The Hate U Give Analysis Essay Example

Many people fail to realize the advice that significant people in our life make and how we are impacted by it. In the book The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, Starr realizes that her voice comes from people whom she finds significant. People such as Maverick and Kenya shape who Starr is and how she uses her voice to fight for her community. Throughout the novel, Starr learns to use her voice, and near the end of the novel, she is able to speak out against the police. The novel The Hate U Give, reveals that when important people give advice, then the words being invoked, more clearly drive change within a community.

A key idea explored throughout the text is Starr’s relationship with Kenya. An important event in the middle of the text is when Kenya arrives at Starr's store to persuade her of the importance of expressing her words to help the community. Kenya states, “The Khalil I know would’ve jumped on TV in a hot second and told everybody what happened that night if it meant defending you… Here you are, with a chance to help change what happens in our whole neighborhood, and you staying quiet like a coward,” (198). The use of the word “coward” reveals negative connotations, expressing Starr’s hesitation and fear. Kenya uses “coward” to show to Starr that she is being weak and how shallow Starr is being as a friend to Khalil and to her community, as well as guilt-tripping Starr into thinking about Kenya’s words. Through what Kenya mentions, Starr is more strongly able to use her voice because of Kenya’s dialogue afterward (this is more clearly shown when Starr talks to the court and the police). Throughout the text, it is clear that Kenya’s words can persuade Starr to more easily stand up for herself with the right courage to be able to drive change within others.

Another key idea explored throughout the text is the idea of supporting others. In a piece of Amanda Gorman’s TED-Talk, she describes how the silence of language isn’t being able to use your voice to others. She then begins to show that the power of others can. Amanda shares, “And it's only from the height of these shoulders that we might have the sight to see the mighty power of poetry, the power of language made accessible, expressible.” In this quote, the word “height” is being used to signify that the power of language can be shown only by the power of the community that has supported you. This can connect back to the theme statement as the power of others can help to change an issue within a larger group of people. Amanda and the novel, The Hate U Give, both commonly share that something passionate to you is brought out by other people, as Starr has a passion to defend her neighborhood and Amanda shares a passion for poetry. Through this example, we can see that the words of others can shape you to bring the power of your own words and voice more clearly to a topic.

Ultimately, the words of others can help to bring a better change within a topic or a group of individuals. A closer examination of Kenya’s and Amanda’s speeches shows that the power of others can better help to shape your own words for a topic like poetry or issues within a black community. These examples prove that the words of others can help to better drive change within a community.