Analysis of Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Born
a crime is an intriguing memoir by Trevor Noah that brings
to the fore his childhood memories at the time of apartheid in South Africa.
The title of the book is derived from the circumstances of his birth as Noah was
a product of, Patricia, a black mother and Robert, a white father. In South
Africa at that particular time, it was a crime for the natives to have sex with
whites and the offense was punishable by a five-year jail term. Noah writes an
immaculate piece about his childhood, but centers upon his reverence for his
mother whom he says was rebellious and willing to succeed no matter the
circumstances. Th essay will analyze the character of Noah's mother and her
tribe's cultural practices and values, through three themes namely; racial
inequality, religion and parental responsibility.
Born
a crime is a poignant and humorous book about a mischievous
boy who struggles to find his identity in a world where he is regarded as a
crime. It is a story about his relationship with his fearless, independent and
religious mother who struggled to keep him from violence, poverty, and abuse.
It is a story about a man who is determined to exist in a stereotyped world
where whites are hailed, and blacks are humiliated.
RACIAL INEQUALITY
Noah writes the tales with such simplicity
that one is forced to either laugh or pity him. However, when he describes
apartheid and racial inequality, he sparks emotions of anger and disgust at the
political system and the founders of racial segregation. He talks about how the
law enforced and forbade interracial relationships. The government had
snitches, people who were paid to give information about blacks. He states that
it was difficult to tell who could be a snitch and says that his mother often
kept him locked in the house for fear that he will be taken away.
On employment, the writer states that
white colored jobs were often allocated to the whites,while blacks worked as
laborers. He gives credit to government reforms that allowed his mother to get
a white-collar job as a typist. He says that a curfew was imposed on blacks
meaning that they were prohibited from being out of their homes at certain
times and those who were caught were often jailed which was different for
whites. He also talks about segregation in places of residence stating that
blacks were allowed to live in homelands. However, if they were laborers for
the whites in the township, they had to live in squatters and walk around with
work permits. It is also ironical that the government that was against blacks
staying in townships allowed prostitutes to roam in the town.It brought to the
fore how blacks were lowly treated. Prostitution is a job entails stripping the
dignity of a woman for financial favors and sexual satisfaction to the man. It
is ironical that the system that was against blacks and whites intermingling
and allowed it if it brought satisfaction to the white males. The writer also
talks about the absurdity of the situation between his mother and father. He
says that he was only allowed to see his father indoors as an open
socialization would lead to him being shipped away either to prison or
children’s home for mixed races. He states that when they went out, his father
walked on the other street. “If we left the
house, he’d have to walk across the street from us."[1].
The situation highlights how weird it
was to be with his father near yet far as he could not walk with him or be seen
talking with him. The situation was also the same as he could not be seen with
his mother in public as she was black. In analyzing the situation with his
mother, Noah states at how his mother cleverly came up with the idea to use
Queen a woman of color to accompany him to the park and his mother would follow
behind as if she was the maid. The writer explains that this arrangement allowed
them to go out and on instances when Queen could not do it, her mother carried
him or held his hand. However, if police showed up she was forced to act, “if
the police showed up she would have to drop me and pretend I wasn’t hers, like
I was a bag of weed.”[2]
It shows how absurd it was for a mother to disown her child to avoid
persecution for associating with a person from a different race.
RELIGION
Noah’s mother was a pious woman who
instilled in him the virtues of praying and attending church. “We never missed church. My mother was—and still is—
a deeply religious woman.”[3]Noah
explains how strong her belief in religion was, and how it was important to go
to church on Sunday. Noah further explains that on Sundays, his mother
ensured that they went to three churches. During the week they went to a prayer
meeting, bible study and youth church. When she was shot by her ex-husband in
the head, she survived it miraculously owing this to her religious faith.
Despite her firm religious belief, one would be tempted to criticize her for
giving her son a name that was not religious or tied to her roots. However,
Noah gives a reason as to why he was not named according to Xhosa customs that
allocated for children's names to have a meaning.
“It’s just a name. My mother wanted her child beholden to no fate. She wanted
me to be free to go anywhere, do anything, be anyone.”[4]
It shows his mother’s love for him in not tying his future to just South
Africa, being free to do what he desires shows her independent spirit.
PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
Noah's mother took the role of both the
mother and father in his life choosing to teach him life's lessons. She is the
pillar upon which Noah's character is based on as she instilled in him the
value of hard work, discipline, and obedience. She lived her life fearless of
the law, the government and her parents as she moved back home after getting
Noah, stating that it was only right if he got to meet her relatives. She taught
him how to navigate life and face each
situation as it arose. One incident that brings out the author’s resilience and
parental protection is the incident when she had to throw Noah out of a moving
car. One would think that she was sacrificing herself as she had a small child
in her arms, but she went ahead and jumped out of the car too which goes to
show how her quick thinking saved their lives. When the author began to argue
with her on the reason they were running, he let him ramble on and on about
God's will; and finally broke into a laugh. “We
stood there, this little boy and his mom, our arms and legs covered in blood
and dirt, laughing together through the pain…”[5]Amid
the pain and anguish of a harrowing experience, she managed to make him laugh.
A mother knows how to neutralize a terrible situation with her caring ways, and
for Patricia, it was laughter, warm words, a hug and an encouraging word.
Noah offers a harrowing look into his
family life and describes in detail of how it was living as a mixed race
child."Where most children are proof of their parents’ love, I was the
proof of their criminality."[6] It
explains how it was hard for him to receive the love of both parents in the
same place unless it was done indoors away from prying eyes of others. Although
he feels deprived of his father’s love, his mother plays a big role in molding
him to be a disciplined child.
Noah states that his mother was
bilingual and advocated for him to know many other languages apart from Xhosa.
He says that she knew Zuku, Sotho, and German, stating that language helped her
to get out of tricky situations. She insisted on Noah embracing English as his
first language, “If you’re black in South
Africa, speaking English is the one thing that can give you a leg up.”[7]Noah
goes on to explain how English assisted him to get accepted in schools and
streets. He used it to adapt to many situations just like his mother. It shows
how his mother impacted on what he learned and how he turned up as an adult.
Conclusion
Noah is a gifted storyteller who allows
the reader to enjoy humor and irony in one story in a well-presented memoir. It
is a good book for anyone who wants to understand the comedian turned author.
He lets the world into his life through narrating his childhood experiences
that are both sad and funny. He is a writer to look out for as he has mastered
the art of writing in a meticulous way that will leave the reader intrigued.
Bibliography
Noah, Trevor. Born a Crime. Doubleday
Canada, 2016.
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