Introduction
Born a Crime, a memoir by Trevor Noah, is a moving account of how South Africans were oppressed and racially segregated during the apartheid period. His life demonstrated the difficulties he had as a biracial kid, such as prejudice and brutality, as well as the manner in which he endured his mother’s “thrilling love,” to which she wanted Noah to bow, among other things. Noah, on the other hand, would not submit to her overprotective attitude since he was much too naughty. Noah was raised mostly by his mother in a unique and challenging context about his identity and place in society. Because he was classified as a person of color and had to contend with the isolation that came with his situation, Noah often felt like an outsider. When Noah was growing up, he was immersed in an atmosphere that tested his sense of self-worth and place in the community (Noah,2016). The horrors of post-apartheid South Africa are nothing new to Trevor, but he has grown used to them as if they were everyday occurrences. To sympathize with a child who has to live with the weighty awareness that the world is unjust and full of awful happenings would be to sympathize with them.
Summary of The Memoir
In a perilous period in a broken world, a little boy tries to navigate a difficult environment with just his sense of humor and his mother’s love. This collection of dramatic, humorous, and profoundly emotional tales is the product of the author’s years of study and writing. It’s amazing how quickly an unruly child develops into a restless young man trying to find his place in the world. “Born A Crime” tells the tale. This book furthermore tells the story of the young man’s mother, a lady who was desperate to preserve her son from the cycle of poverty, violence, and abuse that threatened to take her own life. his teammate, a mother desperate to rescue her kid from the poverty, violence, and abuse that threatened to take her own life.
As illustrated from the viewpoint of the main character, who begins the story as a vibrant young child and grows into a nervous gentleman while struggling to find his place in a world that was not meant for him, the story follows him as he fights to find his identity in an environment where he was not meant to be. Also depicted in the narrative is Noah’s mother, who is a strong, tenacious, and spiritual person. The tale reveals information about the connection between Noah and his mother. The mother was determined to shield her child from poverty, injustice, and cruelty, all of which she feared would eventually endanger her own life if she didn’t do anything about it. While the novel focuses on Noah’s childhood and adolescence, all of Noah’s recollections are a result of the repressive dictatorship that he grew up under.
According to Noah, government-enforced prejudice and discrimination were part of a purposeful endeavor to transform South Africa into a white country via white supremacy. In part because the system was so deeply ingrained in the lives of South Africans, its ramifications persisted long after the rule was brought to an end. It was not until the middle of Noah’s youth that the dictatorship came to an end, and this meant that he could finally attend school with people of all races and ethnicities. The groups at each school, on the other hand, remained isolated. Because of his skin tone, he found it difficult to blend in with any group. When compared to the first half of the novel, which is centered on Noah’s childhood and connection with his mother, the second half of the story is centered on Noah’s quest for self-discovery via his friends, relationships, and business efforts. All of these persons and their involvements are somehow connected to a certain location, which reveals even more about the repercussions of the dictatorship.
For example, Noah’s mother’s family has been compelled to reside in Soweto, a ghetto established by the government specifically for black people. In fact, when he visits his mother’s relatives, he finds himself to be the only “colored” person in an otherwise all-black neighborhood. However, when he travels to his father’s home, he finds himself in a mostly white neighborhood. Following high school graduation, Noah moved to Alexandra, a poor, all-black area that is rife with criminal activity.
Noah spent a significant amount of time in Alexandra. However, although Noah’s mother disobeyed government-imposed racial restrictions by residing wherever she pleased, Noah has always been the only “colored” person in any of the places where they have resided. No matter how many times he moves to a “colored” neighborhood, Noah still feels out of place among his friends, who see him as either being too white or too black, depending on the situation. Observations like these illustrate why Noah always feels as if he doesn’t belong anywhere, and it is this search for identity that ultimately inspires each and every tale in the book.
Trevor Noah’s story from a sociological perspective
It all started with an unlawful action: Trevor Noah’s delivery, which began his extraordinary trip from apartheid South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show. The year 1984 saw the birth of his father, who was Swiss German, and mother, who was black, in the South African city of Johannesburg. When he was born, marriage between whites and blacks was illegal, and anybody caught in the act was sentenced to five years in jail. Because the relationship between Africans and Europeans was considered illegal, Trevor was required to remain inside at all times in order to protect him from the authorities, who might detain him at any time if they discovered him. It was determined that his father’s name would not be mentioned on his birth certificate since doing so would place them and his mother in danger.
