1. The Hate U Give shows the spectrum of racism and the escalation of racism throughout the novel, what are some of the ways Starr and her family experience racism, and how do they respond? Why is it important for Angie Thomas to include as many macroaggressions and cases of passive racism to the story? What significance do they have, in comparison to extreme racist violence like police brutality and systemic racism and poverty?
2. Starr’s family is a central part of the novel. What is the importance of her relationship to her mother? Her father? Her siblings? Her Uncle? How different would Starr’s story be without this family structure?
3. Why are people like April Ofrah so important, to the novel and to the real world? What would have happened if Mrs. Ofrah wasn’t there for the Carter family, and Khalil?
4. What does Chris being white add to the story, and to Starr’s life?
5. What do you think about the police’s treatment of the investigation, and of Khalil? What about the media’s treatment of Khalil?
6. What is the importance of voice and silence in this novel? (Starr being the voice of Khalil, Starr having an internal struggle of using her voice).
7. What does this novel add to the Black Lives Matter movement? What were some of the real life parallels of the events within the novel?
8. What is the significance of Starr losing both of her childhood best friends from extreme violence? What are the parallels, other than guns, between Natasha and Khalil’s death?
9. Why do you think Starr’s father not want to leave Garden Heights so badly? What does that say about his character? Why does it take him so long to change his mind?
1. The Hate U Give shows the spectrum of racism and the escalation of racism throughout the novel, what are some of the ways Starr and her family experience racism, and how do they respond? Why is it important for Angie Thomas to include as many macroaggressions and cases of passive racism to the story? What significance do they have, in comparison to extreme racist violence like police brutality and systemic racism and poverty?
2. Starr’s family is a central part of the novel. What is the importance of her relationship to her mother? Her father? Her siblings? Her Uncle? How different would Starr’s story be without this family structure?
3. Why are people like April Ofrah so important, to the novel and to the real world? What would have happened if Mrs. Ofrah wasn’t there for the Carter family, and Khalil?
4. What does Chris being white add to the story, and to Starr’s life?
5. What do you think about the police’s treatment of the investigation, and of Khalil? What about the media’s treatment of Khalil?
6. What is the importance of voice and silence in this novel? (Starr being the voice of Khalil, Starr having an internal struggle of using her voice).
7. What does this novel add to the Black Lives Matter movement? What were some of the real life parallels of the events within the novel?
8. What is the significance of Starr losing both of her childhood best friends from extreme violence? What are the parallels, other than guns, between Natasha and Khalil’s death?
9. Why do you think Starr’s father not want to leave Garden Heights so badly? What does that say about his character? Why does it take him so long to change his mind?