The Hate U Give By Angie Thomas - Essay Example

“The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas

In the book “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas, the author puts us in place to visualize Starr. Starr is a teenage girl who was born and raised in Graded Heights, a known lower class community in which she was compelled to witness the brutal murder of her most excellent ally. The tragedy helps in highlighting the theme of activism. The controversial topic of racial injustices is, therefore, brought to the limelight. Other notable issues that are focused due to the murder include police brutality, as well as the protest of the black lives matter. The confidence depicts Starrs character that she exhibits while advocating for the truth and fight for the victim that she knew very well. The novel portrays her as an activist. Activism is displayed by people in all sections of the book, the choice of the title is, and therefore, improbable based on the activities, themes, and actions that take place in the novel. The title originates from Tupac Shakur’s story tattoo that read: Thug Life.

It has a deeper meaning implying that the “The Hate U Give Little Infants F*ucks everyone” in the long run. As such, it has a meaning that the negativity you feed young children will result in unending hatred. The hatred is not good at all since it will later backfire as they project it to other people in the later stages in life (Thomas, 17). The T.H.U.G is a clear indication of the real struggles that the minorities and other people of color go through in their day to day activities. Tupac’s music tries to inspire and recount the stories of the oppressed, especially by the police, without any justifiable reasons. It also highlights the issues and stories revolving around the injustices experienced all over the world. The author puts the reader into the shoes of the oppressed so that they can witness the oppression and how Starrs tries to deal with it. Being in the shoes of the oppressed who tries to deal with the day to day racism, the reader gets a personal transformation and views life from an entirely different perspective. The story about Starr revolves around individual growth, and it acts towards inspiring all people of all caliber across the world, especially those of black color. Her effort to create and raise the needed awareness about the issues that many persons are afraid of tackling is a clear indication of how determined Starr is to overcome prejudice. Her strength and persistence to find her voice enabled her to relate to many kids because of the issues she was advocating for perfectly fitted into the other children’s lives. Her story gave many kids the hope and confidence that they had lost. It offers reassurance that everybody can work through any difficult or hard situation that they may be facing in life. The act of standing up and speaking her voice is a good inspiration to all people that they can as well do it no matter the circumstances that they face.

Through her activism personality that was developed over a long time, Starr brings justice to Khalil after he was killed. Starr was able to stand on top of the police car, an indication of her real displeasure of the decision made by the judge. She makes use of her voice to defend Khalil because the true side of the story had not been fully exploited. After the verdict, she stands with the truth and ensures that everybody has heard the true information revolving around Khalil and how he died. Starr demands justice because the issue affects many people, including the numerous black people. She points out that justice is not about the death of Khalil, but due to the fact he once lived. Starrs stances on making the demands arose because the narratives about Khalil’s life were twisted to make him lose meaning about the life that he lived because of where he was born, raised, and his overall appearance. The judge was trying to make the police officer appear as the victim, yet he was the killer.

Racial injustices, as well as bias, especially from the cops, are seen in several instances in the story. It was even evident when Khalil was pulled over during the interrogation of officer Cruise’s father. Khalil was displayed as dangerous and threatening in all the scenes, yet he was the victim. It was only Starr who was able to cheer him up since she was the only witness in the entire incident. The police are seen to be biased, especially during the interrogations carried out by detectives Gomez and Wilkes. They never interrogated about the actions of the cop that was involved in the case. They attacked the witness with questions that aimed at faulting Khalil. Starr would always correct the cops whenever they tried to pose irrelevant questions that aimed at tainting Khalil’s name. All in all, Khalil was undermined during the entire interrogation process.

Several irrelevant questions, such as whether he traded in drugs or was involved in gang activities, were asked. Starrs first-person perspective aids the viewer in developing a clear understanding of the fact that the minorities have to deal with so many harsh conditions (Thomas, 95-102). The story has opened the eyes of many, especially the ones that did not know about the prejudice faced by the minorities. This is important that all persons should read and understand the information left to them by those who preceded us. Through the reading, one can know the reality about the Black Lives Matter Movement, racism as well as brutality perpetrated by the law enforcement officers.

The books help in connecting with B.L.M. through a personal perspective rather than just reading about it through social media. It is important not to quickly judge someone before you get their view or listen to the entire story. Previous, I would hear of a black man shot dead and would think that they were actually aggressive or violent, yet it is just an excuse given by the cops to justify their excessive use of force.

The Hate U Give a story is a strong form of activism that will help many persons understand the lives of the oppressed in the society for many years to come. Thomas elucidates on these topics so that the court system can also be changed. The novel is a reminder that we are making progress towards equality, and the war towards racism should be upheld by everyone. Do not just play as a victim, but fight for your rights. Positively, Starrs life should influence everyone to fight for justice all over the world.