the hate you give theme essay

Themes and Analysis

The hate u give, by angie thomas.

The book, ‘The Hate U Give’ isn’t just a book that some people are forced to read in English class, but instead a book that can teach you valuable lessons applicable to our lives. The lessons can be found in the themes.

About the Book

Article written by Juliet Ugo

Former Lecturer. Author of multiple books. Degree from University Of Nigeria, Nsukka.

The themes of a story are the deeper meanings and truth that the book reveals. Sometimes they are easily found like this book, but other times, you have read it many times before you can find it. ‘ The Hate U Give ’ by Angie Thomas is a story for a young adult novel . It is about the life of 16-year-old Starr Carter, a young girl who witnesses the death of Khalil Harris, her childhood best friend. An unarmed Khalil was shot and killed by a white police officer, showing irresponsibility and police brutality present in many African-American communities. 

Most school teachers are teaching the novel ‘ The Hate U Give ’ this school year because the themes and events that take place in the novel connect to the society we live in today. There are so many themes that can be found in the book like police brutality, identity, and double consciousness. Here are some of them.

‘ The Hate U Give ’ Themes

Police brutality.

The leader of the drug gang in Garden Heights, King, constantly warns Starr not to speak up about this incident in order for his business to remain secretive. In the book, you see Garden Heights, the fictional neighborhood, isn’t the best place to be but they don’t usually call the cops. Many people believe that the novel would be a catalyst for deeper questioning and engaging class discussions. 

It is also believed that students will inevitably generate concern for relevant issues like police brutality that the book revolves around. Khalil’s death put Starr in a dilemma with the tough decision of either speaking up against police brutality or keeping quiet to ensure that King doesn’t come after her and her family. King takes advantage of the protest and riots to set Mavericks (Starr’s father) ‘s store on fire with both Starr and Seven (Maverick’s son) inside.

In the novel, Starr was confused, mad, and felt very lonely because she couldn’t understand her struggle. She tried rebelling and wanted to defend not only her beliefs but others’ beliefs as well. King was arrested at the end of the book after being snitched on by neighbors, and the Carter family moved into a new house in a safer neighborhood. Also, Starr makes a promise to continue fighting against injustice and to never stay silent again.

Identity and Double-Consciousness

In an 1897 article in the Atlantic, W.E.B. Du Bois, a sociologist noted that he felt a “two-ness” came from seeing himself through the eyes of others. In ‘ The Hate U Give ’, the author increases Starr’s dilemma by having her dramatically move between two worlds – the neighborhood where she lives, African American Garden Heights, and the school environment, white Williamson Prep.

With her friends from Garden Heights, Starr uses slang, liberally uses ghetto languages, and topics like “stank-eye, gangbanging.” With her friends from school, she is careful to always use proper English and watches her tone so no one can dismiss her as an “angry black girl.” She learned early on, when she tried to have a slumber party with both sets of friends that the two worlds do not mesh, and she finds it exhausting to keep up two separate personas. 

Starr, trying to be acceptable to both worlds, causes an identity crisis that prevents her from being her real self and truly connecting with others. She wishes she could be like Will, the main character in the 90s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, whom she believes acted true to himself despite attending a fancy school. Starr and her white boyfriend, Chris, share a fondness for the sitcom and can recite entire episodes to each other. Still, Starr does not feel safe enough with Chris to reveal her trauma over the deaths of Natasha and Khalil. When Chris confronts her at prom about being the witness to Khalil’s death, it is a watershed moment for Starr. 

The Pervasiveness of Racism

Khalil is a victim of thug life both in life and death. A lack of economic opportunity in their town led to his drug dealing. After his death, racial profiling led to his being blamed for his own murder. As Khalil’s friend and the witness to his shooting, Starr has to navigate the overt racism of One-Fifteen and the people who justify and guard him. And as an African American pupil in a predominately white school, Starr has to cope with each day’s microaggressions from human beings like Hailey, who refuse to renowned their white privilege.

