In The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, it shows the harsh reality that African Americans face when encountering the police, and the stereotypes that can be made from hearing only part of a story. This quote explains the feelings and emotions characters in this book go through everyday, because they are uncertain how police officers interpret them: “We stop at a red light. A Riverton Hills patrol car pulls up beside us. Seven straightens up and stares ahead, barely blinking and gripping the steering wheel. His eyes move a little like he wants to look at the cop car. He swallows hard.” If they don’t act with their best behavior, they are scared that they could end up killed, just like Starr’s friend Khalil did. Another thing I have noticed so far in the book that nearly no one knew why Khalil was killed and just assumed that he was doing something wrong, when in reality he didn’t. They took his past life decisions in life and made assumptions about his death: “Did he realize that if he does become a hashtag, some people will only see him as a drug dealer?”
- Comment
- Reblog
-
Subscribe
Subscribed
Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
Great American Novels 2020 
“We stop at a red light. A Riverton Hills patrol car pulls up beside us. Seven straightens up and stares ahead, barely blinking and gripping the steering wheel. His eyes move a little like he wants to look at the cop car. He swallows hard.”
This quote you chose is a very good description of how they need to act. The imagery the author uses stands out a lot to me to make the fear they feel even deeper. The stillness accurately depicts the fear they have. It almost feels like Seven is a statue, trying to blend in with the background. I read this book last year and I remember it focusing on some dehumanizing aspects. I think this depiction as a statue relates to that.
LikeLike
Your opening sentence is a great insight on one of this novel’s themes. It’s true that the police are a group who have made incorrect assumptions in countless cases including African Americans. The quotes that you chose really communicate this theme in that African Americans have to act a certain way to avoid controversy with the police.
LikeLike