The Hate You Give

 Paige Holley

Dr. Ellis

Banned Books

1 May 1, 2024

The Hate You Give

 

In the second half of The Hate You Give as readers we see a lot of development in the main character Starr, her family, and the community. After the death of Khalil and emotional turmoil and the events that followed his death shook the whole community causing many characters to re-evaluate certain aspects of their life. One character that I think showed a lot of development is Maverick. 

 

Readers see that Maverick and now his daughter Starr both struggle with feelings of being a “sell-out”. Both characters have expressed the difficulties of to staying true to their community while trying to progress in a new area. A valuable lesson regarding identity and community is to be learned within the novel, and I do not think the similarities between Starr and Maverick’s journeys are unintentional by Thomas.

 

 In the first half of the novel Maverick has the tendency to put his community over his family. Constantly feeling like he needs to choose between the two. An example of this can be seen when he lets DeVante into their home because he is danger and has no one else to turn to. I think that Maverick felt guilty about getting out of the gang life and choosing a different path for his life. However, in not making a clear distinction between family, friends, and community Maverick and many people close to him have suffered. 

 

Maverick’s guilt is not something that is uncommon within the black community. Angie Thomas does a wonderful job at portraying the identity struggle many African Americans face when they have an opportunity to leave the community. There are several unspoken rules that put constraints on freedom of speech, and expression that negatively impact the black community. An example, of this is the idea of snitches and sell-outs. When Mr. Lewis goes on television and calls King out for being a drug dealer, and violent member of the community Maverick states “Man, you can’t be going on live TV snitching like that you a dead man walking, you know that right? (Thomas 181) There is this idea that being truthful is shameful when it implements members of your own community. In retaliation to Mr. Lewis’s response the King Lords beat up Mr. Lewis and burns his barber shop along with the Carter’s family store. 

 

At Williamson Prep Starr seems to code switch to fit in with her classmates making it harder for her to connect with her old Garden Height’s friends. However, after the death of Khalil it sparks an outrage in star that drives her to want to be truer to herself. Instead of manipulating her actions in a way that fits with Williamson Prep, but in the second half Starr’s character starts to feel guilt and resentment for changing her behaviors to appease her white classmates. Starr deals with racism, and cultural differences from her close friends like Maya, Hailey, and Chris. 

 

However, Maverick and Starr realize that they do not need to pick sides, that staying true to themselves and maintain their morals is what matters the most. This realization is what drove Maverick to tell on King, and why Starr testified to the grand jury.  For Starr making sure that Khalil’s true nature was known, rather than his criminal history was more important than maintaining her façade at school. Readers have seen her personality shift from a quitter teenager to a political activist. For Maverick he realized that his family and the safety of his community isa more important than protecting his old friends and being labeled as a snitch. 

In the aftermath when the Carter’s see their new house for the first time Maverick states: “I realize being real ain’t got anything to do where you live. The realist thing I can do is protect my family and that means leaving Garden Heights.” (Thomas 309) I think balancing life is an overall theme in The Hate You Give. Maverick has made some hard decisions but ultimately, he has found a compromise that allows him to keep his family safe, while still staying true to his community. 

 

Starr has figured out where she stands with certain peers at Western Prep in both a positive and negative way. Now understanding that not everyone will see racial inequality, and injustice, especially if it does not directly impact them. But not all people at Western Prep are that way. After feeling guilt about dating Chris due to his race and economic background she realizes that she can be her true self with him despite their cultural differences. In the end the two works through their relationship and now better understand each other.

 

If you look for it The Hate You Give offers several insights and lessons regarding identity, social and economic inequality, and systematic oppression. Maverick and Starr have both been through traumatic events that impact their outlook on the world, but in the end they both found a balance that allows them to maintain their internal and external needs.