The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas – Complete Study Guide
Author: Angie Thomas
Genre: Urban Fiction
Published: 2017
,Main Characters
Primary Characters
● Starr Carter - 16-year-old protagonist who witnesses Khalil's shooting and
becomes an activist
● Khalil Harris - Starr's childhood friend who is killed by police officer One-Fifteen
● Maverick "Big Mav" Carter - Starr's father, former gang member turned store
owner and community activist
● Lisa Carter - Starr's mother, nurse who wants to move the family to a safer
neighborhood
● Seven Carter - Starr's older half-brother, mediator and protector of the family
● Sekani Carter - Starr's younger brother, represents childhood innocence lost
School World Characters
● Chris Bryant - Starr's white boyfriend at Williamson Prep
● Hailey Grant - Starr's former best friend whose racism is revealed
● Maya Yang - Starr's loyal friend who supports her through the crisis
● Mr. Warren - Williamson Prep teacher who facilitates difficult conversations about
race
Community Characters
● DeVante - Young man trying to leave King Lords gang
● King - Gang leader who threatens Starr's family
● Ms. Rosalie - Khalil's grandmother who becomes like family to Starr
● Uncle Carlos - Starr's uncle, police detective who provides different perspective
on law enforcement
, Chapter 1 – The Party
The novel opens with sixteen-year-old Starr Carter preparing for a party in Garden
Heights, reluctant to attend because she feels disconnected from her neighborhood
friends since starting at Williamson Prep, a prestigious private school forty-five minutes
away. Her friend Kenya persuades her to come, and Starr reflects on how she must
code-switch between her two worlds - using different speech patterns, mannerisms, and
even interests depending on whether she's at home or school. At the party, she
reconnects with Khalil Harris, her childhood friend and former crush whom she calls by
his middle name because his first name, Khalil, reminds her of their shared past. The
party atmosphere is tense due to ongoing gang conflicts, and Starr feels uncomfortable
with the loud music, drinking, and aggressive behavior that contrasts with her
Williamson Prep social circle. When a fight breaks out, possibly gang-related, Starr and
Khalil quickly leave together in his car. During their conversation, Khalil mentions that
he's been dealing drugs to help support his grandmother, Ms. Rosalie, revealing the
economic pressures facing young people in their neighborhood. The chapter
establishes the central tension of Starr's dual existence and foreshadows the tragedy
that will force her to choose between silence and speaking truth to power.
Key Characters: Starr Carter, Khalil Harris, Kenya, party attendees
Themes: Code-switching and dual identity, economic inequality forcing difficult choices,
childhood friendships strained by different life paths
Symbols: The party (community gathering that reveals tensions), leaving together
(shared fate and friendship bonds), Starr's discomfort (alienation from her own
community)
Author: Angie Thomas
Genre: Urban Fiction
Published: 2017
,Main Characters
Primary Characters
● Starr Carter - 16-year-old protagonist who witnesses Khalil's shooting and
becomes an activist
● Khalil Harris - Starr's childhood friend who is killed by police officer One-Fifteen
● Maverick "Big Mav" Carter - Starr's father, former gang member turned store
owner and community activist
● Lisa Carter - Starr's mother, nurse who wants to move the family to a safer
neighborhood
● Seven Carter - Starr's older half-brother, mediator and protector of the family
● Sekani Carter - Starr's younger brother, represents childhood innocence lost
School World Characters
● Chris Bryant - Starr's white boyfriend at Williamson Prep
● Hailey Grant - Starr's former best friend whose racism is revealed
● Maya Yang - Starr's loyal friend who supports her through the crisis
● Mr. Warren - Williamson Prep teacher who facilitates difficult conversations about
race
Community Characters
● DeVante - Young man trying to leave King Lords gang
● King - Gang leader who threatens Starr's family
● Ms. Rosalie - Khalil's grandmother who becomes like family to Starr
● Uncle Carlos - Starr's uncle, police detective who provides different perspective
on law enforcement
, Chapter 1 – The Party
The novel opens with sixteen-year-old Starr Carter preparing for a party in Garden
Heights, reluctant to attend because she feels disconnected from her neighborhood
friends since starting at Williamson Prep, a prestigious private school forty-five minutes
away. Her friend Kenya persuades her to come, and Starr reflects on how she must
code-switch between her two worlds - using different speech patterns, mannerisms, and
even interests depending on whether she's at home or school. At the party, she
reconnects with Khalil Harris, her childhood friend and former crush whom she calls by
his middle name because his first name, Khalil, reminds her of their shared past. The
party atmosphere is tense due to ongoing gang conflicts, and Starr feels uncomfortable
with the loud music, drinking, and aggressive behavior that contrasts with her
Williamson Prep social circle. When a fight breaks out, possibly gang-related, Starr and
Khalil quickly leave together in his car. During their conversation, Khalil mentions that
he's been dealing drugs to help support his grandmother, Ms. Rosalie, revealing the
economic pressures facing young people in their neighborhood. The chapter
establishes the central tension of Starr's dual existence and foreshadows the tragedy
that will force her to choose between silence and speaking truth to power.
Key Characters: Starr Carter, Khalil Harris, Kenya, party attendees
Themes: Code-switching and dual identity, economic inequality forcing difficult choices,
childhood friendships strained by different life paths
Symbols: The party (community gathering that reveals tensions), leaving together
(shared fate and friendship bonds), Starr's discomfort (alienation from her own
community)
