Born a Crime The writing style that the author Trevor Noah has used in the work is simple language that is autobiographical. He details his life experiences as a young man of mixed race. In the process, he presents a tone of humor even though the issues that he raises in the story are weighty. The overall presentation of the story aims as depicting the struggles that apartheid presented to the society and the people who lived in South Africa at that time. There was a difference in language, identity and culture and the architects of apartheid exploited that feature (Noah 3). Source Noah, Trevor. Born a crime: Stories from a South African childhood. Hachette UK, 2016.
Trevor Noah’s memoir, Born a Crime, is skillfully crafted through the use of analogies, conversational tone, and an intro before each chapter that contextualizes South Africa’s living situation. Most notable are the analogies Trevor uses to apply it to the constraints that South Africans are subjected to and amplify its meaning. For example, Noah connected fishing to under-resourced communities in South Africa. Noah begins by introducing an analogy: “Give a man a fish, and he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he’ll eat for a lifetime” (Noah 190, para. 2). He then points out the “part of the analogy that’s missing” which in this case is the man needing a “fishing rod” (Noah 190). After becoming an entrepreneur by selling pirated CDs, Noah reflects that it would not have been achievable had Daniel, “someone from the privileged world,” not given him a CD writer. The tone becomes very critical of South Africa’s oppressive system that has demoralized its inhabitants that there is no escaping their burdensome life–unless one gains connections with those from more advantaged homes. At the same time, there is an inspirational tone as Trevor learns that he could propel himself into a better living situation despite coming from an under-resourced background. He states that Daniel “showed [him] how important it is to empower the dispossessed and the disenfranchised in the wake of oppression” (Noah 190). Daniel became the catalyst for his success and ability to climb the economic ladder. Immediately, the audience is forced to reflect on the commodities that they have “taken for granted” as they likely did not have to rely on eating caterpillars for months like Noah did (Noah 190). This memoir quickly turns into a thank you card to those that have helped Trevor escape the monotony of his life.
Born a Crime The author’s exigency for writing the book Born a Crime is to help present to the world the challenges that minority experience especially when the system of government is discriminatory. The focus of the book is centered during the apartheid period in South Africa when the people of color were marginalized and there was total separation by race. The blacks were not supposed to interact with the whites while the white people were supposed to occupy a higher racial pedestal. Thus, the emphasis of the book is to highlight how the author, lived in a black family but he felt that he was isolated because his skin color as a white did not allow him to freely mingle with the blacks. In the course of the text he advances the logic that it is possible to live and survive in any environment regardless of the difficulties and struggles that people experience. Accordingly, it means that there is a form of reference to the fact that issues such racial segregation should be condemned because they leave a bad mark in the lives of people and their families. Hence, the motivation is to try to bridge the racial gap and inspire the people to understand that it is possible to live as one people regardless of their racial disparities. As a reader, I have come to appreciate and understand that discrimination of whichever sort is wrong because it does not serve any good purpose. All people and the human race a s a whole should adopt a mechanism of respect, value and mutual understanding among one another. Issues of diversity such difference in the race of people should be celebrated rather be used as a dividing tool. As such, the focus of the material is that it seeks to inspire the human race to understand the goodness of embracing diversity.
Work Cited Noah, Trevor. Born a crime: Stories from a South African childhood. Hachette UK, 2016.
Carlos Nunez I believe that Trevor Noah's writing style was memories when he was younger and how it has to structure him as a person. I also think he's trying to bring the reader to a different world since almost most of his readers are from the united states. In his writing, you can describe his tone to be humorous, serious, and very thoughtful. My favorite part of reading is when he starts to explain the different types of churches he goes with his mom. Then as he gets older, he gets confused and starts noticing that the black churches last longer than the white ones. On page 8, paragraph 1, he says, "Is it possible for time to actually stop? If so, why does it stop at the black church and not the white church? I eventually decided black people needed more time with Jesus because we suffered more." I liked how Trevor Noah thought this out because it shows how thoughtful he is in any situation. He talks about how, in South Africa, the race comes to a big part of society, and we can use this quote as in example because it just shows where he's from that segregation is a big thing where he's from by showing the different time length white and black people are at church for.
Alejandra Mendoza Born A Crime, by Trevor Noah, is a compilation of his childhood stories in South Africa. Noah's writing style is very unique in that his is factual about political and demographical aspects of the South African societies and switches to giving the reader a more in depth experience into how that society affected his childhood as a mixed individual. Through his writing, Noah takes the reader on a journey that is humorous, compassionate, and often confusing for him. Innocence is a trait very commonly expressed by him as a child in the sense that he did not understand why he was always treated differently because of his color. Between the culture clashes and the lingering affects of apartheid, Noah gives the reader insight as to how he was forced to stay inside, to which he learned to entertain himself with books and prayer. Noah begins his stories with a vague yet intriguing sentence to give an idea as to what his story will be about. However, what makes his writing so compelling is that he is able to separate himself as an adult now and really dig back to his being as a child with nothing more than a mothers teachings and his own observations and interpretations of the world. Something to pinpoint is his love for his mother. Noah dedicated this book to his mother, Patricia Nombuyiselo Noah, whom he thanks for raising him to be the person he is today. As a child, Noah and his mother were inseparable, and he considers himself a "product of her search for belonging" and something she could finally call "her own" (Noah 63 p. 1). The way Patricia chose to raise Noah compared to the rest of society allowed him to expand his mind to endless horizons and gave him an identity of his own that did not set limitations. Her upbringing consisted of the "betrayals of her parents" and the struggle to make ends meet(Noah 66 p.3). However, her character is so profoundly faithful that she was unstoppable. Noah's mother prevailed through it all and never stopped giving back to the world because she did not allow it to alter who she knew she was. As a result of her childhood, "she was determined to not repeat it" with Noah, starting with his name(Noah 67 p.1). "Trevor" held no meaning in South Africa unlike her name which meant "She Who Gives Back" (Noah 67 p.2). This goes back to her desire for Noah to "be anyone." Teaching him many languages, talking to him like more than a child, and raising him with an enormous faith in God shaped him into a person that is able to look past an ignorant society. Although these stories are a part of reality, this memoir provokes escapism, much like the books Noah enjoyed reading as a child, to take the audience to a world uniquely experienced by himself. Everyone has a different story, but Trevor Noah's writing allows the reader to take a glimpse into what many people fail to imagine when thinking about life in South Africa.
Born A Crime by Trevor Noah is a memoir based on Trevor’s childhood in South Africa and life lessons that he has learned which have structured him into the person he is today. Noah’s writing style consist of racism,religion,and political challenges that he has faced throughout his life due to being a mixed raced individual.As the depth of the book progresses you can notice that Trevor uses humor,culture,and political injustice to help the reader become educated on the political challenges that were happening in South Africa at the time.In the beginning of the book, “I was born in South Africa during apartheid,a system of laws that made it illegal for people to mix in South Africa. And this was obviously awkward because I grew up in a mixed family. My mother’s a black woman, South African Xhosa woman ... and my father’s Swiss, from Switzerland”,shows Trevor using irony in a humorous way to show how right away the most forbidden rule was broken when it came to his existence.Mentioning the governments apartheid against interracial relationships/births creates the beginning stages of challenges he will face in the future,but enlightens us with the use of humor throughout the serious subject.
In Trevor Noah’s, Born a Crime, he depicts his experience during and after Apartheid through the use of anecdotes as he goes back and forth through his struggles of living as a colored and his mother’s impact on him and how he was able to become the man he is today. Trevor Noah lets the reader see his perspective through humor and in certain times having the reader feel sympathetic as Noah’s childhood was not always stable. Noah’s diction changes depending on the situation as he tries to blend in with those around him. When he visits Alexandria, a small town in Eastern Cape of South Africa, his tone is informal since Noah and his friends have a façade of being part of the hood. However, when Noah goes to jail, his tone shifts from optimistic to worried as he realizes that although his façade of a gangster made others fear him which he enjoyed, he became worried of the dangers he would face if he did end up in prison. Noah endeavors to fit in with others, yet he does not realize how it affects others views on him as he could make the situation worse for himself. Noah’s struggle as a colored child is shown when he goes to seventh grade where he must choose to either hangout with the black or white children. In this moment, Noah is taken by an Indian classmate who introduces him to the black kids by demonstrating them Noah’s “language thing” which was speaking various African languages which only “white people” had access to speaking “languages beneath them” (Noah 58 p.3). However, when Noah is asked about his talent, he replies, “Because I’m black” just “like you” (Noah 58 p.4). However, his friends do not see Noah as black because he is colored, but “speaking the same languages” as them made Noah seem that he “belonged to their tribe” (Noah 58 p.5). Noah believed that his advantage was the only way to get accepted by his black friends; consequently, Noah would be classified as black by others and not as colored. Noah demonstrates how it was not easy to be colored during Apartheid as he had to blend in so that he could have friends. His desire to fit in shape Noah as he grows up as he continues to want to be like blacks but has more advantages than his compatriots. Furthermore, Noah’s mother, Patricia Nombuyiselo Noah, also influenced him as she taught him the reality of being a minority during Apartheid. She took time in teaching him English and other languages so that he could have success in a time where most blacks were unemployed. Throughout his memoir, Noah depicts how his mother had impacted him and how her odd way disciplining him made him realize her sacrifice as a mother so that her children could have a better future. As Noah demonstrates the hardships of being a minority, he eventually writes a book to show others how Apartheid made South Africans live through poverty and injustice. Work Cited Noah, Trevor. Born a crime: Stories from a South African childhood. Hachette UK, 2016.