One-Fifteen symbolizes the regular chance of police brutality in opposition to African Americans. Although he’s slightly gifted as a character, he looms over the complete narrative. One-Fifteen pulls the young adults over due to a damaged taillight. However, he’s unnecessarily competitive in the direction of Khalil, assuming Khalil is as much as not real due to the fact he’s African American.

In a TV interview, One-Fifteen’s father characterizes his son as “afraid for his life” for the duration of his come across with the young adults, whilst in fact, Starr and Khalil posed no threat to him. One-Fifteen’s father additionally paints his son as a type of white savior, nobly risking himself “to make a distinction withinside the lives” of the citizens of Garden Heights. Starr calls this mindset out as no exceptional from how slave masters notion they were “saving African Americans from their ‘wild African ways.” Because of a justice gadget stacked in opposition to African Americans, One-Fifteen suffers no effects for killing an unarmed teen.

Hailey casually throws cruel comments toward Starr and Maya, and she refuses to acknowledge that she has done anything wrong, even when directly challenged. Instead, she makes her feel guilty and turns their argument around, and in the process, making herself a victim instead of a perpetrator. Thomas shows how this is a kind of gaslighting that makes Hailey’s victims question themselves so she can retain the moral high ground and maintain the status quo. 

The Defeating Cycle of Poverty

The truth of Khalil’s character is at the forefront of Starr’s mind and thus becomes one of the focal points of Thomas’s narrative. Thomas investigates the crushing cycle of poverty through Khalil’s life and death, the way it limits choices for African Americans, and how their crimes provide justification for white people to continue to dismiss and oppress them.

Starr and Khalil have known each other since they were kids her babysitter, Ms. Rosalie, is Khalil’s grandmother. Although they have drifted apart since Starr started attending Williamson Prep, she trusts him enough to get in his car without a second thought when shots ring out at a party in Garden Heights. She is sure that One-Fifteen murdered him, as he did nothing wrong.

However, Starr finds herself conflicted and wondering how much she can defend someone who dealt drugs and may have been a gang member. In fact, she denies knowing him when her friends at Williamson prep dismiss him as a thug. When she hears One-Fifteen’s father lying about Khalil and painting him as a threat to his son’s life, Starr realizes she must speak for Khalil and let people know the true story, that Khalil is as much a victim of institutionalized racism as he is of One-Fifteen’s gun.

Khalil earned some money at Maverick’s store, but his grandmother’s cancer treatments became unmanageable. She wonders if this makes her a thug, too, providing justification for white people to kill her as well. Starr knows she is lucky to have two parents who are loving and gainfully employed and who have successfully escaped the depressing cycle of poverty. She knows that most people in Garden Heights are not so lucky, and it is up to her and those like her to help out in any way possible.

Analysis of Key Moments in ‘ The Hate U Give ’

There are various major events that happened in the novel. Here are some of the most notable ones.

• The teens at a party at Greater heights where gunshots were heard.
• The shooting of Khalil at the traffic stop by One-Fifteen.
• After the shooting of her friend, Khalil, by the police; Starr gained the firmness f mind within herself to testify before a grand jury to seek justice for his death.
• Starr made a decision not to keep silent anymore and agreed to testify before the grand jury. 
• Starr gives a statement to the police about what happened, after One-Fifteen shoots Khalil.
• Starr testifies in front of the grand jury, and this finally brings to light the full truth of what happened the night of Khalil death. After this testimony, Starr decides that she will do all she can do to seek justice for Khalil.
• The grand jury did not indict One-Fifteen. 
• Starr and her friends hide at her family store, but King burns the store by tossing a Molotov cocktail into the store and burns it down. The neighbors reported to the police that it was King who started the fire, which led to his arrest.

