DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
THUG Life = The Hate U Give little infants f*cks everyone. It's a message about racism and it discusses how Black children face a different reality to others that can lead to a lifetime of challenges. (Chapter One, page 21). 2. Throughout the book, Starr talks about how she’s different “versions” of herself. She’s one person in Garden Heights and a different person at her school, Williamson Prep. This is often called “code-switching” when a person feels they must speak and act different in one social situation than in another. Do you think Starr switches successfully between the two places? What other characters do you see code switching? Are there any instances when someone doesn’t switch and makes things socially awkward? Is this something you can relate to? In the beginning, Starr was incredibly skilled at doing this. However, towards the end I loved that she embraced who she was. I think to an extent Seven probably also acted this way between Starr's family and his Mom's family. I don't recall any instances where someone didn't switch in the book but if you do, let us know in the comments below! I remember back when I went to a public school and was the only hijabi there it definitely felt like I acted different in school compared to at home. But I don't know if that necessarily counts as code-switching. 3. Starr’s got a lot of members in her family. How does she define family and how is that different from how you define what it means to be a family? I think it shows that family can mean a lot of things to various people. It's not always easy and it's not always clear who's family and who's not. However, I think another powerful message that the book has is that you don't need to be blood related to be family. 4. When Khalil dies due to police brutality, there are variations of the story that’s told. How do you think that resembles what is going on in the media to what happens in the book? Do you think anyone got it right ? In regards to George Floyd and countless others, the difference is that now others can record what occurs as evidence. Before, it was one person's word against another so you can guess who sided with who. Even in Nic Stone's Dear Martin, she shows the various stories that occur after the shooting. 5. Starr often refers to The Fresh Prince of Bel- Air and Harry Potter. Why do you think she and her friends related to The Fresh Prince of Bel- Air and Harry Potter the most? (i.e.: by mentioning Harry Potter we're not condoning what the author is up to, but this is being discussed because it was mentioned so often in the book). In the book, she talks about finding solice in these characters that she feels like she can relate to. She talks about how Khalil, their other friend, and her related to these characters. They would reennact scenes from the book and talk about the characters when they were kids. 6. How has this book changed your perspective on life ? What age group is ideal for reading this book in your opinion? Since I read it last year and re-read it again this year there are a lot of nuances that I got by rereading it that I overlooked the first time around. I think this book and Dear Martin by Nic Stone are the perfect gifts for any high schooler. I believe the ages should be 15+. There are other books written by Black authors for the younger crowds and the older crowds that you have probably already seen in other articles. 7. What was a scene from the movie that resonated with you? Honestly, there were many scenes. I'm going to discuss one that wasn't already mentioned in a previous question. I think the scene where Starr and her mom discuss Hailey is another important scene. 8. What did you think of Brook Falls in comparison to Garden Heights. It's different. Brook Falls is closer to their school, but Garden Heights is their childhood home. 9. One of the most important messages in the book is that silence is violence . What are your thoughts on that ? Although I agree with that, I'm aware that others might argue well, you don't know how much that person is donating or what they're talking about outside of social media. However, if there's something you really care about you'll talk about it both online and in person. If you're aware of the influence you have on others, then I believe you should use your voice for good. But, before you do that spend sometime listening to Black voices and stories. Amplify their voices and do your own research before asking your friends questions about it. You're going to make mistakes along the way and that's okay. Just make sure you apologize for it instead of acting defensive. 10. When Chris says he doesn’t see color, why is that problematic and what are some steps people can take to start educating themselves ? Before I dive into my answer, you should take a moment and watch the video below.When you declare that you don't see color, you're essentially erasing marginalized communities. Basically, during that scene Chris was telling Starr that her situation didn't solely apply to Black people and that he and his white friends could have been the ones murdered by police in the same exact way which is not true. Want to discuss the book with us? Leave a comment and we'll get back to you ASAP!
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AuthorsAmani Salahudeen and Andrea Shaw are using this blog as a way to communicate with their listeners. ArchivesCategories |