In Trevor Noah’s autobiography, Born a Crime, each chapter consists of stories about his life in South Africa. Noah uses humor throughout the book to keep his audience intrigued in stories of hardship and seriousness. Each chapter is also introduced with a preface to give his audience a clue of what that chapter will consist of. In the preface of chapter 4, Trevor writes, “Part of the effort to divide black people was to makes sure we were separated not just physically but by language as well...we’d fall into the trap of the government had set for us and fight among ourselves, believing we were different”(Noah 49 p.2). Noah believes that language carries ones cultural identity which made it easy for apartheid to have fooled his people into seeing one another as different not only because of the color of their skin but because of the language they spoke as well. However, Trevor believes you can outweigh racial differences by speaking the language of someone who looks different from you which causes their brain to “short-circuit” (Noah 50 p.3) since the “racism code” and “language code” (Noah 50 p.3) are clashing. When Trevor “accidentally perforated” (Noah 51 p.1) his cousins eardrum and unlike his cousins isn’t punished for it, is when he is first introduced to the white privilege he has due to his skin color. Noah not only received “special treatment” (Noah 53 p.1) from his family but he also received it from neighbors and strangers. The kids in his neighborhood would refer to him as “The white man!” (Noah 53 p.3) and when attending funerals he would receive the benefit of eating “indoors” (Noah 54 p.1) with the family instead of outdoors because he was “white”. Because Trevor is mixed, he is able to understand how it feels to be on both sides of his race. This feeling and understanding of being privileged and unprivileged pushes him to learn how to “bridge the race gap” (Noah 54 p.3) through the use of language. Trevor had “no option” (Noah 54 p.3) but to learn “several languages” (Noah 54 p.3)-English being the first-from his mother. Noah states that speaking English as a “black in South Africa” will give one a “leg up” (Noah 54 p.3) since it offers great benefits for your future. However, I believe that Noah being able to speak several languages is the most beneficial thing in his life because it allowed him to protect himself from the violence he could encountered with different groups such as the Zulu. Trevor writes “ My color didn’t change, but i could change your perception of my color” (Noah 56 p.3); because trevor has no significant ethnicity/race, it is easy for him to transform who he is to those he is speaking to similarly to a “chameleon” (Noah 56 p.3) changes it’s colors hence the title of this chapter being named Chameleon.
Born A Crime by Trevor Noah focuses on being descriptive towards his childhood by using different cultures and languages he used to get by in life as well as show his struggles. During Trevor’s younger years, the world he lived in was filled with racism towards his identity causing a conflict within himself. He could not find his true identity making him naive towards the different encounters of race. He was not able to fit in with any race causing Trevor to be naive. Not being able to associate himself with a race made him feel like he was “by himself in this no-man’s-land” (Noah 57). Trevor’s use of diction created a tone of solitude. Trevor’s use of diction also shows the harsh reality of the world coming down on race. For example, “I’d never been more scared in my life. But I still had to pick. Because racism exist, and you have to pick a side.” (Noah 240). Trevor shows the reality of life forcing its self to pick a side even if you claim "you don’t pick a side". This overwhelmed Trevor making him chose a race he did not identify himself as. Overall, Noah uses strong formal diction to show the audience the consequences of apartheid and how he was affected.
In the book Born A Crime, author Trevor Noah has a very reflective authors style as he narrates his past life. The author’s diction is very reflective of his culture as he includes phrases which are in a language native to Africa. Language was an important aspect to Noah as it was a way to “bridge the race gap” and helped changed peoples perspective of him (54).Noah uses the political aspect of South Africa to help the reader understand apartheid affects his development. Also, Noah includes lines which are italicizes being a trend of Noah talking to his conscious. The lines tend to be comments or questions he thinks about during different situations. The author created a personal tone as the reader is able to connect to the author making the narrative somewhat interactive.(Last two paragraphs) “My mother never sat me down… a place of self-pity” (66,Noah) The author here is talking about how his mother always gave him stories about the terrible reality she had faced as women as she was exposed to rape. Noah wondered why his mother was telling him vivid and emotive stories when he was a child. The author includes his thinking in italicize criticizing his mothers judgment of the stories she was sharing with his 10 year old self. Noah learned It was his mothers way to open his mind so he can understand mature situations and be grateful for what he has and not a way to express unhappiness. The author builds a theme of his innocence dissolving quickly due to being exposed to mature topics revealing the disconnection of age related to maturity. Maturity can be built through what ones situations and challenges rather than over turning a year older on your birthday. Noah’s experiences and past life ultimately help build his personality.
In the book Born A Crime, author Trevor Noah has a very reflective authors style as he narrates his past life. The author’s diction is very reflective of his culture as he includes phrases which are in a language native to Africa. Language was an important aspect to Noah as it was a way to “bridge the race gap” and helped changed peoples perspective of him (54).Noah uses the political aspect of South Africa to help the reader understand apartheid affects his development. Also, Noah includes lines which are italicizes being a trend of Noah talking to his conscious. The lines tend to be comments or questions he thinks about during different situations. The author created a personal tone as the reader is able to connect to the author making the narrative somewhat interactive.(Last two paragraphs) “My mother never sat me down… a place of self-pity” (66,Noah) The author here is talking about how his mother always gave him stories about the terrible reality she had faced as women as she was exposed to rape. Noah wondered why his mother was telling him vivid and emotive stories when he was a child. The author includes his thinking in italicize criticizing his mothers judgment of the stories she was sharing with his 10 year old self. Noah learned It was his mothers way to open his mind so he can understand mature situations and be grateful for what he has and not a way to express unhappiness. The author builds a theme of his innocence dissolving quickly due to being exposed to mature topics revealing the disconnection of age related to maturity. Maturity can be built through what ones situations and challenges rather than over turning a year older on your birthday. Noah’s experiences and past life ultimately help build his personality.
Trevor Noah’s “Born a Crime” is an exceptionally written memoir that retells the story of the now successful comedian as he navigated through the prejudices and obstacles that dictated and affected his life in the past as a youth of mixed race living in South Africa. Trevor Noah’s charisma shines through his writing due to his use of profane language and simplistic diction that both effectively and bluntly reveals Noah’s emotions and opinions about the parts of his life he’s discussing. This causes the descriptions of all types of experiences, ranging from wholesome to hilarious to traumatic, to come across as more casual between Noah and the reader. Noah doesn’t allow himself to shy away from his comedic roots, and at times the memoir can feel like one long, captivating stand up comedy special. Ultimately, Noah’s writing style allows for a much more natural and entertaining conveyance of ideas that doesn’t take away from the more grave topics Noah discusses, such as life under the oppressive system of apartheid and domestic violence. An experience that Trevor Noah retells as having a significant impact on his life and allowing him to gain a new perspective is the domestic abuse his family endured from his stepfather Abel. Noah describes Abel as “charming and hilarious” (Noah 248 par. 4) and highlights his humanitarian qualities by providing circumstances in which you would find Abel assisting others such as a car breaking down on the highway or an old lady needing help with moving boxes (Noah 248-249). By providing examples of Abel’s selflessness, the reader is able to more easily comprehend the type of person he is, or at least the type of person he seems to be. Essentially, Noah is setting up a contrast between the public’s perception of Abel and who he truly is, which Noah explains “made the abuse harder to deal with” (Noah 249). Noah exposes the line of thinking he, and others who may be in the same situation, are faced with when he states, “If you think someone is a monster and the whole world says he's a saint, you begin to think that you’re the bad person” (Noah 249). This societal pressure surrounding Noah and his family, forcing them to see Abel as a good person when they were the only ones receiving his “wrath” (Noah 249), confused them and caused them to question and blame themselves when the problem clearly lies within the abuser. Although this is the logical conclusion an outsider of these situations can draw, Noah’s detailed, while at the same time simplistic, explanation allows readers to comprehend how someone who finds themselves in that type of situation may find even the most illogical conclusions logical. This proper conveyance of ideas is not only seen in this section, but throughout the book as Trevor Noah is able to continuously guide the readers to reflect on his past along with him and gain insight on topics that his experiences have given him insight upon.
