SATIRE: MORE THAN JUST A JOKE!

 Satire is a powerful way of providing commentary while entertaining a diverse audience. Through comedy, we can share our opinions on global, social, or even (semi) political aspects. Satire can engage people who would otherwise be uninterested in "x" topics. It can provoke critical thinking about something serious like grave injustice while keeping things lighthearted. What makes satire such a powerful tool is that it gets people to listen. There are multiple circumstances in Trevor Noah's Born a Crime where he utilizes this technique and creates an overall funny story that touches on some more serious notes about the experiences of himself and his community. But before we dive deeper into that, what is it exactly that makes satire so effective?

On a broad scale, satire acts as a mirror into some of the more controversial aspects of the world. For example, outlets like The Daily Show, hosted by Jon Stewart (and briefly hosted by Trevor Noah) take a slew of political issues and break them down using satire. What this does is create something that general audiences can more easily digest. By blending entertainment and commentary, the show can change how we view more traditional news outlets by pointing out the flaws and biases that surround them. As opposed to aforementioned “traditional news outlets” programs like The Daily Show have shown that satire not only entertains, but creates a means for engaging audiences with important topics:

https://www.techdirt.com/2014/11/20/yet-another-study-shows-us-satire-programs-do-better-job-informing-viewers-than-actual-news-outlets/

The above figure shows us how well informed viewers of satirical news shows are compared to viewers of traditional programs. Taking the numbers into consideration, can we say for certain that satire’s an effective way of making a point or an argument? How does Trevor Noah use such techniques to address his own experiences? How far can satire truly take us?

Throughout his memoir, Trevor Noah makes frequent use of satire to capture his reader’s attention. He draws us in with something funny, then uses it to stress the importance and weight of a more dire subject. An instance in Born a Crime where this is made evident is in chapter 15, when it’s brought up that:

People love to say, ‘Give a man a fish, and he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he’ll eat for a lifetime.’ What they don’t say is ‘And it would be nice if you gave him a fishing rod.’ That’s the part of the analogy that’s missing. Working with Andrew was the first time in my life I realized you need someone from the privileged world to come to you and say, ‘Okay, here’s what you need and here’s how it works’” (Noah, 190).

In this quote, Noah discusses in a funny manner how hard it was for someone from a poor black family like his to make something of themselves. They had the means, but not the resources. It took someone from a privileged background to come in and guide Noah for him to be successful. That idea is really elevated through his humorous contrast with the “give a man a fish…” adage. But even though it gets us laughing, it still gets us thinking- thinking about how, it’s easy to teach someone how to be successful, but giving them the right resources and opportunities is a whole different mess. Kids of color in South Africa can go to school and get an adequate education, but in a world where material wealth trumps all, is it really easy for them to get far? Some photos I feel really capture the contrast Noah was going for are pictured below:

https://unequalscenes.com/south-africa

https://unequalscenes.com/south-africa

https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/04/13/why-africa-is-one-of-the-most-unequal-continents-in-the-world

In these pictures taken from places like Johannessburg and Cape Town, we see a thriving white community on the left, and a struggling black community on the right. In a post-apartheid world, we’d expect to see two equally bustling communities, but we don’t. Poverty still runs wild in South Africa. The chart below maps the intensity of poverty in the various provinces of South Africa circa. 2016. 

https://southafrica-info.com/people/mapping-poverty-in-south-africa/

At a 40% and greater poverty intensity, many communities like Trevor Noah’s. Instead of focusing their talents on growth, they instead have to focus on scraping up what scraps they have left, and eating whatever they can get their hands on. Trevor Noah wasn’t really able to get out there and thrive until his friend Andrew came in and used his privileged background to help him succeed in the world of CD piracy. Noah’s satirical perspective on this whole situation really helps this idea stick out and also helps us understand that on a wider scale, there are still people out there stuck scraping at the bottom of the barrel. We need to take from our world, where we have everything, and give it to a world that doesn’t have anything. We can only get so far by telling someone to succeed. We have to give them their metaphorical fishing rod and ensure that they know how to fish. But what happens if we don’t do anything?

