nurse with a compassionate heart who teaches the importance of forgiveness and second chances. Lisa´s brother, Carlos was a father figure to Starr when her father, Maverick, spent three years in prison for a crime he did not commit. There are many moments in the book that display the racism that is surrounding African American citizens in today's society. This book gives insight into themes like code-switching, racial discrimination, and police brutality.
The Hate Crime
Khalil's murder emphasizes the process of dehumanization of young black men in the media, allowing them to become scapegoats for the violence in their neighborhoods. Officer One-Fifteen pulled Khalil and Starr up for a taillight violation and proceeded to make Khalil exit the car; while outside the car, Khalil reached into his car via the open driver-side window to check in on Starr and picked up a brush. The officer, thinking Khalil picked up a gun, fires three shots into Khalil, killing him. The police and media quickly found reasons why Khalil's death was inevitable and justified by portraying him as a drug dealer. This system was created to use stereotypes of black people to justify violence and racism against them.
Book Example
Starr often dispolays how the events of her friends murder has effected her like when she was waiting to give information and she panicked about of how, “They can easily grab their guns and leave us like Khalil. All the blood in our bodies pooling on the street for everyone to see. Our mouths wide open. Our eyes staring at the sky, searching for God” (Thomas, pg. 165). This is her reaction from being a few feet away from a police officer.
The people who are supposed to keep her safe were absolutely traumatizing her.
Can You Really Blame The Cop?
Some can argue that the police made an honest mistake and anyone else would have done the same. Some may even say that he did not need to brush his hair at the time. Statements like these are saying that they would have killed an innocent teenager reaching into his car during a taillight ticket, just because he was black. If a white man were to have reached inside his car that night the outcomes would be very different. Starrs uncle Carlos was Officer One-Fifteen's colleague and he always believed that the officer was not to blame.
Book Example
In a conversation between the two, Starr asks her uncle if he would have made the same decision as the officer and he replied with, “I’d like to think I wouldn't have, but it’s hard to say unless you’re in that situation, feeling what that officer is feeling– ” (Thomas, pg. 120).
Although Carlos is a black man, the theory still applies. Carlos lives in a majority-white neighbor and works as a police officer, yet he still mentioned how that officer must have been feeling. Feelings coincide with biases and judgment. One’s decision to shoot an innocent child should not be based on feelings.
Code-Switching
Code-switching refers to the act of changing the way one presents oneself in different surroundings. Throughout the story, Starr and her family engage in code-switching, changing their accent, vocabulary, and attire depending on whether they are speaking to Garden Heights residents, white people, or law enforcement. Starr believes that at Williamson, she transforms into a whole other version of herself, discarding several of her speech tics in order to avoid appearing "ghetto" to her peers.
Book Example
“Williamson Starr doesn't use slang—if a rapper would say it, she doesn't say it, even if her white friends do. Slang makes them cool. Slang makes her “hood.” Williamson Starr holds her tongue when people piss her off so nobody will think she's the “angry black girl.” Williamson Starr is approachable. No stank-eyes, side-eyes, none of that. Williamson Starr is non confrontational. Basically, Williamson Starr doesn't give anyone a reason to call her ghetto” (Thomas, pg. 71).
This kind of lifestyle is challenging for Starr because she is juggling two personas simply to avoid being criticized for her community.
Counter Claim
Some may argue that switching codes allows them to improve their communication and language abilities and learn more. Because code switching allows the speaker to be understood by the listener, it is easily regarded as a communication skill. The use of code-switching in The Hate You Give censors the features of Starr that appear unprofessional, or ghetto, as the book describes. The usage of code-switching creates a conflict between self-expression and societal approval.
Starr constantly mentions that, "Being two different people is so exhausting. I've taught myself to speak with two different voices and only say certain things around certain people. I've mastered it. As much as I say I don't have to choose which Starr I am with Chris, maybe without realizing it, I have to an extent. Part of me feels like I can't exist around people like him" (Thomas, pg. 301).
This goes to show how much of an impact code-switching has left on Starr. This skill is now something she unknowlingly uses to protect herself from judgement.
Book Example
School To Prison Pipeline
System Designed Against Us
The school-to-prison pipeline refers to practices and policies that disproportionately place students of color into the criminal justice system. The only reason why people had to turn towards selling drugs was because of the lack of resources available to them. Business owners are less likely to launch a business, let alone hire people from these neighborhoods without a highschool diploma, despite the fact that it is nearly impossible to keep students from these communities in a classroom. The educational environments in these communities do not set the students up for the future or give them any opportunities to prepare themselves for the “real world”. Maverick claims that in this community, finding crack is easier than finding an education. Maverick reveals to Starr that colored people are given the short end of the stick but are considered as individuals who should be feared the most. It merely goes to highlight how unjust Khalil's death was. Khalil had no choice but to sell drugs to support his family, but to society, he was simply another drug dealer who would have been shot anyhow.
Book Example
Maverick goes onto mention the million dollar drug industry that was brought into low income neighborhoods like theirs. He explains that, “When the Khalils get arrested for selling drugs,they either spend most of their life in prison, another billion-dollar industry, or they have a hard time getting a real job and probably start selling drugs again. That’s the hate they’re giving us, baby, a system designed against us. That’s Thug Life” (Thomas, pg.170)
This goes to show how the never-ending cycle of drug use and distribution impacts not just individuals but the whole community.
But can't everyone choose to not follow?
Nobody truly HAS to sell or HAS to buy, and at the end of the day everyone is liable for their own decisions. Khalil could not find any other resource in his gang-affiliated community that could help him get out of his family's poverty, so he turned to the only thing that this community had a vast knowledge on; drugs. At a very young age he had become the provider for his family with a drug abusing parent. In this situation it was easier for Khalil to fall into the life of drug dealing than it was to stay out of it. This neighborhood was run by gang members who easily intimidated Khalil and other colored youths into developing the lifestyle they chose.