In Trevor Noah’s autobiography “Born A Crime”, he utilizes a descriptive depiction of the im secondhand car’s impact in his infancy. At first, the reader might not think much of a secondhand car, but to Noah, it led to various traumatic events. Due to this car, Noah got “detention for being late to school” (Noah 9) everytime the car would breakdown; additionally, the “car left [them] hitchhiking on the side of the freeway” (Noah 9). The seriousness of these two situations can be seen by Noah’s easygoing diction. He is sharing these details with ease because although they might have been uncomfortable moments, they were fleeting moments that he was able to overcome. Noah then shifts to a more grave consequence of the secondhand car by intensifying his diction. It might seem like a reach for Noah to blame the car to be “the reason [his] mom got married” (Noah 9). However, he goes on to explain that due to the work that the car required, they had to look for a “mechanic who became the husband...and put a bullet in the back of my mother’s head” (Noah 9). The repetition of the verb “became” helps Noah flow through the story of how he ended with such a damaging stepfather. Additionally, the words “tortured” and “bullet” demonstrate the trauma and harm the stepfather caused to Noah and his family. Noah no longer takes the car’s consequences with ease as it technically did contribute to a tragic downfall in his household; with his graphic diction, Noah conveys a resentful tone towards the car and his stepfather.
Carlos Nunez Trevor Noah's writing style is in the mix of time throughout his childhood. What I mean in that way is that his story is not really in chronological order because the way he wants the story to keep on going on about specific issues like racism, language, segregation, and problems he had in his childhood. I also like how his writing is humorous, serious, sad, and will keep you on the edge of the seat. I believe Trevor's motivation in writing this book was to give the American audience another point of view on racism, politics, religion, and many other things in a place like South Africa. On the other part, to talk about his life, and what he went through being born a crime, and the obstacles he had to face. Overall, you can see how Trevor talks about racism and language, and I think it's crucial because he believes these topics are "dumb." Because he wants the reader to realize if we talk the same language, live in the same part, then why we should be treating each other differently? Trevor talks about how Japanese and Chinese were treated differently in South Africa in a humorous way by saying how Japanese were treated like whites, and Chinese were treated as a black person would be treated even if these two races were very similar and looked alike. In the end, I believe that Trevor wanted to take many things from his book is that racism is unnecessary, and how we shouldn't treat others different because of race. I also believe that he wants to see our problem in America into a new world in South Africa to show how racism and these things were viewed by someone much younger which was Trevor Noah as a kid. This was to show how a young kid undermined racism, and how these problems occurring everywhere is literally for no reason. What I got from this book was that everyone was born in different parts in the world, taken looking different, born learning a different language, but that shouldn't change the way that we treat each other because at the end we are all human beings with only one life.
Alejandra Mendoza Because Trevor was literally "born a crime", his life was drastically different from those around him. Nevertheless, he shows his audience that pain, love, and the desire to belong to something beyond yourself are universal. He took it upon himself with the help of his loving mother to create his own path in life, to love and keep an open mind. His motivation for writing this memoir began with the desire to compile his comedic, traumatic, and life changing stories and share them with the world. As Trevor writes, he never fails to appreciate everything that life offered him, and he hopes that others are inspired to take advantage of even the smallest opportunities. It can be concluded that he hopes to inspire his widely ranged audience to stop, acknowledge their values and principals, and become a person that is cognizant and mindful. Trevor understands that a person's morals can be altered and evolved to fit into the rest of society, just as the people around him were fixed/born into ideologies that promoted the division of people. All in all, he is motivated by his desire to help others understand that perception is everything, but learning to take in all perceptions is an amazing gift to have. He gives the audience a glimpse into them all. Trevor Noah's main argument throughout the novel is that his mother is everything to him. Her love for him was so beyond what I, as the reader, could describe, and she patiently crafted him to become the man he is today. Having faith in God and in each other created a bond that no one could come in between, and his stories argue that the love from his mother and God pushed him to live up to his potential. Trevor points out that his mother taught him beyond what school taught, that people should learn to not be confined to one specific idea. Overall, he argues that a person is capable to go beyond their own limits and see past ignorance. I had many takeaways from this memoir. The first one is that America should begin to steer away from the misconception that to have a better life one should leave the ghetto. Taking the time to put into the community in an effort to better it takes patience, but in the long run it is all worth it. Another takeaway i had is to always tell my mother how much she means to me. I am so glued to my mom, and even though we do not always agree, she is my everything, and we thrive off of each other. Lastly, another takeaway I would like to highlight is to always be open minded, true to myself, and to not allow the countless setbacks that we as humans face to undermine who I know I can be. This memoir is truly(and literally) a one of a kind story that has impacted numerous lives in ways that Trevor Noah would have never imagined, and when I am older, I, too, will be able to look back at my upbringing and share some witty stories with the people I love.
Trevor Noah’s motivation for writing Born a Crime is to provide context to his American audience of the multifaceted oppression that South Africans had undergone during and post-apartheid. Having now known, South Africa’s system of rule was defined by a concoction of racially oppressing systems borrowed from around the world—a tactic that kept the diverse tribes distracted from creating political upheaval. The development of linguistic diversity was a key component in preventing tribes from forming a coalition that would in turn lead to the overthrow of Afrikaners; as desired by those in rule, it ensued resentment and prejudice against each other. Trevor describes the government as “architects of apartheid” (49) who ingrained racism in a language by conditioning tribes to feel different, and thus fight against one another. Trevor, however, actually had the privilege of speaking multiple languages which allowed him to “change the perception of [his] color” (56). Although diversity is largely celebrated as an asset within someone’s identity, Trevor actually struggled with an identity crisis; his internal struggle became very clear at the segregated playground where kids separated themselves into friend groups by color. It goes to show the ramifications of racist, political systems that are designed to create division: children being psychologically manipulated to think that friendships are constructed within the parameters of race. Even as an adult, specifically the time he was in jail, he succumbed to these unspoken rules of generalizing one’s self to a racial group. In order to preserve his safety, Trevor molded himself into the stereotype of a “colored gangster” (233). South Africa’s prison system seems to disproportionately impact those with a complexion of mixed race due to “notorious colored gangs” (234). As a result, Trevor fell victim to racial profiling simply because he fit the image of a “colored” person and the negative stigmas attached to them. A parallel can be drawn between America and South Africa’s prison system as they both target people with diverse backgrounds, presenting the issue of inertia in which institutions continue to profit off mass incarceration and are selective towards race. Trevor Noah brings into perspective the systemic racism entrenched in American institutions that not only highlights the slow evolution of America, but criticizes the country for following its racist legacy. In addition, Trevor delves into the complexities of dispossessed people with language barriers. While in jail, Trevor discovers that the seemingly daunting guy was not at all who he appeared to be. After helping “the Hulk” translate Tsonga into Zulu, all preconceived assumptions were eradicated. “The world has been taught to be scared of him, but the reality is that he is scared of the world because he has none of the tools necessary to cope with it” (237). As Trevor puts it, biases have led to false interpretations of people, specifically those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Consequently, the school-to-prison pipeline becomes persistent not only In South Africa, but in America as well. Since children are being deprived of “education” (237) and proper disciplinary action, it upholds systems of racial inequity. Again, the author puts an emphasis on the root cause of many of these issues being tied to race. It is apparent that there is an underlying tone for a need of social justice in Trevor Noah’s book. And as a person of color with first-hand experience in these issues, Trevor uses his platform to bring awareness of these issues that repeat in history. Overall, the reader gains an understanding of why he uses dark humor, a creative outlet, to balance the discussion of issues that are not easy to talk about: it is his way of healing. Although it comes at the expense of being largely criticized in the media, family, specifically the mom, keeps him grounded as well as his position as a comedian that helps him build close relationships with his audiences.
Trevor Noah’s exigency for writing this memoir was to open up his intense life experiences to the world. I believe that Noah wanted to teach people that no matter what you look like or where you come from, you can make it in life. He opened up about his hardships with being “born a crime”, abusive stepfather Abel, and his strong loving relationship with his mother. Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime is full of many themes such as racism, religion, identity, and coming of age. Trevor struggled to find his place in society due to growing up in a divided environment. As many individuals wanted to stay among people of their color, Noah became conflicted with having to choose what groups to join due to looking different from many of his peers. However, Noah himself didn’t exclude anyone from his life based on how they looked; he was open to everyone and everything. As Noah became older his relationship with God and his mother became stronger; these two relationships helped him to find his way through a tough life growing up in South Africa. Noah’s use of humor all through the book helps the reader to enjoy the book more and get a sense of who he is not only through his story but also through the humor. We get to learn more about his personality through his use of the humor. Noah uses humor to help him overcome the pain he is feeling at the time of hardship and it allows him to keep a better future in view for himself. Noah shares this sense of humor mainly with his mother while he was growing up. Humor helped them turn a bad situation into a funny moment. Their resilience encourages his audience to find a way to cope when they are facing their own obstacles. A takeaway from Trevor’s memoir is that I shouldn’t be afraid to be myself around anyone. I should be confident in myself about who I am and what I like. I shouldn’t feel ashamed of who I am no matter how different someone makes me feel. Other takeaway for the memoir is to always appreciate those who are always by my side through the hardships I face and continue to stay. I hardly tell anyone in my life that I appreciate them and that is something that I need to start doing because I never know when I am going to lose them. This is a book that I am not going to ever forget because it has taught me many things about life. I can easily say this it is one of my new favorite books.
