In 1961, Martin Luther King Jr. said: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter. » King expresses the importance of speaking out about what you believe in and the consequences of silence. This concept is just as applicable in contemporary times and author Angie Thomas proves the relevance of this notion in her 2017 novel, The Hate U Give. In the story, Starr, a 16-year-old black teenager, must switch between her poor black neighborhood of Garden Heights and her affluent, upper-class white private school. The boundary between these two worlds is completely transformed after Starr witnesses the shooting of his best friend, Khalil, by a white police officer. Over the course of the novel, Starr comes to terms with Khalil's shooting, as well as the untimely death of her best friend, Natasha. In order for Starr to grow and resist the negative impact of racism on her life, she must face her past, show up fully to the people who care about her, and help her community by speaking out against the injustices she has experienced. Through these experiences, Starr grows from a scared and isolated young girl to a person who passionately and courageously speaks out what she believes is right. Through her masterful portrayal of Starr's experiences, Thomas succeeds in helping the reader understand the complex impact of racial injustice and how one young woman is capable of accomplishing all of her goals. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay At the beginning of the novel, Starr chooses to completely separate his two worlds; Preparing for Williamson against Garden Heights. The way Starr acts and the way she expresses her feelings changes depending on the skin color of the people around her. Starr has trained herself to know when it's appropriate to say the right things based on where she is. Starr exclaims to her best friend, “God. Being two different people is so exhausting. I learned to speak in two different voices and to only say certain things in front of certain people. I have mastered it” (Thomas 301). Starr's unfortunate reality prevents her from being allowed to speak freely and say what she thinks without first thinking about her surroundings. The only time his white friends come to Garden Heights is to celebrate his birthday once a year. Aside from that, Starr knows that neither his white nor his black friends would be interested in mixing. Additionally, Starr chooses not to tell her white friends about the fact that she witnessed not only Khalil's death, but also the death of her best friend Natasha at the hands of white cops. What's also striking is how Starr chooses not to mention her white boyfriend, Chris, to her father because she thinks he won't approve of her, purely because of the color of her skin. Starr even goes so far as to comment, "But I can't get the courage to tell Dad." And it's not just because he doesn't want to date me yet. The biggest problem is that Chris is white” (42). The way Starr isolates black and white people in her life, such as in the way she speaks, geographically and familially, shows how racism negatively affects her life. Ultimately, she denies a part of herself from each of her communities; she can never fully be herself. At this early stage in her teenage life, Starr doesn't yet have the courage to speak openly. In the aftermath of Kahil's death, Starr isolated himself by choosing not to speak about his experience. The next day, Starr has a conversation with her half-sister, Kenya. Starr is so upset by the chaos that she tells Kenyaexactly how she feels and that she doesn't have the courage to speak out and tell the community the truth about Khalil's death. Starr points out, "I've seen this happen over and over again: a black person gets killed just because they're black, and it's hell. Cowardly... I always said if I saw this happen to someone, I would have the loudest voice, to make sure the world knew what happened. Now I’m that person and I’m too afraid to speak” (34-35). Starr's hesitation and fear to speak out continues during her first interview with Officer Gomez, to debrief on the trauma she endured. Starr's mother constantly asks Officer Gomez to give her an extra second to remember what really happened and figure out how she wants to express these thoughts. Starr chooses to answer the questions posed to him by responding with uncertainty and hesitation. The next act of isolation Starr goes through is when Starr doesn't know if she wants to attend Kahlil's funeral. Starr is doubtful about attending her best friend's funeral because she doesn't want to put herself in a situation where she might be asked to express how she feels. The way Starr separates herself by insisting on not sharing any details of the incident she witnessed demonstrates the harsh impact of discrimination on her life due to her feelings as a fearful black girl. Immediately after witnessing Khalil's death, Starr certainly doesn't yet have the audacity to share what she believes is right with the world around her. Over time, Starr realizes that she must speak on behalf of her black community. Starr's entire life consists of witnessing such cruel behavior and she finally found the courage to take action. The first instance where Starr feels pushed to express her feelings to the world is when Kenya makes Starr feel bad for not doing anything to express herself. Kenya says: “The Kahlil I know would have gone on TV in an instant and told everyone what happened that night if it meant defending you. And you can't do the same for him... Here you are, with a chance to help change what's happening in our neighborhood and you remain silent. Like a coward” (198). Kenya's message makes Starr rethink her silence. Starr's passion is evident when she tells her mother, "So I can't keep quiet." But it's bigger than me and Kahlil. It’s Us, with a capital U; everyone who looks like us, feels like us, and feels pain with us even if they don't know me or Kahlil. My silence does not help us” (171). The next moment she realizes that Starr needs to take initiative in her community is when her white classmate, Hailey, makes a disrespectful comment during a class-wide basketball game. She states that Starr should just pretend that basketball is like fried chicken and be more aggressive. This demonstrates how Starr has become more aware and resentful of the power imbalance in her relationships with her white friends. This is the first time she has called out someone for a racist comment, reflecting her growing awareness of injustice and her confidence in the strength of her own voice. By coming out of her shell and accepting the fact that she must express to the world how she feels, Starr's character evolves into a more mature and determined young woman. She begins to help her community by understanding that she must speak out against the injustices she has witnessed. By the end of the novel, Starr has become a passionate and determined young woman, speaking openly and on national television about how she feels about discrimination and her experiences.