Style, Tone, and Figurative Language in ‘ The Hate U Give ’

The author used the first-person viewpoint throughout the story. Angie used the sarcastic, witty, and upbeat social commentary of the protagonist to give the novel an optimistic tone in the face of tragedy. Yet, there is an atmosphere of indignation in the book, which is directed at the oppressive systems in society. The characters in ‘ The Hate U Give’ have to fight against the system each and every day.

The major clash in the story is between Starr and herself as she struggles to speak up and fight for her friend, Khalil. Another major conflict is the one between the book’s African-American characters and the racism and brutality they face in their lives.

There is foreshadowing in the book when Starr shows concern over what to do if a police car stops her. This was a foreshadowing of Khalil’s later shooting. The intrinsic bad feeling that Starr and Lisa got about the police investigation into the case of Officer One-Fifteen is another foreshadowing of the jury’s decision not to prosecute the police officer.

Analysis of the Symbols

Khalil’s hairbrush.

Khalil’s hairbrush is similar to Khalil. This is because of the significance attached to a black teenager in such a neighborhood. The hairbrush looks dangerous to a cop who racially profiles, even though it is not. Therefore, the hairbrush represents the racist assumptions that white people make about African Americans.

An activist, Ms. Ofrah, informs Starr and her parents that officer Cruise mistook Khalil’s hairbrush for a gun because “the handle was thick enough, black enough, for him to assume it was a gun.” Maverick points out that Khalil was black too, suggesting that One-Fifteen only “saw” a gun because he expected one to be there. One-Fifteen, like other white police officers who monitor the black neighborhoods, makes the racist assumption that an African American teen who tries to resist them must be a criminal.

One-Fifteen

One-fifteen is the badge number of the cop who killed Khalil. In the novel, it is a symbol of unrestrained police brutality towards African Americans. Starr kept referring to the officer as “One-Fifteen,” instead of his real name because of two main things. First, Starr said she learned to get the badge number of any cop she interacted with because she was told about the police from her juvenile age.

Starr and other children in the African American neighborhood are taught early how to avoid confrontation with the police. This is because they are much more likely to be harassed by police because of racial profiling. So they are taught to always cooperate and never make any sudden movements in order to stay safe. The second thing is that by not referring to One-Fifteen by his given name, Starr is refusing to make him human or sympathize with him. She puts the focus squarely where it should be: on his victim, Khalil Harris.

How many times did Khalil get shot?

The police officer that killed Khalil shot him three times. He felt he was grabbing a gun and shoots Khalil immediately, killing him. The only reason Starr agrees to go to an interview with police about the shooting is because of the encouragement by her detective Uncle.

What does Khalil’s hairbrush represent?

Khalil’s Hairbrush is one of the symbols in the book. The hairbrush represents two things. The first thing is the blinding power of a racist system. The second thing is the senselessness of racism. One-Fifteen alleges that he shot Khalil because he mistook his hairbrush for a gun.

Why did One-fifteen pull Khalil over?

According to the police officer, One-Fifteen, Khalil was pulled over because of a broken taillight. He asks them where they are coming from, to which Khalil responds with “nunya.” One-Fifteen demands that Khalil gets out of the car, pins his arm behind his back, and proceeds to search him.

What does One-Fifteen symbolize in ‘ The Hate U Give ’ ?

One-Fifteen, the badge number of the cop who murders Khalil, is another symbol in ‘ The Hate U Give ’ . It symbolizes unfettered police brutality against African Americans. One-Fifteen becomes a symbol for the larger issue of institutional racism because white parents never have to give their white children this safety talk.

What is a symbol in ‘ The Hate U Give ?’

There are two main symbols in the book. They are Khalil hairbrush and One-Fifteen, the police officer. One of the protest chants was that ‘A hairbrush is not a gun!’, in protest of the shooting of Khalil under the guise of him having a gun and the anger felt by the African-American community.

About Juliet Ugo

Juliet Ugo is an experienced content writer and a literature expert with a passion for the written word with over a decade of experience. She is particularly interested in analyzing books, and her insightful interpretations of various genres have made her a well-known authority in the field.