Noah’s exigency in writing Born a Crime was in order to demonstrate his struggle growing up during apartheid and how it impacted who he is now. Throughout his memoir, Noah depicts how he had to chose sides by either being black or be white; consequently, Noah had a façade in order to fit in with his black friends so that he was not considered white. Noah also demonstrates how his mother would make him the man he is today by describing in the novel who she was before having Noah and how her way of parenting made him be more successful during apartheid. Noah’s mother knew the struggle of having a secure and stable job so she would have Noah learn different languages and be exposed to different environments so that he could fit in and be able to have a better future. However, Noah would in certain situations act against his mother’s wishes until he came to the realization that the world is cruel and that one should be aware of it. Noah’s mother was another of his motivations of writing Born a Crime since she always supported him and made him grow past being a minority. Speaking different languages opened Noah the door to opportunities by making connections when most of South African blacks spoke different languages and were not able to understand each other. Noah’s main argument in his memoir was that one should always stick to those who shaped them. Noah would talk about his family being surrounded by women such as his mother and grandmother who made him see the hardships of being black. Noah’s grandmother’s house demonstrated how poor blacks were since they had one room to fit almost every essential in a home and a driveway that in a way is useless since it was a commodity that they could not afford. Furthermore, with his mother, there was times Noah would be eating bones in order to survive while other times he could afford cheese which was an expensive food others could not afford. As a result, Noah strived to have a successful future by buying people lunch in middle school, selling pirated discs in high school, and becoming a comedian in the future. Overall, Noah demonstrated that he was able to be successful in difficult times. A takeaway from Born a Crime was that there is more to a person than what they show. Noah demonstrated how he never gave up in what he believed in and always tried to be a better self although others saw him as a crime for being colored. Noah’s perseverance is outstanding as he was able to surpass negative events in his childhood and be positive with what is around him. Born a Crime demonstrates how growing up can be both difficult and rewarding as ones experiences can influence who you become.
In the book Born A Crime, author Trevor Noah writes to the reader to reveal his life growing up and coming of age in Africa during apartheid . Noah is able to expose the influence apartheid has on him growing up; such as, his identity being discriminated in society. Noah grew up being a mixed child having a white father and black mother which was prohibited in society. It pushed Noah to be isolated as he was unable to play outside with kids or call his father “Dad” in public growing up. Noah grew up being unwanted as his existence was against the law and was actually born a crime. Noah was even pushed away by his parents to prevent them from getting in trouble by the corrupt government. Noah highlights his philosophy behind crime as it became the way of life to help economically like when he began to sell pirate CDs. Noah helps educate many people who didn’t face the oppression of the apartheid by giving more awareness to the mixed people over the black africans. Noah wrote his book in a way the reader was able to connect by telling his childhood stories chapter by chapter in a way that is compelling. The author talks to the audience through italics lines which reveal a side of his conscious as his tone stayed humorous. The author’s main argument is behind is based on identity which he struggled throughout his childhood. From not being able to play outside in his neighborhood to being self conscious throughout high school. Also, facing the effect of apartheid which added to his struggle on identity. Noah compares himself to a “chameleon” to the cultures around him. Knowing many languages and being able to flow between different cliques in high school making him the chameleon. He did not fit into society ,so his only option was to make himself blend in. My takeaways from this book is seeing the difference in society compared to American society. By reading this book it helped realized the privilege it is to be living in America. In the book Noah describes how America was a dream to many and things such a McDonald’s was exciting to the people in Africa. I saw the effects of education through Noah’s story about his friend Hitler being uneducated about the history behind Hitler. To them Hitler was not as important since it was not the worst thing they could have experience. They would have rather get rid of the apartheid they faced.
Trevor Noah’s exigency to write “Born a Crime” stems from the complexity of his racial identity and the different environments he grew up in. Noah wanted to share his story about his upbringing to shine light on the effects that apartheid had on his family and himself; however, Noah’s storytelling is unique as it is a balance of suffering and moments of success. With love and determination, Noah and his family were able to defy a system created to ensure their failure. Not only was Trevor born during apartheid, but he was born as a symbol of defiance; he was born to a black mother and a white father and “during apartheid, one of the worst crimes you could commit was having sexual relations with a person of another race” (Noah 21). Therefore, Trevor Noah “was born a crime” (Noah 26). Noah’s mother was fearless and willing to contribute to the fight against apartheid. Noah decides to share the story of how was born to help portray the foundation of the struggles that he faced later on in life. One of the first problems Noah and his mother faced were having to avoid being seen by the public, especially the police because “it was illegal to be mixed” (Noah 28). To be able to spend time together, Noah’s mom would invite a colored woman that lived near them to “act like she was [his] mother” (Noah 28). Unlike any other mother, Noah’s mother had to sacrifice a close relationship with her young child to ensure that her and Noah would not be separated by the police. However, Trevor’s identity as a mixed child also served him positively because of a broken system that his family was a victim of. Noah’s “grandmother treated [him] like [he] was white” and his “grandfather did too” (Noah 52). Noah was “given more lenient treatment than the black kids” (Noah 52). With this story, Noah emphasizes the innocence of a young child and how easily the system of apartheid could manipulate the naive, like him, to believe this system was benefetial and should not be defied, and his family, to believe that it should be followed because it is a norm to respect white people. Not only did Trevor face systematic struggles, but he also tackled with his identity on an emotional level as he figured out what exactly his identity meant to him. In both schools that he attended, Trevor struggled to fit in into any clique at school as they were all formed based on race. Trevor didn’t fit into any group because he for the colored kids he was “too black” (Noah 138) and he didn’t have any money” (Noah 138) to hang out with the white kids. Trevor ended up with the poor black kids but he was left out because they all “rode to school as friends and went home as friends” (Noah 139). At the end of the day, Trevor ended up alone without any friends because no one, not even himself could figure out where a poor mixed kid belonged. In a myriad of struggle, what persisted throughout the book was Noah’s relationship with his mother. Noah shared something his mother told him: “I chose to have you because I wanted something to love and something that would love me unconditionally in return” (Noah 64). Although they had to avoid being seen together, Noah’s mother “poured herself into [Trevor]” (Noah 71). She taught him that “the world was [his oyster], that [he] should speak up for [himself], that [his] ideas and thoughts and decisions mattered” (Noah 73). All of these life lessons were product of her tough love that ultimately shaped Trevor Noah into the human being he is now.
Trevor Noah’s life is simply a story that must be told. The experiences Noah has lived through and the people that impacted his life are goldmines for valuable life lessons and act as gateways to a more insightful view on life and society. As Noah reflects on his endurance of oppression, abuse, discrimination, and identity crisis both under and after South Africa’s use of the racist apartheid system and in context of the divisive societal ideologies, he makes it his mission to effectively give the readers access to the enlightened perspectives he has gained. As a “colored” kid in South Africa, Noah struggled with finding where to fit in. Under apartheid his existence went against the laws put in place to keep different races apart, making it hard to function normally in a society where both him and his parents were in a constant fear of being discovered and punished. This, along with the divisiveness that apartheid successfully encouraged throughout the South African communities, led Noah to social isolation. This carried over with the end of apartheid, leaving Noah with an absent sense of belonging. As a kid who didn’t naturally fit in anywhere, he found relief from his identity dilemma through language. By learning multiple languages, Noah was able to communicate with several of the different communities utilizing their native languages. He was able to build bridges across various communities and allow himself to comfortably build connections in a world where he felt he never belonged. Noah uses his struggle to emphasize the importance of connecting with others, even if that requires extra effort. Not only does Noah provide insight into his struggle with identity and our societal duties, but his life as a CD vendor and reseller allows him to speak on the economic struggles and injustices people face. Noah is able to highlight the perpetual cycle of poverty and crime that low-income communities suffer from. The assistance he receives from a classmate allows him to realize the importance of teaching and uplifting others. A small bit of useful information can go a long way, and if those in financially comfortable spots shared their knowledge with those who need assistance, people in need could be much better off. Noah portrays the harmful effect of neglecting those who you could help. Trevor Noah has lived a life in South Africa foriegn to many of us, and by telling his story, he has made readers aware of his struggles. In turn, we are given vital views on life and society that can help us better our lives and the lives of those around us.
