“You okay, Starr-” Pow! Pow! Pow! Khalil falls to the ground as he lays in the deep bloody rose surrounding him. Angie Thomas states the social issues that include racism and police brutality, informing the world that these events haven’t changed over the lengthy period of time. Thomas integrates multiple themes that include the sacrifices created and given that the main characters demonstrate in their current events. These actions later lead them to blossom into the role models that the author portrays throughout The Hate You Give.

The first role model, Iesha, surrenders her own person in order to protect and shelter her infants from the immoral actions of King. When she decided to let them leave with DeVante while staying to take the harsh effects, she displayed what was in her heart the whole time. She felt the need to prove that she cares and always had a place in her heart for  Kenya, Seven and Lyric. Seven realized this when Staar said, “If Kenya’s not there, Lyrics not here, who do you think he’s gon’ take it out on?”(Thomas 386) He later understood the actions taken by his mother and later forgave her. Iesha doesn’t understand how to love when she never experienced it herself. She donated what she had to her children to let them know that there was a special reasoning for why she was the person shown in this novel in which the main role model notices later on.

When Khalil departed from the Earth, Staar sacrificed her words and safety to spread awareness about the mistreatment of minorities in the community. They experienced unlawful activities. This included objects being thrown through their windows, family members getting tormented, and their store getting burned down. Even their own community was dismantling them. After everything, she kept protesting and spreading her genuine thoughts on the situation. She stated that what happened to Khalil was not the right thing to do.(Thomas 411) Her words shot like arrows and targeted the world and the people who let issues pass their mindset. Staar does not believe in what social class she belongs to. She believes that everyone has a right to live.

Khalil gave up his life to uncover the truth that has remained hidden in the system. Considering that selling drugs became his source of income, the reasoning behind this hobby had it’s differences when comparing to the intentions of other criminals. His school education fell down a staircase as the world crumbled in front of him. He had feelings of pain and there was no individual he could go to when he sought out advice. With everything in his life collapsing, it is understandable that he wanted the cop to end everything leading to the fearlessness displayed when the officer pulled him over. He knew his fate and wanted death which liberated Khalil from the haunting thoughts scattered in his mind to occur. Khalil desired to end the troubling demons around him in a symbolizing manner. The sacrifice demonstrated that the government didn’t care about the lower class and the fact that they want money and the feeling of superiority. It was as if the cards of Khalil’s life was played in order to get him to this state. Life didn’t have to end with the sound of a bullet or screams and mourns, it should’ve ended with a new beginning or futuristic success. Since, there wasn’t that actual parental figure that truly expressed the love and support Khalil needed at the lowest points of his life, he wanted someone to enforce the fact that people who commit crimes will never amount to anything.

Although these main characters were viewed as nothing, they gave up everything in order to reveal or secure the truth behind societies thoughts and actions. Angie’s creation of the theme hidden behind this book and the portrayals of an inner story allows the readers imagination to explore and discover. Thomas went deep into these characters hearts and covered them with unclean words and bandages, hoping someone would break through the barrier and find the true meaning that she establishes in this novel.