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The Hate U Give (2018 film)

By george tillman jr., the hate u give (2018 film) themes.

The title of the movie alludes to this important theme. The title refers to Tupac's anagram for "Thug Life": "The hate you give little infants fucks everybody." This quote alludes to the fact that the hate black youth experience from white society only creates a cycle of hate, which is the structural motor for why black Americans get caught up in systems of violence and crime. The film examines one family's attempts at breaking the cycle of this hate, and finding a way to protest and fight injustice in ways that are self-affirming and loving. Hate, according to the movie, is a dead end that ruins everyone's lives.

Social Inequality

The imagery of Williamson, the prep school Starr attends, and Garden Heights, the neighborhood where she lives, reveals a stark division between the rich and poor, between black and white communities. Starr exists in the middle between this divide, forced to adopt two selves in order to fit in. The film shows how this social inequality affects people differently. For instance, for the white students at Williamson, a protest is a good excuse to skip class, but for Starr, it is the only thing that makes her feel empowered to seek justice in the wake of her friend's murder.

Police Brutality and Injustice

This is a recurring theme throughout the movie, and appears from the start, when Maverick makes his young children recite the Ten-Point Program from the Black Panther Party. When Khalil is wrongfully shot to death by a white officer, the film delves deeper into an exploration of the injustice black individuals suffer at the hands of ignorant and trigger-happy white officers. The police force depicted in the film is a violent, proto-fascist, and unsympathetic institution. They break up a peaceful protest with tear gas and they are quick to pull a gun on black individuals. The film gives the viewer a window into this injustice, and shows the way that police brutality gets mishandled by the media and the law.

One of Starr's main struggles is her sense that she is living a double life. On the one hand, she is a girl who grew up in a rough black neighborhood and has seen two of her friends get shot. On the other hand, she attends Williamson and dates an affluent white boy, and so integrates herself into the prep school life. The constant switching between these two personas results in immense confusion for Starr, who feels that she does not fit in in either environment. Over the course of the film, she learns that the only way to feel better about herself is to be more honest about her identity and integrate these two sides of herself.

The one thing that Starr can count on, even when things get complicated and she feels isolated in her community, is her family. The Carters are a tight-knit group, often sharing family meals, holding each other accountable, and sharing warm laughs. Starr feels deep belonging with her family, and while they do not always see eye-to-eye, she knows she can rely on them when the going gets tough. They do their best to keep her safe and take care of her, but her parents forgive and respect her when she strikes out on her own and tries to establish her independence.

Finding Your Voice

Starr is hesitant about speaking up about Khalil's death, worried about the attention that it will bring her, including possible repercussions from the vengeful King Lord. She holds back—until one day, she decides that she has an obligation to speak up. She speaks on television and testifies in front of the grand jury. The true test of her desire to speak up, however, comes after the jury fails to indict the white officer, and the community of Garden Heights starts protesting. Starr joins the front lines of the protest, and even makes an impassioned speech into a megaphone about her experience as the witness to Khalil's death, and her commitment to preserving his memory. Starr learns to trust her own voice, and her ability to speak up against oppressive powers.

One of the more heartbreaking things about Khalil's death on a personal level for Starr is the fact that he was her first love. In the moments before he got pulled over by the cop, Khalil confesses his feelings for Starr and they share a kiss. There is a warmth and affection between the two of them that makes Khalil's murder all the more shocking and horrible.

Additionally, Starr loves and is loved by Chris , a white student at her school who doesn't know about her life in Garden Heights. Eventually, after he has shown up enough times and insisted to Starr that he loves and sees her for who she is, Starr accepts his love and they embark on a loyal and meaningful relationship.

The Hate U Give (2018 film) Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Hate U Give (2018 film) is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Chapters 25-26

King Lord and his members laugh because they are responsible for the arson.... they have burned down Maverick's store.

