The Hate U Give

by

Angie Thomas

Maverick Carter Character Analysis

Starr’s father, Lisa’s husband, and a former felon, Maverick was essentially born into a life of crime. His father was one of the biggest drug dealers in Garden Heights, but Maverick decided to leave gang life behind after having children. He went to prison for three years for King in exchange for getting out the King Lords, and later helps DeVante when he, too, wants to leave the gang. Frequently referred to as “Big Mav,” Maverick owns a small grocery store in Garden Heights and is seen as a pillar of the community. His son Seven is the result of a one-night affair Maverick had with Iesha after a fight with Lisa, and Iesha remains an “Achilles heel” of his and Lisa’s relationship. Maverick also frequently clashes with Carlos, Lisa’s brother, partly out of insecurity; Carlos cared for the children while Maverick was in prison. Maverick is deeply committed to improving the lives of his community, and instills his children with teachings from the Black Panthers, including encouragement to fight against police brutality. Because of this, he refuses to let the family move away from Garden Heights. Only after having seen the toll violence has taken on his family does he agree to move at the end of the novel, asserting he can still help Garden Heights without living there.

Maverick Carter Quotes in The Hate U Give

The The Hate U Give quotes below are all either spoken by Maverick Carter or refer to Maverick Carter. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Racism and Police Brutality  Theme Icon
).
Chapter 1 Quotes

Garden Heights has been a battlefield for the past two months over some stupid territory wars. I was born a “queen” ‘cause Daddy used to be a King Lord. But when he left the game, my street royalty status ended. But even if I’d grown up in it, I wouldn't understand fighting over streets nobody owns.

Related Characters: Starr Carter (speaker), Maverick Carter
Page Number: 17
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 2  Quotes

The other talk was about what to do if a cop stopped me. … “Starr-Starr, you do whatever they tell you to do," he said. "Keep your hands visible. Don't make any sudden moves. Only speak when they speak to you."

I knew it must've been serious. Daddy has the biggest mouth of anybody I know, and if he said to be quiet, I needed to be quiet.

Related Characters: Starr Carter (speaker), Maverick Carter (speaker)
Page Number: 20
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 10 Quotes

“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 Khalils who think they need to sell them to survive. The Brendas can't get jobs unless they're clean, and they can't pay for rehab unless they got jobs. When the Khalils 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.’”

Related Characters: Maverick Carter (speaker), Starr Carter , Khalil Harris, Brenda Harris
Page Number: 170
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 12 Quotes

“That's the so-called gun,” Ms. Ofrah explains. “Officer Cruise claims he saw it in the car door, and he assumed Khalil was reaching for it. The handle was thick enough, black enough, for him to assume it was a gun.”

“And Khalil was black enough,” Daddy adds.

A hairbrush. Khalil died over a fucking hairbrush.

Related Characters: Starr Carter (speaker), Maverick Carter (speaker), April Ofrah (speaker), Khalil Harris, One-Fifteen / Officer Brian Cruise
Related Symbols: Khalil’s Hairbrush
Page Number: 217
Explanation and Analysis:
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Maverick Carter Quotes in The Hate U Give

The The Hate U Give quotes below are all either spoken by Maverick Carter or refer to Maverick Carter. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Racism and Police Brutality  Theme Icon
).
Chapter 1 Quotes

Garden Heights has been a battlefield for the past two months over some stupid territory wars. I was born a “queen” ‘cause Daddy used to be a King Lord. But when he left the game, my street royalty status ended. But even if I’d grown up in it, I wouldn't understand fighting over streets nobody owns.

Related Characters: Starr Carter (speaker), Maverick Carter
Page Number: 17
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 2  Quotes

The other talk was about what to do if a cop stopped me. … “Starr-Starr, you do whatever they tell you to do," he said. "Keep your hands visible. Don't make any sudden moves. Only speak when they speak to you."

I knew it must've been serious. Daddy has the biggest mouth of anybody I know, and if he said to be quiet, I needed to be quiet.

Related Characters: Starr Carter (speaker), Maverick Carter (speaker)
Page Number: 20
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 10 Quotes

“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 Khalils who think they need to sell them to survive. The Brendas can't get jobs unless they're clean, and they can't pay for rehab unless they got jobs. When the Khalils 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.’”

Related Characters: Maverick Carter (speaker), Starr Carter , Khalil Harris, Brenda Harris
Page Number: 170
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 12 Quotes

“That's the so-called gun,” Ms. Ofrah explains. “Officer Cruise claims he saw it in the car door, and he assumed Khalil was reaching for it. The handle was thick enough, black enough, for him to assume it was a gun.”

“And Khalil was black enough,” Daddy adds.

A hairbrush. Khalil died over a fucking hairbrush.

Related Characters: Starr Carter (speaker), Maverick Carter (speaker), April Ofrah (speaker), Khalil Harris, One-Fifteen / Officer Brian Cruise
Related Symbols: Khalil’s Hairbrush
Page Number: 217
Explanation and Analysis: