Hate List

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2009

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Themes

The Many Forms of Hate

A central theme in Hate List is hate; the novel shines a light on the many forms, both obvious and hidden, hate takes. At the end of the novel, Valerie says at graduation, “At Garvin High we were dealt a hard dose of reality this year. People hate. People are hated and carry grudges and want punishments” (398-399). Nick’s hate takes the form of anger—a gnawing anger over being treated unfairly and dealt an unfair hand in life. Hate also takes form against Nick, specifically in the shape of Chris Summers’ bullying. Valerie’s words also capture her own hateful actions: at first, she claims to develop the hate list as a way to hold people accountable for their behavior, but it quickly morphs into an outlet for Valerie to express and spread hate.

There are less explicit ways hate appears in the novel. Hate List explores what happens when people deny hate exists. Before the shooting, students like Jessica and Christy bully and divide other students without really knowing them. Principal Angerson, by banning solitary activity, thinks he can create community, but Valerie sees firsthand that Nick’s shooting has little effect on the old cliques and social norms of high school because the underlying issue, hate, still remains.

Hate List explores how teenagers and some adults come to learn the difference between real hate and temporary hate. For example, Valerie thinks she hates Mrs. Tennille so much she wishes harm upon her, but learns after the shooting, with the help of Dr. Hieler, that hate blinds her to who Mrs. Tennille really is. Before the shooting, Valerie only sees hate and difference in people. This is evident in Valerie’s relationship with her parents; before the shooting, Valerie feels alienated from her parents, hating them for the fighting that causes a great deal of her personal unhappiness. It takes therapy to mend that rift and to help her move on.

Hate List posits that hate is a hard habit to break. Bullies must cease attacking weaker individuals, and those being bullied must be wary of becoming bullies themselves, as Valerie and Nick did. Parents should not allow hate to usurp their homes, turning them into battlegrounds where children like Valerie and Frankie do not feel safe. Psychologists like Dr. Dentley and administrators like Principal Angerson should not force students to deny their hatred until it boils over into a violent tragedy. More safe places like Bea’s studio and Dr. Hieler’s office should be available, places where kindness might overcome hate. These are preventive measures that could safeguard against another tragedy like the Garvin shooting.

The Dangers of Bullying

At one point, Valerie describes her school life as a “battleground,” where she curls into a fetal position, lurking quietly in the shadows before and after the shooting, hoping to get through high school unnoticed (36). When bullied, being invisible, however depressing, is better than being a target, as Valerie is for Christy Bruter. As Nick shoots Christy, he says to her, “You’ve been on the list for a really long time,” meaning Christy’s name was one of the first names Valerie wrote in her hate list (34). Christy had been tormenting Valerie ever since elementary school, calling her names and spreading rumors about her, until the bullying escalated to physical assault, resulting in Valerie’s broken phone the day of the shooting. Valerie constantly feels unsafe, as though she must watch over her shoulder for a sudden attack, which is a harrowing way to go through high school.

There are many articles detailing the damaging effects of bullying on teenagers; Hate List provides a first-person account of the demoralizing effect chronic bullying has on Valerie and Nick’s psyches. It robs Nick of his dignity and stokes his pre-existing anger into a violent shooting spree. After the shooting, Detective Panzella asks Valerie why Nick shot his classmates and why she and Nick spoke so violently about fellow students. The detective takes an accusatory tone, as if Valerie and Nick are automatically the villains in this scenario. However, the novel offers that it’s years of bullying that carry the two over the brink. While violence is not a forgone conclusion, it is not surprising that Nick’s anger and humiliation lead to violence.

Troy, Dr. Dentley, and some of Valerie’s old friends, like Stacey, bully Valerie, even after the shooting. In a very disturbing encounter, Troy pulls a gun on Valerie, telling her she must stay away from his sister, Meghan, and her friends. This happens at Alex’s party, where Valerie, the supposed “bad guy,” is the one who’s mistreated. After this incident, Valerie calls her father for help. He ends up jerking his daughter out of the car and clasping her arms so hardthat he hurts her. Mr. Leftman is so angry that Valerie has interrupted his new life with Briley, his younger girlfriend, he yells, “‘You either pull your shit together and start acting right or I’ll have your ass out on the street before you can say ‘unappreciative brat,’ do you hear me?’” (320). Jarred, Valerie silently goes with him. Likewise, she complicity goes along with Dr. Dentley's gentler, but equally menacing bullying in in-patient therapy, where Valerie must renounce Nick and suppress her anger to obtain her freedom. It may not seem like bullying, but, stripped of control and the promise of freedom, Valerie must conform to Dr. Dentley’s standards to survive, just like when she is at school and under Christy Bruter and Jessica Campbell’s judging eyes. Even Stacey and Duce, used to being bullied themselves, exclude Valerie when she needs friends and laugh at her behind her back—yet another form of bullying.

The Positive and Negative Impacts of Therapy

Hate List also explores various versions of therapy. Some methods are helpful, such as talk therapy with Dr. Hieler and art therapy with Bea. Some are hurtful, even though they seem helpful, such as Dr. Dentley’s method. Since anger underscores the reason for the tragic shooting and positive outlets for anger form the basis for recovery, the book advocates for the role of therapy even before such tragedies occur. Although Mrs. Tate says there was no hope for Nick, the novel does not convey that message; in fact, in a number of flashbacks, there are places where Nick might have been reached, had he encountered the right person.

The effects of therapy on Valerie are profound. She regains insight to who she is as a person with the help of Dr. Hieler. She rediscovers her interest in school, unleashes her creativity, and relocates her voice. She finds the courage to apologize for her role in the shooting and to speak out against the injustice she sees around her. With therapy before the shooting, readers see the likelihood of prevention as well. Therapy with Dr. Hieler provides a safe haven for Valerie, which she has needed for a long time. In addition, art therapy and creativity help Valerie cope with loss and depression. While Valerie is still finding her voice, she expresses her thoughts by drawing in her sketchbook. Instead of drawing dark images, she depicts other students and people as she really sees them, just as confused and concerned as she is. Finally, through painting, Valerie finds a true escape—she had described Nick as her escape—where she can translate the chaos of her mind into order and meaning on a canvas. Formerly, Valerie used the hate list as therapy, perpetuating hate with hate. Actual therapy, the novel teaches, can help overcome the damaging effects of hate.