Trevor Noah’s memoir touches briefly on crime in South Africa. When you come from a place where crime is some far-off thing that only the “worst” people are capable of doing, it’s easy to judge areas where crime runs wild. But why is it that crime is more prevalent in certain areas compared to others? Born a Crime actually acknowledges this, when it’s brought up that:

It’s easy to be judgemental about crime when you live in a world wealthy enough to be removed from it. But the hood taught me that everyone has different notions of right and wrong, different definitions of what constitutes crime, and what level of crime they’re willing to participate in. If a crackhead comes through and he’s got a crate of Corn Flakes boxes he’s stolen out of the back of a supermarket, the poor mom isn’t thinking, I’m aiding and abetting a criminal by buying these Corn Flakes. No. She’s thinking, My family needs food and this guy has Corn Flakes, and she buys the Corn Flakes. (Noah, 212)

Through the setup of a pretty outrageous, objectively silly scenario, Noah highlights a much deeper issue within his community. When struck with poverty, your world and view become very narrow.  It becomes less about morals, and more about living. When you find an opportunity, it becomes only about what you can do for yourself. Sure, you may be hurting others, but why question ethics when you yourself are barely surviving? Take this and apply it to a much larger scale. Something as silly as simple cornflakes can become anything from drugs to weapons, and suddenly things like this “crime check” from South Africa circa. 2017 make more sense: 

https://africacheck.org/fact-checks/factsheets/factsheet-south-africas-crime-statistics-201617

Because of poverty and inequality, South Africa has become a very crime-heavy area. As items and ideas become more unobtainable, many turn to a life of crime in hopes of acquiring said things. It’s easy to turn to crime because “crime cares” (Noah, 209). Crime offers all sorts of opportunities to all sorts of people. When you’re stuck in a life of poverty with seemingly no way out,  a life of crime might feel like the most appealing thing in the world. Not many people understand that though, but through satire, Trevor Noah helps that point come across. All it took was a mother, a crackhead, and a silly box of Corn Flakes. 

Through satire, we’re given the grounds for an effective teaching method.  Programs like The Daily Show works like Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime take humor and blend it with insightful commentary, breaking it down into something less complicated for general audiences, but still leaving in enough room for interpretation. What seems like a one-off joke on the surface may hold a great life lesson, or thought-provoking question. Trevor Noah’s utilization of satire in his memoir, or during his time hosting The Daily Show serves as a prime example of how humor can be taken and used to critique the problems in our society. His ability to turn personal and historical hardships into something meaningful and even worthy of being laughed at not only entertains, but also educates. Humor is not only a force of laughter, it’s a force for expression and a force for change.

Final Deep Dive on 'Born a Crime'

 After reading the final chapter (Eighteen, plus epilogue) pull one quote from the finale to capture your feeling for the ending and then answer the following.

"When you love someone, you create a new world for them" (Noah, 262)

This quote stuck out to me not only because it perfectly describes how I view the concept of "love", but also captures the essence of the book. Love can heal a maintain relationships. It creates refuge in a world defined by violence. Noah's mom created Trevor's world by shielding him from violence. She kept him safe so that he could thrive.

