How is Bri’s identity represented within On the Come Up?
Bri’s identity is portrayed as that of a confused teenage girl who is unsure of her own identity; she’s lost. However, on her journey of self-discovery, Bri transforms into the person she always aspired to be and finally finds herself. As Bri strives to find herself in comparison to her father’s legacy and the opinions of others, the pressure to satisfy the expectations of others while searching for her own identity leaves her with a lot to think about. Her conversation with her mother emphasizes that it is up to Bri to decide who she wants to be, and this ignites her journey of self-discovery. She realizes that she no longer needs to conform to the expectations of others, and her encounter with Miles prompts her to question her authenticity and the path she wants to take in her rap career.
Bri is confused about herself; she is constantly compared to her dad as if she's carrying his "legacy," but she's making her own path. She’s called a multitude of names, but none of them are who she is. As this goes on it leads her into a spiral, making her more and more confused about her identity. Everywhere she goes it seems that she can’t escape her father’s rap career, and her first time performing at the Ring was no exception. “‘Carrying the torch for Law, huh?’ Not really. More like making my own torch and carrying it. I say, ‘Yeah,’ though, because that’s what I’m supposed to say.” (Thomas, On The Come Up, 23) Her struggle with her inner persona and the pressure to play into others' beliefs further disorientes who she believes she is. The stream-of-consciousness narration allows the reader to interpret Bri’s honest feelings. Bri is feeling pressured to respond based on what the bouncers letting her through think. The constraint of others' opinions follows her as Bri
...can still see Long and Tate pinning me to the ground. I can still hear that
word. ‘Hoodlum.’ One damn word and it feels like it’s got all the power over me. (Thomas, On The Come Up, 94)
The fear of that day caused her a lot of pain. The word “hoodlum” is personified in this quotation as the words Long spoke continue to hold power over her, even days later. “Hoodlum” was such a terrible word for Bri, it only proved the stereotypes that had been forced on her all her life. Hoodlum wasn’t the only word used to describe Bri, the world describes her as a thug, a hoodlum, a gangster, and a threat. In retaliation, Bri writes her song On the Come Up to criticize those who assume she is a threat, but many of the listeners interpret the song oppositely, they believe it to be a confirmation of her dangerousness. Throughout the novel, Bri grows increasingly frustrated and angry as she continues to experience being misunderstood and mistreated. Being a part of a marginalized group herself, Angie Thomas has faced many throwing false opinions at her, claiming that she is something she’s not. Growing up in a predominantly black neighbourhood with high gang activity, like Bri, she has been grouped together with those aggressive people. Injustices that both have faced, in fiction and reality, and incredibly unfair.
After visiting her aunt in jail, Bri has an incredibly important conversation with her mother; they talk about who she is. Bri continuously struggles with finding her true self and Jay knows that. She tells Bri that everyone else can assume, but it’s up to her to decide who and what she wants to be. This changes the way she thinks about herself and launches her on the path of self-discovery. Jay tells her that “‘Pooh doesn’t know who she is, and by not knowing who she is, she doesn’t know her worth.’” (Thomas, On The Come Up, 397) Aunt Pooh never finds herself and because of that, she ends up around the wrong people. She hangs out with the GDs and does things that she would never do if only she realized her worth. So Jay asks the question that will leave Bri speechless,
‘Who are you?’ she repeats. ‘Of the millions and billions of people in the world, you’re the only person who can answer that…I can’t even answer that. I can say who I think you are….But you’re the only person who can say who you are with authority. So, who are you?’ (Thomas, On The Come Up, 397)
Bri couldn't answer that question. She didn’t know who she was. She had been so caught up in what other people thought that she began to think what they said was true. But Bri still needed to know “who” she was. No matter how hard she tries to hold onto her identity, she eventually loses it; losing to the security guards, the media, and the record executives. The repetition of the word “who” shows how important it is for Bri to understand herself as she falls deeper and deeper into the stereotypes people create for her. The need to rise above the challenges has never been so apparent to her. The stream-of-consciousness narration style allows the reader to understand everything Bri is thinking, including her inability to answer her mom's question, even in her head. This demonstrates the confusion Bri is experiencing. Because it is written in first person, the reader doesn't have to guess what Bri is thinking, as the point of view fills in many of the missing gaps that would be missed if it was a third-person narrative. Bri holds a special place in Angie Thomas’ heart. Thomas was bullied and stereotyped in her youth for the way she looked. Bri’s confusion comes from a place of knowledge for Thomas, as she grew up confused. She didn’t know who she was or what she wanted to be until she found sanction in writing; it was her escape from the world.
When she enters the battle ring for her final performance, she realizes that she hasn't been true to herself. The words her mother shared with her finally make sense: she's her own person. She no longer needs to conform to what other people want of her, not Supreme, not her teachers–just her. “‘See, for the first time in my life, I know I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. I’m doing what I’m supposed to do. Hell, what I was made to do.’” (Thomas, On The Come Up, 442) It is only when Bri escapes from her false role that she frees herself from Supreme's trap, rapping her own words, from the heart. After struggling to find her worth, Bri finds where she belongs. Bri knew exactly where she was supposed to be for the “first time.” Her journey to reach this point was definitely a challenge, but her confidence reflects her hard work. Before her battle, Bri met with Miles, and he told her that he was quitting rapping, though he shares something more important than that, “‘You’re giving up your rap career?’...‘Yeah. I am. Besides, is it really mine if I’m not being myself?’” (Thomas, On The Come Up, 406) This interaction foreshadows that Bri will soon have to decide whether to play into the hoodlum role and perform rap lyrics that don't align with her beliefs, or follow her own path to stardom. What Miles said left her thinking, and she is “...still thinking about what Miles said yesterday.” (Thomas, On The Come Up, 407) The stream-of-conciseness narration style shows how deeply Bri resonated with what Miles said, and it would later change her thinking of Supreme. She didn’t want to be his next “cash cow” and it became clear when she performed her own rap lyrics instead of the terrible ones that were ghostwritten for her, she never needed Supreme. In Angie Thomas’ career, she may have encountered executives attempting to alter or ghostwrite her stories similar to what Bri has experienced. Yet, neither of them would agree because they are both independent women, and their words must remain true to themselves. It’s who they are.
In conclusion, Bri initially seems unsure of who she is, like many teenagers. But as she goes on a journey to find herself, she becomes the person she always wanted to be. It is clear that in the beginning Bri is incredibly lost and does not who she is and the greatness that is within her. As she matures through the book she begins to realize her own individuality, but it is not until her conversation with her mother that she genuinely wants to know her own self. In this final song of the novel, Bri finds freedom by rejecting the harmful role that she was forced to assume, choosing to remain true to herself and to those who are important to her. In the end, she finally reaches her come up.
Works Cited
Hirsch, Afua, and Robert Harris. “Angie Thomas: the debut novelist who turned racism and police violence into a bestseller.” The Guardian, 26 March 2017, https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/mar/26/angie-thomas-the-debut-novelist-who-turned-racism-and-police-violence-into-a-bestseller. Accessed 3 October 2024.
Lewis, Tim. “Angie Thomas, author of The Hate U Give: 'Books play a huge part in resistance.'” The Guardian, 27 January 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/jan/27/angie-thomas-the-hate-u-give-interview-famous-fans-readers. Accessed 2 October 2024.
Thomas, Angie. On the Come Up. HarperCollins Publishers, 2020.
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