24 comments:
Born a Crime
The writing style that the author Trevor Noah has used in the work is simple language that is autobiographical. He details his life experiences as a young man of mixed race. In the process, he presents a tone of humor even though the issues that he raises in the story are weighty. The overall presentation of the story aims as depicting the struggles that apartheid presented to the society and the people who lived in South Africa at that time. There was a difference in language, identity and culture and the architects of apartheid exploited that feature (Noah 3).
Source
Noah, Trevor. Born a crime: Stories from a South African childhood. Hachette UK, 2016.
Trevor Noah’s memoir, Born a Crime, is skillfully crafted through the use of analogies, conversational tone, and an intro before each chapter that contextualizes South Africa’s living situation. Most notable are the analogies Trevor uses to apply it to the constraints that South Africans are subjected to and amplify its meaning. For example, Noah connected fishing to under-resourced communities in South Africa. Noah begins by introducing an analogy: “Give a man a fish, and he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he’ll eat for a lifetime” (Noah 190, para. 2). He then points out the “part of the analogy that’s missing” which in this case is the man needing a “fishing rod” (Noah 190). After becoming an entrepreneur by selling pirated CDs, Noah reflects that it would not have been achievable had Daniel, “someone from the privileged world,” not given him a CD writer. The tone becomes very critical of South Africa’s oppressive system that has demoralized its inhabitants that there is no escaping their burdensome life–unless one gains connections with those from more advantaged homes. At the same time, there is an inspirational tone as Trevor learns that he could propel himself into a better living situation despite coming from an under-resourced background. He states that Daniel “showed [him] how important it is to empower the dispossessed and the disenfranchised in the wake of oppression” (Noah 190). Daniel became the catalyst for his success and ability to climb the economic ladder. Immediately, the audience is forced to reflect on the commodities that they have “taken for granted” as they likely did not have to rely on eating caterpillars for months like Noah did (Noah 190). This memoir quickly turns into a thank you card to those that have helped Trevor escape the monotony of his life.
Born a Crime
The author’s exigency for writing the book Born a Crime is to help present to the world the challenges that minority experience especially when the system of government is discriminatory. The focus of the book is centered during the apartheid period in South Africa when the people of color were marginalized and there was total separation by race. The blacks were not supposed to interact with the whites while the white people were supposed to occupy a higher racial pedestal. Thus, the emphasis of the book is to highlight how the author, lived in a black family but he felt that he was isolated because his skin color as a white did not allow him to freely mingle with the blacks.
In the course of the text he advances the logic that it is possible to live and survive in any environment regardless of the difficulties and struggles that people experience. Accordingly, it means that there is a form of reference to the fact that issues such racial segregation should be condemned because they leave a bad mark in the lives of people and their families. Hence, the motivation is to try to bridge the racial gap and inspire the people to understand that it is possible to live as one people regardless of their racial disparities.
As a reader, I have come to appreciate and understand that discrimination of whichever sort is wrong because it does not serve any good purpose. All people and the human race a s a whole should adopt a mechanism of respect, value and mutual understanding among one another. Issues of diversity such difference in the race of people should be celebrated rather be used as a dividing tool. As such, the focus of the material is that it seeks to inspire the human race to understand the goodness of embracing diversity.
Work Cited
Noah, Trevor. Born a crime: Stories from a South African childhood. Hachette UK, 2016.
Carlos Nunez
I believe that Trevor Noah's writing style was memories when he was younger and how it has to structure him as a person. I also think he's trying to bring the reader to a different world since almost most of his readers are from the united states. In his writing, you can describe his tone to be humorous, serious, and very thoughtful.
My favorite part of reading is when he starts to explain the different types of churches he goes with his mom. Then as he gets older, he gets confused and starts noticing that the black churches last longer than the white ones. On page 8, paragraph 1, he says, "Is it possible for time to actually stop? If so, why does it stop at the black church and not the white church? I eventually decided black people needed more time with Jesus because we suffered more." I liked how Trevor Noah thought this out because it shows how thoughtful he is in any situation. He talks about how, in South Africa, the race comes to a big part of society, and we can use this quote as in example because it just shows where he's from that segregation is a big thing where he's from by showing the different time length white and black people are at church for.
Alejandra Mendoza
Born A Crime, by Trevor Noah, is a compilation of his childhood stories in South Africa. Noah's writing style is very unique in that his is factual about political and demographical aspects of the South African societies and switches to giving the reader a more in depth experience into how that society affected his childhood as a mixed individual. Through his writing, Noah takes the reader on a journey that is humorous, compassionate, and often confusing for him. Innocence is a trait very commonly expressed by him as a child in the sense that he did not understand why he was always treated differently because of his color. Between the culture clashes and the lingering affects of apartheid, Noah gives the reader insight as to how he was forced to stay inside, to which he learned to entertain himself with books and prayer. Noah begins his stories with a vague yet intriguing sentence to give an idea as to what his story will be about. However, what makes his writing so compelling is that he is able to separate himself as an adult now and really dig back to his being as a child with nothing more than a mothers teachings and his own observations and interpretations of the world. Something to pinpoint is his love for his mother. Noah dedicated this book to his mother, Patricia Nombuyiselo Noah, whom he thanks for raising him to be the person he is today. As a child, Noah and his mother were inseparable, and he considers himself a "product of her search for belonging" and something she could finally call "her own" (Noah 63 p. 1). The way Patricia chose to raise Noah compared to the rest of society allowed him to expand his mind to endless horizons and gave him an identity of his own that did not set limitations. Her upbringing consisted of the "betrayals of her parents" and the struggle to make ends meet(Noah 66 p.3). However, her character is so profoundly faithful that she was unstoppable. Noah's mother prevailed through it all and never stopped giving back to the world because she did not allow it to alter who she knew she was. As a result of her childhood, "she was determined to not repeat it" with Noah, starting with his name(Noah 67 p.1). "Trevor" held no meaning in South Africa unlike her name which meant "She Who Gives Back" (Noah 67 p.2). This goes back to her desire for Noah to "be anyone." Teaching him many languages, talking to him like more than a child, and raising him with an enormous faith in God shaped him into a person that is able to look past an ignorant society. Although these stories are a part of reality, this memoir provokes escapism, much like the books Noah enjoyed reading as a child, to take the audience to a world uniquely experienced by himself. Everyone has a different story, but Trevor Noah's writing allows the reader to take a glimpse into what many people fail to imagine when thinking about life in South Africa.
Born A Crime by Trevor Noah is a memoir based on Trevor’s childhood in South Africa and life lessons that he has learned which have structured him into the person he is today. Noah’s writing style consist of racism,religion,and political challenges that he has faced throughout his life due to being a mixed raced individual.As the depth of the book progresses you can notice that Trevor uses humor,culture,and political injustice to help the reader become educated on the political challenges that were happening in South Africa at the time.In the beginning of the book, “I was born in South Africa during apartheid,a system of laws that made it illegal for people to mix in South Africa. And this was obviously awkward because I grew up in a mixed family. My mother’s a black woman, South African Xhosa woman ... and my father’s Swiss, from Switzerland”,shows Trevor using irony in a humorous way to show how right away the most forbidden rule was broken when it came to his existence.Mentioning the governments apartheid against interracial relationships/births creates the beginning stages of challenges he will face in the future,but enlightens us with the use of humor throughout the serious subject.
In Trevor Noah’s, Born a Crime, he depicts his experience during and after Apartheid through the use of anecdotes as he goes back and forth through his struggles of living as a colored and his mother’s impact on him and how he was able to become the man he is today. Trevor Noah lets the reader see his perspective through humor and in certain times having the reader feel sympathetic as Noah’s childhood was not always stable. Noah’s diction changes depending on the situation as he tries to blend in with those around him. When he visits Alexandria, a small town in Eastern Cape of South Africa, his tone is informal since Noah and his friends have a façade of being part of the hood. However, when Noah goes to jail, his tone shifts from optimistic to worried as he realizes that although his façade of a gangster made others fear him which he enjoyed, he became worried of the dangers he would face if he did end up in prison. Noah endeavors to fit in with others, yet he does not realize how it affects others views on him as he could make the situation worse for himself. Noah’s struggle as a colored child is shown when he goes to seventh grade where he must choose to either hangout with the black or white children. In this moment, Noah is taken by an Indian classmate who introduces him to the black kids by demonstrating them Noah’s “language thing” which was speaking various African languages which only “white people” had access to speaking “languages beneath them” (Noah 58 p.3). However, when Noah is asked about his talent, he replies, “Because I’m black” just “like you” (Noah 58 p.4). However, his friends do not see Noah as black because he is colored, but “speaking the same languages” as them made Noah seem that he “belonged to their tribe” (Noah 58 p.5). Noah believed that his advantage was the only way to get accepted by his black friends; consequently, Noah would be classified as black by others and not as colored. Noah demonstrates how it was not easy to be colored during Apartheid as he had to blend in so that he could have friends. His desire to fit in shape Noah as he grows up as he continues to want to be like blacks but has more advantages than his compatriots. Furthermore, Noah’s mother, Patricia Nombuyiselo Noah, also influenced him as she taught him the reality of being a minority during Apartheid. She took time in teaching him English and other languages so that he could have success in a time where most blacks were unemployed. Throughout his memoir, Noah depicts how his mother had impacted him and how her odd way disciplining him made him realize her sacrifice as a mother so that her children could have a better future. As Noah demonstrates the hardships of being a minority, he eventually writes a book to show others how Apartheid made South Africans live through poverty and injustice.
