The Hate U Give: Silence and Voice in Black Girlhood : Black Feminist Perspectives on Silence and Resistance

Sammanfattning

The aim of this essay is to examine how Angie Thomas’s novel The Hate U Give (2017) portrays Black girlhood through silence, code-switching and resistance, and how it challenges racial and gender stereotypes that are imposed on Black girls, as well as how these stereotypes influence the portrayal of Starr Carter’s life and choices. The essay focuses on how silence and code-switching function as survival strategies in white-dominated and institutional situations, while also producing psychological strain and limiting Black girls’ ability to express themselves freely and their possibilities for self-definition. The method of this analysis consists of close readings of selected key scenes from the novel. The analysis is based on Black feminist theory and African American criticism, with the focus on Starr’s linguistic and emotional self-regulation at Williamson Prep, her interactions with police, media and peers, and the ways institutional power frames Blackness as something threatening. In addition, the essay examines patriarchal violence and control through the character King and how it contrasts with Maverick’s supportive masculinity and advocacy of community responsibility. The result of the analysis shows that silence and code-switching are depicted as protection against stereotyping, such as the “angry Black girl” stereotype and assumptions of criminality. Moreover, silence and code-switching reinforce unequal power structures by demanding constant self-monitoring. The conclusion is that the novel frames voice as a political act; when Starr breaks her silence, she challenges institutional racism and everyday racism and demonstrates how using one’s voice can inspire broader collective resistance even though it does not always lead to immediate justice or the desired outcome.