So when my wife and I watched Ant-Man and The Wasp we caught
a trailer for an upcoming film called The
Hate U Give, I was intrigued but my wife more so. When she found out that
it was based on a book, she got a copy from our local library and consumed all
444 pages in two days (not easily done when keeping up her busy schedule).
Needless to say, her wordless recommendation sparked my interest and I read it as
well, completing the novel over the next four days.
The Hate U Give is from debut author, Angie Thomas and it
tells the story of a sixteen-year-old from a poor black neighborhood who
witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend at the hands of a
police officer.
With a plot seemingly pulled straight out of the headlines,
it is no surprise that The Hate U Give resonated with so many. There are
hundreds of glowing reviews out there that testify to the fact but it isn’t the
social commentary or even the author’s voice that I want to highlight (though
those things are major reasons the book is such a success). The aspect of Angie
Thomas’s writing that I wish to highlight and someday emulate is her ability to
create tension and conflict through well-rounded characters.
As I read The Hate U Give, the characters became flesh and
bone in my mind, not because of physical descriptions but for their personalities,
interests, desires, fears, past experiences and prejudices. In the biz they call that characterization. And it is through that characterization that most interesting conflicts in the book emerge.
For the sake of
spoilers and your time, I will try to avoid too many specifics, but I think I can
illustrate my point with a quick breakdown of one essential character, the
protagonist’s father, Maverick Cater.
“Big Mav” as he’s known in the neighborhood is heroic yet
flawed. A reformed gang-member/ex-con who owns a small convenience store, Mav is a
stern protector and provider for his family who holds high expectations for his
children. For all his virtuous qualities, though, Mav struggles to overcome his
own prejudices against those he feels abandoned the neighborhood for the
suburbs and those in mixed relationships. His desire to stay and help his
community and not be a “phony” at the expense of his own family’s safety is a major
source of conflict between he and his wife in the book. His belief that romantic relationships should only be between people of the same color is a source of
conflict between him and his daughter, who has a white boyfriend. These examples may seem basic on the surface but the tension they create make every interaction with Mav meaningful.
The book is peppered with characters just like Mav and it's that contrast of noble qualities and real flaws that breathe life
into every character and add layers of conflict which make The Hate
U Give so much more than just a book about a controversial police shooting.
Whether you're published or unpublished, remember that tension starts with interesting characters. Characters that sometimes have angels and devils on each shoulder.
Whether you're published or unpublished, remember that tension starts with interesting characters. Characters that sometimes have angels and devils on each shoulder.
