Answer:
Starr has to cope with her own social issues while also bearing witness to Khalil's death. Starr appears to be fighting her own struggle to fit in both the mostly black community of Garden Height and the very white community of Williams Prep. She is so torn between her "two worlds" that she alters her voice and demeanor to fit in with both of them. At one point in the narrative, Starr, who comes from a wealthy white family, wishes to inform her two white closest friends and her white lover, Chris, about Khalil's murder. However, she worries that others will see her as "ghetto" or "too black."
Starr's identity crisis is heavily influenced by her relationship with her two father figures, Maverick and her uncle Carlos. They couldn't be more opposite on issues of racism, police brutality, and gun control. Maverick thinks the problems of racism and police violence must be addressed from inside the community, with the use of already available resources. This line of thought explains why Maverick stays in Garden Heights instead of leaving for a more secure community. Throughout the story, Maverick urges Starr to stand up to police abuse and gives her instances of how the system is rigged and how difficult it is to break out of the cycle of violence. “Drugs come from somewhere, and they're destroying our community," he says. “You got folks like Brenda, who think they need them to survive, and then you got the Khalil’s who think they need to sell them to survive. The Brenda’s can't get jobs unless they're clean, and they can't pay for rehab unless they get jobs. When the Khalil's get arrested for selling drugs, they either spend most of their life in prison, another billion-dollar industry, or they have a hard time getting a real job and probably start selling drugs again. That’s the hate they’re giving us, baby, a system designed against us. That’s ‘Thug Life.’”
Assimilation into white society is good, according to Uncle Carlos, in contrast to the views of Maverick. He, a police officer in a relatively peaceful area, thinks he can utilize white institutions like the police to combat issues like gang culture and police brutality. Starr was very troubled by Uncle Carlos' attempt to provide a justification for Khalil's demise. However, by chapter 14, he realizes his error, as shown by the line "I knew that boy." I've seen him develop alongside you. He was more than the sum of his mistakes.” He speaks. “I hate that I let myself fall into that mind-set of trying to rationalize his death. And at the end of the day, you do not kill someone for opening a car door. If you do, you shouldn't be a cop.”
Explanation:
This is just my opinion, so please use it in your own words.
Hopefully, this will get you started. :)
