Wednesday, February 28, 2018

What does Starr remember about Natasha's funeral in The Hate U Give?

The answer to this question can be found in Chapter 8 of Angie Thomas’s The Hate U Give. Starr and her family attend Khalil’s funeral at the black church the Carters stopped frequenting years ago in favor of a more diverse—or white—one. Starr feels out of place with she and the rest of her family seated in one of the front pews despite not attending the church.
When it is her turn to pass by Khalil’s open casket, Starr thinks her deceased friend looks nothing like himself. Rather, he looks like a mannequin.
This causes Starr to flash back to Natasha’s funeral years earlier.
Starr recalls thinking the same thing about Natasha’s appearance—that she had been reduced to nothing but a waxen mannequin in a “white dress with yellow and pink flowers” wearing “makeup.” After the younger Starr squeezed Natasha’s hand, she began screaming at Natasha to wake up, prompting her father to carry her out of the sanctuary.
This momentary flashback shows that Starr has learned a lot about death despite her young age, but it also shows that she is better able to comprehend the finality of death after Khalil’s murder.

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