1. “I saw more than anything that relationships are not sustained by violence but by love. Love is a creative act” (Noah 262). Describe his journey in this chapter as he comes to this realization.     Trevor's feelings for his step father had changed when he beat up the neighborhood bully and was even more concerned when he was told that him and his mother would marry. Trevor's half brother Andrew was born after his parent's marriage. Their mother didn't really fit into Trevor's half of the family, which made her lose a lot of the independence that defined her. Things between Abel and Trevor's mom continued to get more abusive until Abel finally struck her one night. He seemed sorry after, and nobody thought much of things for the time being. Patricia helps Abel buy the old mechanic's shop he used to work at and even sold her house to support the business. Things became rather inconvenient for Trevor, but the shop was eventually sold off and everything was settled. Throughout the whole ordeal, Trevor noticed a shift in his mom's parenting, because she didn't hit Andrew like how she used to hit Trevor. Abel didn't share the same outlook and eventually came around to hitting Trevor. He knew however, that these smacks weren't out of love, like the ones his mother used to deliver.
2. “My mother showed me what was possible” Noah writes at one point. Even though he’s heartbroken over his mother’s abusive marriage, what did she teach him? What advice from her do you think is most important to him?     The most important thing that Trevor Noah learns from his mom this chapter is a lesson in resilience. Patricia's abusive relationship serves as a constant obstacle for her. She shows acts of resiliency and defiance in choosing not to hit Andrew the way she did with Noah. What she's doing is facing her own adversity by trying to break the cycle of violence that she's going through, which shows us the strength of perseverance. The piece of advice that I think is most important  to Trevor Noah is how to be independent and outspoken. Throughout the entire book, Noah is always learning how to think for himself and go beyond the racial barrier. He learns how to achieve the greatness that seemed so out of reach to individuals like him, as reflected by his success today.
3. Trevor Noah tackles many heavy subjects that most would not consider humorous, from abuse to apartheid. How is he able to find humor even in such moments? What will you most remember about this book?    Trevor Noah finds humor through irony, self-targeted humor, and satirical exaggerations of certain perspectives. His use of humor highlights absurd and controversial issues and allows him to really bring his points home. What I'll remember most about this book is how much it opened my eyes. Trevor Noah's experiences have taught me that the world is still nowhere near perfect. He brought my attention to a lot injustice and inequality, and now I feel a responsibility. No book has ever given me such feelings before. Those strong emotions are what I'll always remember when I think of Born a Crime.

"Born a Crime" chapters 13-17

 Discussion Questions to go with journal:

 For this week, we will be reading (chapters 13-17). Pull two quotes for your reader’s journal. Make sure to include your response to the quotes, too. [Please note that we will finish the memoir during finals week when we read the last two chapters, but we’re almost to the end!]

In America, the history of racism is taught like this: “There was slavery and then there was Jim Crow and then there was Martin Luther King Jr. and now it’s done.” It was the same for us. “Apartheid was bad. Nelson Mandela was freed. Let’s move on.” Facts, but not many, and never the emotional or moral dimension. It was as if the teachers, many of whom were white, had been given a mandate. “Whatever you do, don’t make the kids angry.”(Noah, 183)

-This stuck out to me, because even today, we're taught a sanitized version of history. This approach leaves out a lot of the deeper, more complex ideas, preventing a proper understanding of the issue at hand, and making us feel like our more troubled history is insignificant. It's important to acknowledge these histories, because a lot of their impacts are ongoing and relevant, even if we can't quite see that. 

"It's easy to be judgmental about crime when you live in a world wealthy enough to be removed from it. But the hood taught me everyone has different notions of right and wrong..." (Noah, 212)

-This stuck with me, because having spent the better part of my life in America, I've started to find it easy to judge addicts out in the streets, "speed demons" out in the road, and lawbreakers in general, because they're doing things I find to be against my moral compass. Yet, when I force myself to speed or find myself becoming more addicted to electronics, I try my best to justify my actions. This is Noah's point. We see something illegal, and never think why the person is doing what they're doing. Just as we justify our selfish actions, criminals might be doing the same. We only think about what helps us, not what helps others.

1. In chapter thirteen Trevor Noah falls on the wrong side of the law, but how does a messed up view on race end up saving him from serious trouble?          When Reviewing the VCR, everyone failed to consider that the footage was in black and white. Teddy showed up as dark, and Noah as white, his colors being completely blown out. Because he showed up as such, the fact that it could've been an olive skinned individual such as Trevor was completely thrown out the window.
2. “People love to say, ‘Give a man a fish, and he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he’ll eat for a lifetime.’ What they don’t say is ‘And it would be nice if you gave him a fishing rod.’ That’s the part of the analogy that’s missing. Working with Andrew was the first time in my life I realized you need someone from the privileged world to come to you and say, ‘Okay, here’s what you need and here’s how it works’” (Noah 190). What happens in his life to teach him this? Do you agree with what he writes here? Why or why not?         Trevor had the talents, but not the resources. His friend Andrew had access to things like an education as well as a multitude of resources. Andrew provided Noah with the CD writer and allowed him to grow in the realm of music piracy. Without Andrew, Noah wouldn't have had the resources he needed. I completely agree with what Trevor Noah writes. Growing up, my family didn't (and still doesn't) have any money. I had to buy a new calculator for my math class, but it would've set us back almost $200. We didn't have that kind of money. for the whole year, I had to borrow one of my friends' older models of that same calculator. Without him, I would've been lost. Even today, under privileged individuals like myself still seem to lag behind. 
3. “The hood made me realize that crime succeeds because crimes does the one thing the government doesn’t do: crime cares. Crime is grassroots” (Noah 209). What does he mean?   What Trevor Noah means by this is that crime appears to the less fortunate and discriminates against nobody, unlike the government. It seems to offer opportunity at every corner and doesn't limit you to the confines of the law. Where as the government only seems to favor the rich, crime leaves it's arms wide open to welcome anybody in with a comforting embrace.

