Nala Cyriac
Mr. Cohen
ENG3U
November 20th 2024
How has Angie Thomas Created a Dramatic Moment within Chapter 2 of The Hate U Give? Consider what Methods were used to Achieve this.
While depictions of racially motivated police brutality may seem dramatic, it is unfortunately a predominant issue in our society. In the novel, The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas, we learn about the rules Starr’s parents established incase a cop stops them. By creating and purposefully having Khalil breaking these rules, we see the devastating consequences that can come about should you fail to follow these precautions. By having Starr comment on the teachings she has received and how it impacts her behaviour, we understand that it is the key to staying alive.
My parents haven’t raised me to fear the police, just to be smart around them. They told me it’s not smart to move when a cop has his back to you. Khalil does. He comes to the door. It’s not smart to make a sudden move. Khalil does. (Thomas 17)
In this quotation, the reader receives insight as to how the subject of the police was approached by her parents and how she should behave, directly contradicting Khalil’s actions. Importantly, this can only be expressed through the stream of consciousness narrative style that Thomas uses as it provides access to Starr’s remembrance of the lecture her parents gave her. The repetition of the keyword “smart” is noteworthy as it is used on three separate occasions: the first, to show what she has been taught; the second, to show the first instance of Khalil forgetting protocol; and the last, to show the breaking of the final straw which led to his death. Sadly, as prejudice, racism, and police brutality are significant issues in modern society, conversations like the one that Starr recalls are necessary for youth to understand in order to ensure their safety. Thus, Angie Thomas, having grown up in a predominantly African American neighbourhood and witnessing a shootout at a young age, was well aware of how the slightest lapse in judgement could be the difference between life or death, and she made this clear in her writing.
Work Cited
Thomas, Angie. The Hate U Give. Walker Books, 2017.
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