How does the movie deal with racism/issues related to race?

This is a recurring theme throughout the movie, and appears from the start, when Maverick makes his young children recite the Ten-Point Program from the Black Panther Party. When Khalil is wrongfully shot to death by a white officer, the film...

what are some of the techniques used within the film?

Sorry, I have not seen the film version of the book.

Study Guide for The Hate U Give (2018 film)

The Hate U Give (2018 film) study guide contains a biography of George Tillman Jr., literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About The Hate U Give (2018 film)
• The Hate U Give (2018 film) Summary
• Character List
• Director's Influence

Wikipedia Entries for The Hate U Give (2018 film)

• Introduction

The Hate U Give

Angie thomas, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

The Hate U Give follows sixteen-year-old Starr Carter after she witnesses the killing of Khalil Harris , her unarmed black friend, by a white police officer. Though this specific moment of police brutality spurs the action of the novel, author Angie Thomas also presents excessive force as part of a larger tapestry of racism and the criminalization of black communities in America as a whole.

Police brutality is such a reality in Starr’s world that her parents Maverick and Lisa give each of their children “the talk” about how to behave around law enforcement. When pulled over after Big D ’s party, Starr is grateful that her parents told her “what to do if a cop stopped” her and hopes “somebody had the talk with Khalil.” For black children, knowing how to act in front of law enforcement can be a matter of life and death. Maverick further instills in his children knowledge of how systemic racism manifests in society. Starr and her half-brother Seven are taught to recite the Black Panther’s Ten-Point Program, including the phrase, “We want an immediate end to police brutality and the murder of black people, other people of color, and oppressed people.” These steps are necessary in a world quick to assume that black individuals are dangerous.

The criminalization of black youth appears early in the novel, when Khalil is shot during a traffic stop despite posing no threat to One-Fifteen , the officer who pulls him over. One-Fifteen then points his gun at the unarmed, terrified Starr until backup arrives. This scene establishes that black people, even children, are not only not afforded a presumption of innocence, but are often deemed threats. The media then attempts to present Khalil as a thug in an effort to rationalize One-Fifteen’s actions. Even Carlos , Starr’s uncle and a detective on the same force as One-Fifteen, describes the officer as “a good guy” who was in over his head. Maverick pointedly responds by questioning why One-Fifteen “assumed” that Khalil was “a thug” just “by looking at” him. In his television interview, One-Fifteen’s father further attempts to garner sympathy for his son by painting him as a man who feared for his life. The media’s focus on Khalil’s alleged background as a drug dealer is another tool to exonerate One-Fifteen. As Starr points out, however, selling drugs should not be a death sentence. The novel thus suggests that black children are not simply robbed of their innocence, but also killed for minor transgressions.

Though Khalil’s death is the novel’s most horrific example of excessive force, the thinking that underlies police brutality manifests throughout Thomas’s story. The fact that a black officer, Larry , later forces Maverick to the ground suggests that though brutality is targeted towards communities of color, its perpetrators need not be white. Thomas elevates police brutality beyond an issue of black vs. white individuals and suggests that the systemic criminalization of people of color can be internalized by anyone.

The inclusion of Carlos further complicates the notion that all police officers are “bad.” Carlos defends the force to Maverick, pointing out he’d “be surprised at how many of us want justice in this case.” Starr is initially conflicted about joining in protests following Khalil’s death in part because of her uncle. Ultimately, however, she decides that the issue “isn’t him or his coworkers who do their jobs right. Rather, “This is about One-Fifteen, those detectives with their bullshit questions, and those cops who made Daddy lie on the ground.” Thomas suggests that police brutality is not just about individual officers, but rather a culture that allows prejudice and violence against communities of color to go unchecked. The fact that Carlos eventually does confront One-Fifteen and is put on leave for it also suggests that anyone who doesn’t defend the “bad apples” risks their job. This points to a broken culture of policing in general, even if not all officers are actively racist.

