Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Hate U Give, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Racism and Police Brutality
Dueling Identities and Double Consciousness
The Power of Language
Community and Loyalty
The Cycle of Poverty and Crime
Summary
Analysis
Five weeks have passed since the shooting, and April Ofrah has arranged for Starr to do an interview with national news anchor Diane Carey. A limo picks the Carters up from Garden Heights, and as they drive away Starr is heartened to hear her neighbors shout words of encouragement. Lisa has made everyone dress up as if they are going to church, and instructs them on how to speak at the studio. Chris texts Starr asking what color her prom dress is, but Starr has been too distracted to think about that; Ms. Ofrah has had her prep for her interview every day after school. Starr has also been helping at Just Us for Justice, and listening in on their staff meetings to learn more about police reform and protest tactics.
Starr, who initially felt invisible in Garden Heights, is finally seen by her neighborhood. The family still must engage in code switching as they head to the interview, ensuring they present themselves in a way that will be taken seriously by white society. Starr’s work at Just Us for Justice evidences her growing commitment to the fight for racial justice and suggests her future as an activist.
Themes
The Carters arrive at the studio, and the producers film some clips of Starr walking and talking with Diane Carey. Starr feels odd, remembering watching Carey on the news every night as a child. The interview itself takes place in a large, fancy suite. Carey asks Starr about the Khalil she knew, and Starr gives a heartfelt account of Khalil as a big-hearted, normal kid.
Starr has been given her biggest platform yet to use her voice to help Khalil. The intimidating, polished setting contrasts with the brutal story Starr knows she must tell.
Themes
Though Ms. Ofrah had warned Starr not to go into too many details, and in spite of King’s threats, Starr hears Kenya’s voice in her head and decides to tell the world why Khalil sold drugs. She brings up Brenda’s drug addiction, and says Khalil only dealt to get his mother out of debt with the most powerful drug dealer in Garden Heights. To the shock of her parents and Ms. Ofrah, she has dry snitched on King; anyone watching from Garden Heights will know exactly who she means.
Starr wants the world to understand why Khalil sold drugs, so that people will be less quick to dismiss the value of his life. She dry snitches on King despite knowing full well the danger she has put herself in, because she believes Khalil’s life and the truth to be more important than her own safety.
Themes
Starr continues, telling the world that Khalil was not in a gang. Thinking of DeVante, Starr asserts that even if he were, that does not make his killing acceptable. The media has been treating him unfairly, she says, effectively putting him on trial for his own murder. Starr goes on to detail the night of Khalil’s death, asserting that there was no gun in the car, that she and Khalil posed no threat to One-Fifteen, and that the officer pointed his gun at her after killing Khalil. She says she does not hate cops, but is tired of them assuming black people are dangerous. These assumptions are what killed Khalil. Remembering Ms. Ofrah’s words that speaking out is the way Starr can fight for justice, she ends the interview by wondering whether One-Fifteen wishes he had shot her too.
Starr grows bolder throughout the interview, expressing her frank anger about the way she and Khalil have been portrayed by the media and effectively refuting claims that One-Fifteen acted out of fear for his life. Starr has spent much of the novel concerned with how the rest of the world will perceive her, but here she asserts her power to take control of the narrative. Starr considers this final line to be her strongest blow yet, as she basically tells One-Fifteen that he cannot silence her.
Themes
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