Double Consciousness and Police Brutality in Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give

African American criticism includes binary opposition by considering Blacks as the oppressed group and on the other hand, Whites as the superior group. The purpose of this study is to analyze the concepts of “double consciousness” and “police brutality” in Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give. This is qualitative library-based research. The technique used here is a close reading of the novel considering the selected concepts. The important finding of this research is that Du Boisian concept of double consciousness has been analyzed through the lens of the researcher which is argued how this double consciousness affects the lives and ethnic identities of black humans. In this novel, Angie Thomas shows that double consciousness refers to the feeling of having multiple identities, due to the conflict between one's inner identity and how one is perceived by society. Also,it is proved that police brutality and the use of arrest power are influenced by the social class, race, age, and gender of criminals and also the situation in which the police and the citizens interact which is well illustrated in the novel. Angie Thomas depicts how Black teenagers are sacrificed by police brutality.

Keywords:

“African American Literature” , “Double Consciousness” , “Police Brutality” , “Angie Thomas” , “The Hate U Give”.