Uncle Carlos Character Analysis in The Hate U Give

Carlos is Lisa’s older brother and a detective on the same police force as One-Fifteen. A second father figure to Starr, Carlos helped take care of the Carter children while Maverick was in jail—a fact that creates tension between him and his brother-in-law. Carlos is extremely close to Starr, and frequently has the family over for barbeques at his beautiful house in a gated community. Carlos initially questions why Starr was in the car with a drug dealer, and defends the actions of One-Fifteen. Throughout the story, however, he comes to realize that he was wrongly trying to justify Khalil’s death. He ultimately chooses his family over his squad and punches One-Fifteen in the face, resulting in a forced leave of absence. When Maverick enlists King Lords to guard the family the night before Starr testifies in front of a grand jury, Carlos is outraged. Maverick accuses him of not caring about the children, and Carlos details everything he did for them while Maverick was in jail. That evening, the two put aside their differences. Carlos also takes in DeVante, in part out of guilt for leaving Garden Heights and failing people like Khalil. He and his wife, Pam, grow to love DeVante and say he can stay with them for his entire senior year of school.

Uncle Carlos Quotes in The Hate U Give

The The Hate U Give quotes below are all either spoken by Uncle Carlos or refer to Uncle Carlos. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

“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.”

Related Characters: Uncle Carlos (speaker), Starr Carter , One-Fifteen / Officer Brian Cruise, Khalil Harris

Related Symbols: Khalil’s Hairbrush

Page Number and Citation: 256

Explanation and Analysis:

After One-Fifteen’s father’s television interview, Starr finds Carlos—who never drinks—sipping a beer outside his house, a clear sign of his distress. Carlos is disgusted by the interview and the presentation of Khalil and Starr as threatening. He no longer tries to defend One-Fifteen, and instead expresses regret for buying into racist narratives that painted Khalil as a “thug.” His words assert that black people should be allowed to be complicated human beings, and that regardless of Khalil’s background, he should not have been killed. Khalil did not do anything to warrant his death; rather, One-Fifteen’s racist assumptions led him to Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus ea

Uncle Carlos Character Timeline in The Hate U Give

The timeline below shows where the character Uncle Carlos appears in The Hate U Give. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

The Cycle of Poverty and Crime Theme Icon

Starr overhears her parents arguing with Carlos, who is Lisa’s brother and a detective, about Khalil’s shooting. Carlos reveals that he is... (full context)

Starr enters the room and Carlos asks if she would be willing to talk to some detectives. Starr is scared of... (full context)

Dueling Identities and Double Consciousness Theme Icon

...of Maverick’s insecurity and guilt about not being there for part of his children’s lives: Carlos took care of Starr, Seven, and Lisa while Maverick was in prison for three years,... (full context)

Lisa drives Starr and Sekani to Williamson Prep, passing by Carlos’s gated neighborhood on the way. Starr wonders if the gate is trying to keep people... (full context)

...at the police station for Starr’s interview with the detectives, Gomez and Wilkes. They pass Carlos’s desk, which Starr notices has pictures of her on it. Though Starr is terrified, Carlos... (full context)

...goes to the headmaster’s office instead of the shrink’s, and fakes menstrual cramps to convince Carlos to sign her out of school. He takes her to get frozen yogurt, and, unconvinced... (full context)

...demands Starr and Seven hand over their cellphones, and says they are all going to Carlos’s house. (full context)

...examine his roses, which are looking dry despite his frequent watering. Lisa drives Starr to Carlos’s house. On the way, they see protestors marching for Khalil, and Lisa can sense her... (full context)

They arrive at Carlos’s house, which is in a gated community close to where Chris lives. Starr notices how... (full context)

Lisa and Starr spend the night at Carlos’s to avoid the riots, but protests continue to fill the streets when they drive home... (full context)

...how unsafe he is in Garden Heights, Maverick, though angry, softens, and brings DeVante to Carlos’s house—a move that surprises Starr, since Maverick never goes to Carlos’s house with them. (full context)

Upon arrival, Starr is surprised to see Carlos at home in sweats in the middle of a workday. DeVante is impressed by the... (full context)

Starr hears a familiar laugh at the front door, and sees Chris walk into Carlos’s house; he saw the Carters’ car in the driveway and wanted to see if everything... (full context)

...the shooting, and a fellow officer even attacked him. Starr realizes this must have been Carlos. In her outrage, she furthers notes that interview has “killed” a part of her—the part... (full context)

Starr walks back to Carlos’s house, where she finds her uncle having a beer outside. She can tell that something... (full context)

Carlos admits that the interview with One-Fifteen’s father made him rethink his earlier dismissal of Khalil... (full context)

...that she has a second interview for a job at the same hospital where Pam, Carlos’s wife and a surgeon, works. Pam recommended Lisa for the job of Pediatrics Nursing Manager,... (full context)

...Starr and her brothers on a “trip.” At first they think they are going to Carlos’s house, but they pass his neighborhood. They eventually stop in a similar neighborhood, though there... (full context)

Lisa calls Carlos, who rushes over and insists they call the police. Maverick refuses, fearing crooked cops could... (full context)

Carlos is outraged at the invitation of gangbangers to the house, saying King Lords may have... (full context)

...her father and uncle outside, and finds them sitting on the back of Maverick’s truck. Carlos motions for Starr to sit in between them, and much to her surprise, they appear... (full context)

...Lords drive the Carters to the courthouse. Starr flashes back to many years earlier, when Carlos drove her, Seven, and a sobbing Lisa to the courthouse to say goodbye to Maverick... (full context)

...at Williamson; he has grown more protective of Starr following her dry-snitching on King, whom Carlos has said the police are watching closely. (full context)

Ten weeks have passed since Khalil’s death. Carlos hosts a barbeque for Memorial Day at his house that also serves as a joint... (full context)

...is eating in the kitchen when a call comes through from the security guard of Carlos’s gated complex: Iesha is at the gate. She did not attend Seven’s graduation, and was... (full context)

...playing NWA’s “Fuck tha Police” and Starr shouts along with it; despite her love for Carlos, she has realized this is not about good cops like him. (full context)

The police take King and his boys away in their patrol cars. DeVante asks Carlos if he is going to kick him out for walking off without telling anyone, but... (full context)

...asks if knowing where King’s stash was would help them put King away for good. Carlos says it would help the whole neighborhood if King went to jail, and promises that... (full context)

Uncle Carlos Character Analysis

Uncle Carlos Quotes in The Hate U Give

Chapter 14 Quotes

Uncle Carlos Character Timeline in The Hate U Give