Work Cited
Noah, Trevor. Born a crime: Stories from a South African childhood. Hachette UK, 2016.
In Trevor Noah’s autobiography, Born a Crime, each chapter consists of stories about his life in South Africa. Noah uses humor throughout the book to keep his audience intrigued in stories of hardship and seriousness. Each chapter is also introduced with a preface to give his audience a clue of what that chapter will consist of. In the preface of chapter 4, Trevor writes, “Part of the effort to divide black people was to makes sure we were separated not just physically but by language as well...we’d fall into the trap of the government had set for us and fight among ourselves, believing we were different”(Noah 49 p.2). Noah believes that language carries ones cultural identity which made it easy for apartheid to have fooled his people into seeing one another as different not only because of the color of their skin but because of the language they spoke as well. However, Trevor believes you can outweigh racial differences by speaking the language of someone who looks different from you which causes their brain to “short-circuit” (Noah 50 p.3) since the “racism code” and “language code” (Noah 50 p.3) are clashing. When Trevor “accidentally perforated” (Noah 51 p.1) his cousins eardrum and unlike his cousins isn’t punished for it, is when he is first introduced to the white privilege he has due to his skin color. Noah not only received “special treatment” (Noah 53 p.1) from his family but he also received it from neighbors and strangers. The kids in his neighborhood would refer to him as “The white man!” (Noah 53 p.3) and when attending funerals he would receive the benefit of eating “indoors” (Noah 54 p.1) with the family instead of outdoors because he was “white”. Because Trevor is mixed, he is able to understand how it feels to be on both sides of his race. This feeling and understanding of being privileged and unprivileged pushes him to learn how to “bridge the race gap” (Noah 54 p.3) through the use of language. Trevor had “no option” (Noah 54 p.3) but to learn “several languages” (Noah 54 p.3)-English being the first-from his mother. Noah states that speaking English as a “black in South Africa” will give one a “leg up” (Noah 54 p.3) since it offers great benefits for your future. However, I believe that Noah being able to speak several languages is the most beneficial thing in his life because it allowed him to protect himself from the violence he could encountered with different groups such as the Zulu. Trevor writes “ My color didn’t change, but i could change your perception of my color” (Noah 56 p.3); because trevor has no significant ethnicity/race, it is easy for him to transform who he is to those he is speaking to similarly to a “chameleon” (Noah 56 p.3) changes it’s colors hence the title of this chapter being named Chameleon.
Born A Crime by Trevor Noah focuses on being descriptive towards his childhood by using different cultures and languages he used to get by in life as well as show his struggles. During Trevor’s younger years, the world he lived in was filled with racism towards his identity causing a conflict within himself. He could not find his true identity making him naive towards the different encounters of race. He was not able to fit in with any race causing Trevor to be naive. Not being able to associate himself with a race made him feel like he was “by himself in this no-man’s-land” (Noah 57). Trevor’s use of diction created a tone of solitude. Trevor’s use of diction also shows the harsh reality of the world coming down on race. For example, “I’d never been more scared in my life. But I still had to pick. Because racism exist, and you have to pick a side.” (Noah 240). Trevor shows the reality of life forcing its self to pick a side even if you claim "you don’t pick a side". This overwhelmed Trevor making him chose a race he did not identify himself as. Overall, Noah uses strong formal diction to show the audience the consequences of apartheid and how he was affected.
In the book Born A Crime, author Trevor Noah has a very reflective authors style as he narrates his past life. The author’s diction is very reflective of his culture as he includes phrases which are in a language native to Africa. Language was an important aspect to Noah as it was a way to “bridge the race gap” and helped changed peoples perspective of him (54).Noah uses the political aspect of South Africa to help the reader understand apartheid affects his development. Also, Noah includes lines which are italicizes being a trend of Noah talking to his conscious. The lines tend to be comments or questions he thinks about during different situations. The author created a personal tone as the reader is able to connect to the author making the narrative somewhat interactive.(Last two paragraphs) “My mother never sat me down… a place of self-pity” (66,Noah) The author here is talking about how his mother always gave him stories about the terrible reality she had faced as women as she was exposed to rape. Noah wondered why his mother was telling him vivid and emotive stories when he was a child. The author includes his thinking in italicize criticizing his mothers judgment of the stories she was sharing with his 10 year old self. Noah learned It was his mothers way to open his mind so he can understand mature situations and be grateful for what he has and not a way to express unhappiness. The author builds a theme of his innocence dissolving quickly due to being exposed to mature topics revealing the disconnection of age related to maturity. Maturity can be built through what ones situations and challenges rather than over turning a year older on your birthday. Noah’s experiences and past life ultimately help build his personality.
In the book Born A Crime, author Trevor Noah has a very reflective authors style as he narrates his past life. The author’s diction is very reflective of his culture as he includes phrases which are in a language native to Africa. Language was an important aspect to Noah as it was a way to “bridge the race gap” and helped changed peoples perspective of him (54).Noah uses the political aspect of South Africa to help the reader understand apartheid affects his development. Also, Noah includes lines which are italicizes being a trend of Noah talking to his conscious. The lines tend to be comments or questions he thinks about during different situations. The author created a personal tone as the reader is able to connect to the author making the narrative somewhat interactive.(Last two paragraphs) “My mother never sat me down… a place of self-pity” (66,Noah) The author here is talking about how his mother always gave him stories about the terrible reality she had faced as women as she was exposed to rape. Noah wondered why his mother was telling him vivid and emotive stories when he was a child. The author includes his thinking in italicize criticizing his mothers judgment of the stories she was sharing with his 10 year old self. Noah learned It was his mothers way to open his mind so he can understand mature situations and be grateful for what he has and not a way to express unhappiness. The author builds a theme of his innocence dissolving quickly due to being exposed to mature topics revealing the disconnection of age related to maturity. Maturity can be built through what ones situations and challenges rather than over turning a year older on your birthday. Noah’s experiences and past life ultimately help build his personality.
Trevor Noah’s “Born a Crime” is an exceptionally written memoir that retells the story of the now successful comedian as he navigated through the prejudices and obstacles that dictated and affected his life in the past as a youth of mixed race living in South Africa. Trevor Noah’s charisma shines through his writing due to his use of profane language and simplistic diction that both effectively and bluntly reveals Noah’s emotions and opinions about the parts of his life he’s discussing. This causes the descriptions of all types of experiences, ranging from wholesome to hilarious to traumatic, to come across as more casual between Noah and the reader. Noah doesn’t allow himself to shy away from his comedic roots, and at times the memoir can feel like one long, captivating stand up comedy special. Ultimately, Noah’s writing style allows for a much more natural and entertaining conveyance of ideas that doesn’t take away from the more grave topics Noah discusses, such as life under the oppressive system of apartheid and domestic violence. An experience that Trevor Noah retells as having a significant impact on his life and allowing him to gain a new perspective is the domestic abuse his family endured from his stepfather Abel. Noah describes Abel as “charming and hilarious” (Noah 248 par. 4) and highlights his humanitarian qualities by providing circumstances in which you would find Abel assisting others such as a car breaking down on the highway or an old lady needing help with moving boxes (Noah 248-249). By providing examples of Abel’s selflessness, the reader is able to more easily comprehend the type of person he is, or at least the type of person he seems to be. Essentially, Noah is setting up a contrast between the public’s perception of Abel and who he truly is, which Noah explains “made the abuse harder to deal with” (Noah 249). Noah exposes the line of thinking he, and others who may be in the same situation, are faced with when he states, “If you think someone is a monster and the whole world says he's a saint, you begin to think that you’re the bad person” (Noah 249). This societal pressure surrounding Noah and his family, forcing them to see Abel as a good person when they were the only ones receiving his “wrath” (Noah 249), confused them and caused them to question and blame themselves when the problem clearly lies within the abuser. Although this is the logical conclusion an outsider of these situations can draw, Noah’s detailed, while at the same time simplistic, explanation allows readers to comprehend how someone who finds themselves in that type of situation may find even the most illogical conclusions logical. This proper conveyance of ideas is not only seen in this section, but throughout the book as Trevor Noah is able to continuously guide the readers to reflect on his past along with him and gain insight on topics that his experiences have given him insight upon.
