Discussion Topic
Hailey's actions and their impact on Starr in The Hate U Give
Summary:
Hailey's actions negatively impact Starr by highlighting racial tensions and misunderstandings. Hailey's insensitive comments and actions reveal her ignorance and prejudice, causing Starr to confront the realities of racism in her friendships. This strain ultimately leads Starr to reassess her relationships and assert her identity more strongly.
What action of Hailey upsets Starr in The Hate U Give and how does Hailey respond?
One day in gym class, some of the students at Williamson Prep are participating in a girls-versus-boys basketball game. Hailey takes the game very seriously indeed, but the other girls just see it as an opportunity to flirt with the boys.
Hailey drags a reluctant Starr and Maya onto the court in the hope of firing up their waning enthusiasm. But Starr soon becomes distracted by her boyfriend, Chris. Seeing that Starr's not taking the game seriously, Hailey yells at her to pretend that the ball is some fried chicken. Starr immediately interprets this as a racial slur, as she's the only Black girl in the school.
After the game, Starr confronts Hailey about her hateful remarks. However, Hailey is completely unrepentant. She claims that she was only making a joke about the fried chicken that had been served in the school cafeteria at lunchtime and which Starr had been...
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pleased to see on the menu.
But Starr knows better. Hailey's remarks are simply one more example of the many microaggressions and racist comments that Starr has had to put up with since she started attending the virtually all-white Williamson Prep. And so she finds Hailey's attempts to explain away her remarks totally unconvincing.
In The Hate U Give, what actions of Hailey angered Starr?
Hailey and Starr have an often tension-filled friendship, and they kind of dance around each other in maintaining some kind of harmony. However, on this day, Hailey crosses a line.
In the middle of a boys vs. girls basketball game, Starr misses a block and Hailey yells across the court at her, "Dammit, Starr! Hustle! Pretend the ball is some fried chicken. Bet you'll stay on it then."
Starr is shocked beyond words that Hailey would yell such a racist comment. She lets the ball fall from her hands and walks off the court to process what has happened, and Hailey finds her and insists that she is not racist and was simply making a comment about lunch.
Starr is processing a lot of heavy emotional turmoil that she can't share with anyone at school at this moment, and Hailey's comment is a tipping point for her. She feels trapped in a very private world of pain and leaves sobbing.
Things don't improve a few chapters later when Hailey uses a protest of Khalil's death as an excuse to get out of class for a day. When Starr confronts her, Hailey refuses to apologize and then tells Starr that Starr should actually apologize to her for calling her a racist during the basketball game.
Theirs is an uneasy and not very faithful friendship.