BORN A CRIME CHAPTERS 8-13

 

1. CONTINUE READER’S JOURNAL FOR BORN A CRIME, CHAPTERS 8-13 AND PULL TWO PASSAGES TO DIALOGUE WITH FOR YOUR JOURNAL. [Note: Some students already read chapter eight last week and wrote about it here. If you wrote about it last week you don’t need to do so again!]

NOTE: Make sure you choose different passages than other readers in the class. Please post this to your blog. 

Why did you choose this particular passage to write about?  Describe your thoughts and questions. Did it awaken a thought or response of your own?  Describe it vividly. Did it raise questions you hope will be answered?  How so?

"I went down to spend a few days with my father, and I made it my mission: This weekend I will get to know m father. As soon as I arrived, I started peppering him with questions...He started getting visibly irritated." (110)

- I chose this passage, because it sets up an interesting dynamic between Noah and his father. I also "interview" my dad sometimes, asking him a lot of questions about his life, but he always answers happily. This contrast helped me understand that there might be a bit of strain between Noah and his father. I'm curious to see how they'll bridge this gap.

"We'd hang out and have great conversations, but for the life of me, I never considered myself worthy of dating her" (147)

-This quote stuck out to me, because I had the same mindset as Noah two years ago. The antics and trouble I got into due to aforementioned mindset make me wonder if Noah will experience something similar, and how it will effect his character.

 

2. VIEW THE FINAL PROJECT BORN A CRIME DOCUMENT FOUND ON THE COURSE CONTENT FOR WEEK FIFTEEN AND THE WELCOME PAGE. Based on this what do you think you’ll explore and write about on your blog?                                                                                                                                                                                      -The topic I want to spend some time on is the exploration of South African culture. There's so much about this world that I don't know about quite yet. Learning about a new culture could really open my eyes in regards to how I live compared to others.
3. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

• “Don’t ever forget: He chose you” (Noah 108), Trevor learns in chapter eight. What else does he learn about his father in this chapter?

-Throughout the rest of the chapter, the only thing Noah learns about his father is that he's very secretive, even after spending the whole day with him watching F1 and listening to Elvis records. All Noah's dad can say is: "You see? You're getting to know me already."

• “That’s what apartheid did: It convinced every group that it was because of the other race that they didn’t get into the club,” (Noah 120) writes in chapter nine. What are some examples how the government convinced other races to hate each other and how arbitrary it was to decide who was white and who was colored? “But I knew I’d done a terrible thing” (Noah 125) writes later in the chapter. What happened?

- Colored people were "brainwashed into believing [their] blood was tainted" (120). They were taught to strive to be like the white man. The white man, on the other hand, was taught to see the black man as inferior. Noah was seen as either white or black depending on what side was looking at him. The only times he'd be one or the other was when his bullies needed someone to pick on. On page 125, Noah has Abel beat up the one of the  kids who assaulted and threw Mulberries at him. Seeing the terror in the boy's made Noah realize that he was a kid just like himself- someone taught to hate themselves. Noah feels bad and wonders "who had bullied him that he needed to bully me?" (125)

• In chapter thirteen, Trevor Noah is nearly arrested and expelled for shoplifting. What ironic twist of fate saves him from getting into serious trouble? “But I’m consumed with regret for the things I didn’t do, the choices I didn’t make, the things I didn’t say. We spend so much time being afraid of failure, afraid of rejection, but regret is the thing we should fear most” (Noah 143). How do you relate to this quote?