When South Africa was eventually emancipated from the tyranny of white dominance, Trevor and his mother were finally allowed to live honestly and generously, and they were finally able to take advantage of the possibilities made available by the centuries-long battle for freedom and equality. Noah was raised by his mother on her own, in a religious environment, from the age of three. The severe code of behavior he was brought up with was enforced by his mother, who physically chastised him when he disobeyed. They would attend prayer sessions, which were regularly held at his grandparents’ house, and they would visit church on weeknights and many times on Sundays, as well as other activities (Coleman, 2018).
Trevor addresses the ramifications of dictatorship and opportunity. He acknowledges that society had created boundaries, but he asserts that he was at a disadvantage versus black people since he did not fit in, whether it was being noticed at school or finding the suitable group to join. The fact that he was colored also provided him with several chances. For example, he speaks about his childhood at his grandmother’s house in Soweto, where he was not subjected to any type of discipline despite the fact that he was the most infamous member of the community. This implied that a white youngster was not meant to be physically disciplined since the color of their skin would change or they would most likely die as a result of the punishment.
Because of this privilege, he was able to see why it was so difficult for white people to call for an end to the repressive government, as it was for most black people, given the system’s ability to provide them with so much comfort and freedom. One particularly memorable figure, “Hitler,” makes fun of the colonial educational system, which did little, if anything, to develop critical thinking skills. In 1939, Hitler grabbed Poland; in 1941, he overthrew the Soviet Union; and in 1943, he did something else. Remember that these are only facts, and that you should write them down on your test paper and then ignore them.” Noah (Noah, p.95) explains that. Every character in the novel exemplifies a subject from among the following: race, gender, family, relationships, perseverance, liberty, and religious conviction, all of which are stressed in different portions of the book.
Trevor’s mother, on the other hand, is a figure who takes center stage in the plot. She is characterized as an immensely spiritual, emancipated, and resilient lady who lives a free and independent life. For a long period, however, she has been subjected to domestic abuse, and Noah explains the irony that courageous females kept communities functioning despite the difficulties of apartheid. They were, however, obligated to “surrender to and revere” males in addition to this (Reivant, 2018). As he grows older, he finds himself more pulled between the realms of the black, the white, and the “hued,” as he ages. Noah’s narrative is an example of a young man who did not belong to any one ethnic group. On occasion, he tells how circumstances pushed him to make an educated choice regarding his identity: “at some time you ought to decide, black or hite.” You may make an effort to get away from it.
While you may claim that you do not take sides, life will eventually compel you to choose a decision.” His description of being presented with circumstances that compelled him to make an educated choice regarding his identification is included in the account. “At some time, you need to decide, black or hite,” he says. Perhaps you will make an attempt to escape away from the situation. You may say that you do not support a political party, but ultimately, life will force you to make a choice.” To him, teaching someone to fish is a waste of time, therefore he prefers teaching them how to go fishing and providing them with a fishing line. He goes on to explain, “If you spend too much time thinking about the problems your mother put you through or the challenges you have faced in life, you will cease exceeding the boundaries and breaching the norms.”
Born a Crime has the potential to be adapted into a graphic novel. It does, on the other hand, communicate to the reader the stories of poverty and racial injustice that have taken place in the past. Growing up in a mixed-race household, Trevor Noah describes how it was tough for him to fit in with any group, whether black or white, throughout his childhood. In the end, the novel instills a positive attitude on life that does not lay too much importance on the previous. No matter what kind of reader you are, Born a Crime is an engaging story that will leave you feeling happy, sad, and able to explore some of life’s most essential questions.
References
Coleman, B. Micro review: ‘Born a Crime’ touches upon several subjects with much sensitivity. E-Times, 2018.
Ninsiima, E. Book Review – Born a Crime by Trevor Noah. All Africa, 2017.
Noah, T. Born a crime: stories from a South African childhood. New York: Spiegel & Grau, 2016
Reivant Olausson, T. (2018). Satire in Service of Postcolonialism: An Analysis of Hanif Kureishi’s The Buddha of Suburbia and Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime: Stories of a South African Childhood.
write