In Trevor Noah’s autobiography “Born A Crime”, he utilizes a descriptive depiction of the im secondhand car’s impact in his infancy. At first, the reader might not think much of a secondhand car, but to Noah, it led to various traumatic events. Due to this car, Noah got “detention for being late to school” (Noah 9) everytime the car would breakdown; additionally, the “car left [them] hitchhiking on the side of the freeway” (Noah 9). The seriousness of these two situations can be seen by Noah’s easygoing diction. He is sharing these details with ease because although they might have been uncomfortable moments, they were fleeting moments that he was able to overcome. Noah then shifts to a more grave consequence of the secondhand car by intensifying his diction. It might seem like a reach for Noah to blame the car to be “the reason [his] mom got married” (Noah 9). However, he goes on to explain that due to the work that the car required, they had to look for a “mechanic who became the husband...and put a bullet in the back of my mother’s head” (Noah 9). The repetition of the verb “became” helps Noah flow through the story of how he ended with such a damaging stepfather. Additionally, the words “tortured” and “bullet” demonstrate the trauma and harm the stepfather caused to Noah and his family. Noah no longer takes the car’s consequences with ease as it technically did contribute to a tragic downfall in his household; with his graphic diction, Noah conveys a resentful tone towards the car and his stepfather.
Carlos Nunez
Trevor Noah's writing style is in the mix of time throughout his childhood. What I mean in that way is that his story is not really in chronological order because the way he wants the story to keep on going on about specific issues like racism, language, segregation, and problems he had in his childhood. I also like how his writing is humorous, serious, sad, and will keep you on the edge of the seat.
I believe Trevor's motivation in writing this book was to give the American audience another point of view on racism, politics, religion, and many other things in a place like South Africa. On the other part, to talk about his life, and what he went through being born a crime, and the obstacles he had to face. Overall, you can see how Trevor talks about racism and language, and I think it's crucial because he believes these topics are "dumb." Because he wants the reader to realize if we talk the same language, live in the same part, then why we should be treating each other differently? Trevor talks about how Japanese and Chinese were treated differently in South Africa in a humorous way by saying how Japanese were treated like whites, and Chinese were treated as a black person would be treated even if these two races were very similar and looked alike.
In the end, I believe that Trevor wanted to take many things from his book is that racism is unnecessary, and how we shouldn't treat others different because of race. I also believe that he wants to see our problem in America into a new world in South Africa to show how racism and these things were viewed by someone much younger which was Trevor Noah as a kid. This was to show how a young kid undermined racism, and how these problems occurring everywhere is literally for no reason. What I got from this book was that everyone was born in different parts in the world, taken looking different, born learning a different language, but that shouldn't change the way that we treat each other because at the end we are all human beings with only one life.
Alejandra Mendoza
Because Trevor was literally "born a crime", his life was drastically different from those around him. Nevertheless, he shows his audience that pain, love, and the desire to belong to something beyond yourself are universal. He took it upon himself with the help of his loving mother to create his own path in life, to love and keep an open mind. His motivation for writing this memoir began with the desire to compile his comedic, traumatic, and life changing stories and share them with the world. As Trevor writes, he never fails to appreciate everything that life offered him, and he hopes that others are inspired to take advantage of even the smallest opportunities. It can be concluded that he hopes to inspire his widely ranged audience to stop, acknowledge their values and principals, and become a person that is cognizant and mindful. Trevor understands that a person's morals can be altered and evolved to fit into the rest of society, just as the people around him were fixed/born into ideologies that promoted the division of people. All in all, he is motivated by his desire to help others understand that perception is everything, but learning to take in all perceptions is an amazing gift to have. He gives the audience a glimpse into them all.
Trevor Noah's main argument throughout the novel is that his mother is everything to him. Her love for him was so beyond what I, as the reader, could describe, and she patiently crafted him to become the man he is today. Having faith in God and in each other created a bond that no one could come in between, and his stories argue that the love from his mother and God pushed him to live up to his potential. Trevor points out that his mother taught him beyond what school taught, that people should learn to not be confined to one specific idea. Overall, he argues that a person is capable to go beyond their own limits and see past ignorance.
I had many takeaways from this memoir. The first one is that America should begin to steer away from the misconception that to have a better life one should leave the ghetto. Taking the time to put into the community in an effort to better it takes patience, but in the long run it is all worth it. Another takeaway i had is to always tell my mother how much she means to me. I am so glued to my mom, and even though we do not always agree, she is my everything, and we thrive off of each other. Lastly, another takeaway I would like to highlight is to always be open minded, true to myself, and to not allow the countless setbacks that we as humans face to undermine who I know I can be. This memoir is truly(and literally) a one of a kind story that has impacted numerous lives in ways that Trevor Noah would have never imagined, and when I am older, I, too, will be able to look back at my upbringing and share some witty stories with the people I love.
Trevor Noah’s motivation for writing Born a Crime is to provide context to his American audience of the multifaceted oppression that South Africans had undergone during and post-apartheid. Having now known, South Africa’s system of rule was defined by a concoction of racially oppressing systems borrowed from around the world—a tactic that kept the diverse tribes distracted from creating political upheaval. The development of linguistic diversity was a key component in preventing tribes from forming a coalition that would in turn lead to the overthrow of Afrikaners; as desired by those in rule, it ensued resentment and prejudice against each other. Trevor describes the government as “architects of apartheid” (49) who ingrained racism in a language by conditioning tribes to feel different, and thus fight against one another. Trevor, however, actually had the privilege of speaking multiple languages which allowed him to “change the perception of [his] color” (56). Although diversity is largely celebrated as an asset within someone’s identity, Trevor actually struggled with an identity crisis; his internal struggle became very clear at the segregated playground where kids separated themselves into friend groups by color. It goes to show the ramifications of racist, political systems that are designed to create division: children being psychologically manipulated to think that friendships are constructed within the parameters of race. Even as an adult, specifically the time he was in jail, he succumbed to these unspoken rules of generalizing one’s self to a racial group. In order to preserve his safety, Trevor molded himself into the stereotype of a “colored gangster” (233). South Africa’s prison system seems to disproportionately impact those with a complexion of mixed race due to “notorious colored gangs” (234). As a result, Trevor fell victim to racial profiling simply because he fit the image of a “colored” person and the negative stigmas attached to them. A parallel can be drawn between America and South Africa’s prison system as they both target people with diverse backgrounds, presenting the issue of inertia in which institutions continue to profit off mass incarceration and are selective towards race. Trevor Noah brings into perspective the systemic racism entrenched in American institutions that not only highlights the slow evolution of America, but criticizes the country for following its racist legacy.
In addition, Trevor delves into the complexities of dispossessed people with language barriers. While in jail, Trevor discovers that the seemingly daunting guy was not at all who he appeared to be. After helping “the Hulk” translate Tsonga into Zulu, all preconceived assumptions were eradicated. “The world has been taught to be scared of him, but the reality is that he is scared of the world because he has none of the tools necessary to cope with it” (237). As Trevor puts it, biases have led to false interpretations of people, specifically those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Consequently, the school-to-prison pipeline becomes persistent not only In South Africa, but in America as well. Since children are being deprived of “education” (237) and proper disciplinary action, it upholds systems of racial inequity. Again, the author puts an emphasis on the root cause of many of these issues being tied to race. It is apparent that there is an underlying tone for a need of social justice in Trevor Noah’s book. And as a person of color with first-hand experience in these issues, Trevor uses his platform to bring awareness of these issues that repeat in history.
Overall, the reader gains an understanding of why he uses dark humor, a creative outlet, to balance the discussion of issues that are not easy to talk about: it is his way of healing. Although it comes at the expense of being largely criticized in the media, family, specifically the mom, keeps him grounded as well as his position as a comedian that helps him build close relationships with his audiences.
Trevor Noah’s exigency for writing this memoir was to open up his intense life experiences to the world. I believe that Noah wanted to teach people that no matter what you look like or where you come from, you can make it in life. He opened up about his hardships with being “born a crime”, abusive stepfather Abel, and his strong loving relationship with his mother.
Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime is full of many themes such as racism, religion, identity, and coming of age. Trevor struggled to find his place in society due to growing up in a divided environment. As many individuals wanted to stay among people of their color, Noah became conflicted with having to choose what groups to join due to looking different from many of his peers. However, Noah himself didn’t exclude anyone from his life based on how they looked; he was open to everyone and everything. As Noah became older his relationship with God and his mother became stronger; these two relationships helped him to find his way through a tough life growing up in South Africa.
Noah’s use of humor all through the book helps the reader to enjoy the book more and get a sense of who he is not only through his story but also through the humor. We get to learn more about his personality through his use of the humor. Noah uses humor to help him overcome the pain he is feeling at the time of hardship and it allows him to keep a better future in view for himself. Noah shares this sense of humor mainly with his mother while he was growing up. Humor helped them turn a bad situation into a funny moment. Their resilience encourages his audience to find a way to cope when they are facing their own obstacles.