Racism and Police Brutality ThemeTracker

Racism and Police Brutality Quotes in The Hate U Give

As long as I play it cool and keep to myself, I should be fine. The ironic thing is though, at Williamson I don't have to “play it cool” — I’m cool by default because I'm one of the only black kids there. I have to earn coolness in Garden Heights, and that's more difficult than buying retro Jordans on release day.

Funny how it works with white kids though. It's dope to be black until it's hard to be black.

Garden Heights has been a battlefield for the past two months over some stupid territory wars. I was born a “queen” ‘cause Daddy used to be a King Lord. But when he left the game, my street royalty status ended. But even if I’d grown up in it, I wouldn't understand fighting over streets nobody owns.

Listen! The Hate U-the letter U-Give Little Infants Fucks Everybody. T-H-U-G L-I-F-E. Meaning what society give us as youth, it bites them in the ass when we wild out. Get it?

The other talk was about what to do if a cop stopped me. … “Starr-Starr, you do whatever they tell you to do," he said. "Keep your hands visible. Don't make any sudden moves. Only speak when they speak to you."

I knew it must've been serious. Daddy has the biggest mouth of anybody I know, and if he said to be quiet, I needed to be quiet.

But I swear I wanna cuss Khalil out. How he could sell the very stuff that took his momma from him? Did he realize that he was taking somebody else's momma from them? Did he realize that if he does become a hashtag, some people will only see him as a drug dealer?

He was so much more than that.

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 nonconfrontational. Basically, Williamson Starr doesn't give anyone a reason to call her ghetto.

Hailey texted me immediately after, freaking out. I thought it was because she couldn't believe someone would do that to a kid. No. She couldn't believe I would reblog such an awful picture.

My voice is changing already. It always happens around “other” people, whether I'm at Williamson or not. I don't talk like me or sound like me. I choose every word carefully and make sure I pronounce them well. I can never, ever let anyone think I'm ghetto.

“Hustle! Pretend the ball is some fried chicken. Bet you'll stay on it then.”

The drug dealer. That's how they see him. It doesn't matter that he's suspected of doing it. “Drug dealer” is louder than “suspected” ever will be.

If it's revealed that I was in the car, what will that make me? The thug ghetto girl with the drug dealer? What will my teachers think about me? My friends? The whole fucking world, possibly?

“Drugs come from somewhere, and they're destroying our community," he says. “You got folks like Brenda, who think they need them to survive, and then you got the Khalils who think they need to sell them to survive. The Brendas can't get jobs unless they're clean, and they can't pay for rehab unless they got jobs. 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.’”

[Tupac] explains Thug Life like Khalil said he did. The Hate U Give Little Infants Fucks Everybody. ‘Pac spells out “Fucks” because that kid is looking dead in his face. When Khalil told me what it meant I kinda understood it. I really understand it now.

“That's the so-called gun,” Ms. Ofrah explains. “Officer Cruise claims he saw it in the car door, and he assumed Khalil was reaching for it. The handle was thick enough, black enough, for him to assume it was a gun.”

“And Khalil was black enough,” Daddy adds.

A hairbrush. Khalil died over a fucking hairbrush.

“I've tried to forget it, but I remember everything. The shots, the look on Natasha's face. They never caught the person who did it. I guess it didn't matter enough. But it did matter. She mattered.” I look at Ms. Ofrah, but I can barely see her for all the tears. “And I want everyone to know that Khalil mattered too.”

Funny. Slave masters thought they were making a difference in black people's lives too. Saving them from their wild African ways. Same shit, different century. I wish people like them would stop thinking that people like me need saving.

That's the problem. We let people say stuff, and they say it so much that it becomes okay to them and normal for us. What’s the point of having a voice if you're gonna be silent in those moments you shouldn't be?

