Pham Thi To Uyen-SNHU20E1
1. Summarise key points of ONE chapter (focusing on key themes/ words/
events only).
Chapter 6: Group 4
Starr is escorted to a police station to give a statement regarding the night
Khalil was shot by a white cop. She feels anxious and terrified, recalling her
father's lessons on appropriate police behavior. She meets Detective Gomez, a
woman of color who is meant to be empathetic, but Starr does not trust her.
The investigators ask her things that make Khalil look terrible, such as his
motivations and the presence of a weapon. Starr tries to defend Khalil, stating
he was unarmed, grabbed for a hairbrush, and was her friend. However, she is
irritated and outraged because the cops appear to be more interested in
putting Khalil on trial than in investigating his death. Lisa steps in and asks the
investigators why they are questioning Starr and Khalil instead of the officer.
She also demands a lawyer and informs them that the interview is over. Starr
and Lisa leave the police station with the impression that they will not receive
justice for Khalil and are concerned about the implications of speaking up.
2. Choose one statement/event/detail/character in the chapter and
analyse/comment on this (at least 100 words).
In chapter 6 of the book "The Hate U Give", the detail "Starr notices that
Gomez is a woman of color, but she does not trust her. She also feels the need
to code-switch and avoid sounding "ghetto" in front of the detectives." is the
detail I really impress. When Starr is called to make a statement to the police
regarding Khalil's killing, she is confronted with the brutal reality of racial
profiling and prejudice. She does not trust Detective Gomez, despite the fact
that she is a woman of color, since she is part of the system that oppresses
and murders black people like Khalil. Starr links the police with violence and
injustice, and she does not feel they will listen to her or care for her
companion. She also feels pressure to code-switch, which is to adapt her
language and conduct to match different social circumstances and avoid
seeming "ghetto," a negative word for black culture and speech. She does this
because she is afraid that the investigators will evaluate her poorly based on
her color and social status and will not take her seriously as a witness. This
element demonstrates Starr's battle with her identity and self-esteem, as well
as her need to traverse several cultures with different expectations and
conventions for her.
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