A takeaway from Trevor’s memoir is that I shouldn’t be afraid to be myself around anyone. I should be confident in myself about who I am and what I like. I shouldn’t feel ashamed of who I am no matter how different someone makes me feel. Other takeaway for the memoir is to always appreciate those who are always by my side through the hardships I face and continue to stay. I hardly tell anyone in my life that I appreciate them and that is something that I need to start doing because I never know when I am going to lose them. This is a book that I am not going to ever forget because it has taught me many things about life. I can easily say this it is one of my new favorite books.
Noah’s exigency in writing Born a Crime was in order to demonstrate his struggle growing up during apartheid and how it impacted who he is now. Throughout his memoir, Noah depicts how he had to chose sides by either being black or be white; consequently, Noah had a façade in order to fit in with his black friends so that he was not considered white. Noah also demonstrates how his mother would make him the man he is today by describing in the novel who she was before having Noah and how her way of parenting made him be more successful during apartheid. Noah’s mother knew the struggle of having a secure and stable job so she would have Noah learn different languages and be exposed to different environments so that he could fit in and be able to have a better future. However, Noah would in certain situations act against his mother’s wishes until he came to the realization that the world is cruel and that one should be aware of it. Noah’s mother was another of his motivations of writing Born a Crime since she always supported him and made him grow past being a minority. Speaking different languages opened Noah the door to opportunities by making connections when most of South African blacks spoke different languages and were not able to understand each other. Noah’s main argument in his memoir was that one should always stick to those who shaped them. Noah would talk about his family being surrounded by women such as his mother and grandmother who made him see the hardships of being black. Noah’s grandmother’s house demonstrated how poor blacks were since they had one room to fit almost every essential in a home and a driveway that in a way is useless since it was a commodity that they could not afford. Furthermore, with his mother, there was times Noah would be eating bones in order to survive while other times he could afford cheese which was an expensive food others could not afford. As a result, Noah strived to have a successful future by buying people lunch in middle school, selling pirated discs in high school, and becoming a comedian in the future. Overall, Noah demonstrated that he was able to be successful in difficult times. A takeaway from Born a Crime was that there is more to a person than what they show. Noah demonstrated how he never gave up in what he believed in and always tried to be a better self although others saw him as a crime for being colored. Noah’s perseverance is outstanding as he was able to surpass negative events in his childhood and be positive with what is around him. Born a Crime demonstrates how growing up can be both difficult and rewarding as ones experiences can influence who you become.
In the book Born A Crime, author Trevor Noah writes to the reader to reveal his life growing up and coming of age in Africa during apartheid . Noah is able to expose the influence apartheid has on him growing up; such as, his identity being discriminated in society. Noah grew up being a mixed child having a white father and black mother which was prohibited in society. It pushed Noah to be isolated as he was unable to play outside with kids or call his father “Dad” in public growing up. Noah grew up being unwanted as his existence was against the law and was actually born a crime. Noah was even pushed away by his parents to prevent them from getting in trouble by the corrupt government. Noah highlights his philosophy behind crime as it became the way of life to help economically like when he began to sell pirate CDs. Noah helps educate many people who didn’t face the oppression of the apartheid by giving more awareness to the mixed people over the black africans. Noah wrote his book in a way the reader was able to connect by telling his childhood stories chapter by chapter in a way that is compelling. The author talks to the audience through italics lines which reveal a side of his conscious as his tone stayed humorous. The author’s main argument is behind is based on identity which he struggled throughout his childhood. From not being able to play outside in his neighborhood to being self conscious throughout high school. Also, facing the effect of apartheid which added to his struggle on identity. Noah compares himself to a “chameleon” to the cultures around him. Knowing many languages and being able to flow between different cliques in high school making him the chameleon. He did not fit into society ,so his only option was to make himself blend in. My takeaways from this book is seeing the difference in society compared to American society. By reading this book it helped realized the privilege it is to be living in America. In the book Noah describes how America was a dream to many and things such a McDonald’s was exciting to the people in Africa. I saw the effects of education through Noah’s story about his friend Hitler being uneducated about the history behind Hitler. To them Hitler was not as important since it was not the worst thing they could have experience. They would have rather get rid of the apartheid they faced.
Trevor Noah’s exigency to write “Born a Crime” stems from the complexity of his racial identity and the different environments he grew up in. Noah wanted to share his story about his upbringing to shine light on the effects that apartheid had on his family and himself; however, Noah’s storytelling is unique as it is a balance of suffering and moments of success. With love and determination, Noah and his family were able to defy a system created to ensure their failure. Not only was Trevor born during apartheid, but he was born as a symbol of defiance; he was born to a black mother and a white father and “during apartheid, one of the worst crimes you could commit was having sexual relations with a person of another race” (Noah 21). Therefore, Trevor Noah “was born a crime” (Noah 26). Noah’s mother was fearless and willing to contribute to the fight against apartheid. Noah decides to share the story of how was born to help portray the foundation of the struggles that he faced later on in life. One of the first problems Noah and his mother faced were having to avoid being seen by the public, especially the police because “it was illegal to be mixed” (Noah 28). To be able to spend time together, Noah’s mom would invite a colored woman that lived near them to “act like she was [his] mother” (Noah 28). Unlike any other mother, Noah’s mother had to sacrifice a close relationship with her young child to ensure that her and Noah would not be separated by the police. However, Trevor’s identity as a mixed child also served him positively because of a broken system that his family was a victim of. Noah’s “grandmother treated [him] like [he] was white” and his “grandfather did too” (Noah 52). Noah was “given more lenient treatment than the black kids” (Noah 52). With this story, Noah emphasizes the innocence of a young child and how easily the system of apartheid could manipulate the naive, like him, to believe this system was benefetial and should not be defied, and his family, to believe that it should be followed because it is a norm to respect white people. Not only did Trevor face systematic struggles, but he also tackled with his identity on an emotional level as he figured out what exactly his identity meant to him. In both schools that he attended, Trevor struggled to fit in into any clique at school as they were all formed based on race. Trevor didn’t fit into any group because he for the colored kids he was “too black” (Noah 138) and he didn’t have any money” (Noah 138) to hang out with the white kids. Trevor ended up with the poor black kids but he was left out because they all “rode to school as friends and went home as friends” (Noah 139). At the end of the day, Trevor ended up alone without any friends because no one, not even himself could figure out where a poor mixed kid belonged. In a myriad of struggle, what persisted throughout the book was Noah’s relationship with his mother. Noah shared something his mother told him: “I chose to have you because I wanted something to love and something that would love me unconditionally in return” (Noah 64). Although they had to avoid being seen together, Noah’s mother “poured herself into [Trevor]” (Noah 71). She taught him that “the world was [his oyster], that [he] should speak up for [himself], that [his] ideas and thoughts and decisions mattered” (Noah 73). All of these life lessons were product of her tough love that ultimately shaped Trevor Noah into the human being he is now.
Trevor Noah’s life is simply a story that must be told. The experiences Noah has lived through and the people that impacted his life are goldmines for valuable life lessons and act as gateways to a more insightful view on life and society. As Noah reflects on his endurance of oppression, abuse, discrimination, and identity crisis both under and after South Africa’s use of the racist apartheid system and in context of the divisive societal ideologies, he makes it his mission to effectively give the readers access to the enlightened perspectives he has gained. As a “colored” kid in South Africa, Noah struggled with finding where to fit in. Under apartheid his existence went against the laws put in place to keep different races apart, making it hard to function normally in a society where both him and his parents were in a constant fear of being discovered and punished. This, along with the divisiveness that apartheid successfully encouraged throughout the South African communities, led Noah to social isolation. This carried over with the end of apartheid, leaving Noah with an absent sense of belonging. As a kid who didn’t naturally fit in anywhere, he found relief from his identity dilemma through language. By learning multiple languages, Noah was able to communicate with several of the different communities utilizing their native languages. He was able to build bridges across various communities and allow himself to comfortably build connections in a world where he felt he never belonged. Noah uses his struggle to emphasize the importance of connecting with others, even if that requires extra effort. Not only does Noah provide insight into his struggle with identity and our societal duties, but his life as a CD vendor and reseller allows him to speak on the economic struggles and injustices people face. Noah is able to highlight the perpetual cycle of poverty and crime that low-income communities suffer from. The assistance he receives from a classmate allows him to realize the importance of teaching and uplifting others. A small bit of useful information can go a long way, and if those in financially comfortable spots shared their knowledge with those who need assistance, people in need could be much better off. Noah portrays the harmful effect of neglecting those who you could help. Trevor Noah has lived a life in South Africa foriegn to many of us, and by telling his story, he has made readers aware of his struggles. In turn, we are given vital views on life and society that can help us better our lives and the lives of those around us.
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