“I knew that boy. Watched him grow up with you. He was more than any bad decision he made,” he says. “I hate that I let myself fall into that mind-set of trying to rationalize his death. And at the end of the day, you don’t kill someone for opening a car door. If you do, you shouldn't be a cop.”

Ms. Ofrah says this interview is the way I fight. When you fight, you put yourself out there, not caring who you hurt or if you'll get hurt.

So I throw one more blow, right at One-Fifteen.

“I’d ask him if he wished he shot me too.”

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.

Hailey hands me two pictures. One is Khalil's thugshot, as Daddy calls it. One of the pictures they've shown on the news. Hailey printed it off the internet. Khalil wears a smirk, gripping a handful of money and throwing up a sideways peace sign.

The other picture, he's twelve. I know because I'm twelve in it too. It's my birthday party at this laser tag place downtown. Khalil's on one side of me, shoveling strawberry cake into his mouth, and Hailey's on my other side, grinning for the camera along with me.

The bullhorn is as heavy as a gun. Ironic since Ms. Ofrah said to use my weapon.

He said Thug Life stood for “The Hate U Give Little Infants Fucks Everybody.” We did all that stuff last night because we were pissed, and it fucked all of us. Now we have to somehow un-fuck everybody.

It would be easy to quit if it was just about me, Khalil, that night, and that cop. It's about way more than that though. It's about Seven. Sekani. Kenya. DeVante.

It's also about Oscar.

It's even about that little boy in 1955 who nobody recognized at first—Emmett.

The Hate U Give

61 pages • 2 hours read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-5

Chapters 6-10

Chapters 11-15

Chapters 16-19

Chapters 20-21

Chapters 22-26

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Further Reading & Resources

Discussion Questions

Tupac’s THUG LIFE explanation is a major theme of the book. How do you see THUG LIFE playing out in the real world today, possibly even in your community? Can you relate any recent events to the idea of THUG LIFE?

THUG LIFE refers to the self-perpetuating cycle of hatred but does not necessarily offer a solution. How does author Angie Thomas address this? Does she offer a solution or is the answer more complicated? How do you think you can fight against this cycle?

How does this book provide a voice and a perspective that is often overlooked?

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Home / Essay Samples / Entertainment / Movies / The Hate U Give

The Hate U Give Essay Examples

Racism in the hate you give.

 The thug life stands for ‘the hate you give little infants fuck everyone’. Which refers to when somebody has to start off with nothing but ends up succeeding. Today thug life is being used for criminals and drugs, which is different from what 2pac was...

Social Justice in the Hate You Give

The Hate You Give is a young adult fiction based on real life issues around racism and social justice. The common theme in the book is “Thug Life.” “Thug Life” stands for the hate you give little infants F’s everyone. The main characters are Star...

Two Personalities of the Starr Carter

In the book, The Hate You Give, Starr Carter is the main character. She is a 16-year-old girl. Starr Carter is an African-American that lives in the “Hood” as some would say. She lives in a neighborhood called Garden Heights. Starr lives with her mother...

The Effects of Angie Thomas’s Life

Over the years, racism has caused over a thousand people to die per year (Richard Eskow). Angie Thomas’s, The Hate U Give, shows the struggle she carried and others carry as a child being black. Angie Thomas lived her life in a violent black neighborhood...

The Hate U Give Reveals the Discrimination

The Hate U Give reveals the nature of individual and institutional discrimination in areas of poverty such as black communities being deprived of the opportunities and resources needed to achieve, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy for the suceeding generations of black communities. This loophole many...

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About The Hate U Give

February 28, 2017

Angie Thomas

Novel, Urban fiction

Bildungsroman; Young Adult Fiction

One-Fifteen, Maverick’s roses, Garden Heights, Black Jesus, Thug Life, Khalil's hairbrush

Goodreads Choice Awards Best of the Best, MORE

The main theme of the novel is race relations, Identity and Blackness, also the weaponizing of stereotypes against black people and the cyclical nature of racialized poverty

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