- Noah is saved from trouble thanks to the grainy security camera video. The black and white screen made Trevor Noah appear completely white. Noah's authority thought that Teddy was hanging out with a white student, as opposed to the olive-skinned Trevor Noah.

- I relate to the quote, because I've been stuck with the same regret for a few years now. There was this girl that I was great friends with. We both hung out all the time, and I'll admit, I had feelings for her. I wanted to officially ask her out, but the thought of rejection scared me away. By the time I finally mustered up the courage to say something, it was too late. She began going out with one of my peers and I was left full of regret. If I'd done something sooner, things could've been different. Now, the mistakes of my past haunt me.

Chapters 6-7 Born a Crime

 Continue reading chapters 6-7 in Born a Crime and pull two more quotes to dialogue with for your reading journal.

Discussion Questions:

"Anytime my extra energy wasn't burned off, it would find its way into general naughtiness and misbehavior. I prided myself on being the ultimate prankster." (78) 

- I found this quote resonating with me on a personal level. Like Trevor, I was a very cheeky kid. Whenever I wasn't down, I was causing all sorts of trouble. Getting to read about Trevor Noah's childhood antics this chapter reminded me a lot of of my early days. His writing really takes me back, and allows me to connect to my younger self in some ways.

"You didn't know your dog was deaf?"

"No, We thought it was stupid." (97)

- To me, this quote really shows how quick people are when it comes to judging things. Trevor Noah and his family immediately assumed the most "reasonable" answer when they should've been asking questions. I strongly feel like it's this same concept of being quick to judge that led us into a lot of global issues like racism.

1. In this classic bit from 2015, what essential points does Trevor Noah make about how smartphones have changed us as human beings? Do you agree? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2r3qk7ifgI4                                                                             -Smartphones are the reasons we're "devolving" because they make us develop unconscious potentially harmful habits. We used to stand proud, but now we spend the whole day buried in our phones. We can't socialize normally anymore. Every moment is spent documenting our lives through our phones. I 100% agree with his take. Every time something happens, my friends and I always have to take pictures and text about. We can't just live in the moment. I think if we could all disconnect for at least one day, we'd see what kind of good it'd do for us from a social aspect.
2. In chapter six Noah relates how he connected with his mother was like “the relationship between a cop and criminal in the movies—the relentless detective and the devious mastermind she’s determined to catch” (80). What were some notable events in this chapter that illustrate this?                                                -One event that highlights this is the Toffee Apple incident. Noah acts insubordinate, constantly bugging his mom, and like a prison warden, she puts him in his place by pretending she doesn't know him and giving him a bigger problem than the apple. Another incident that highlights this is Trevor's accident with gun powder. He denies anything happens, but like a detective his mom is quick analyze the scene and point out the singed hairs on his face. 
3. “You do not own the thing you love” (Noah 100), the author relates in chapter seven. What did he learn about Fufi and Panther? Is there a lesson you have also learned in life from the pets you have owned? What was it?                                               -Noah learns that love doesn't mean ownership and control. Even though he always though of Fufi as being dumber than Panther, even though she was deaf, he still loved Fufi regardless. When Fufi jumped into the other kid's yard, Noah was sad to see that the thing he loved could so easily leave behind. He thought he deserved Fufi to himself, and that's a mindset the other kid had as well. What Noah didn't realize though is that to love is to let go. The person or animal you loved can enjoy other things, but still enjoy you just as much. With the only pets I've ever had being fish, I can't say that I've learned a lot of deep lessons, but I did learn a bit about letting go. I was in kindergarten when my pet beta fish died. To me, it was the most tragic thing in the world. I tried everything I could to to bring it back, and I was so locked in on my unachievable goal that I'd missed the bus. Looking back, this kind of speaks volumes about how dwelling on what once was can block out a future of opportunity. It's ok to grieve, but if you don't move on, you'll be stuck in the past forever.

   

Born a Crime Chapters 4-5

 

• Reader’s Journal: continue reading Born a Crime (chapters 4-5) and pull two more quotes for discussion in your reader’s journal.

- "But we were all just chocolate. I didn't know it had anything do with 'race'." (54) 

     To me, this quote really highlights  everything that's wrong in our society. I had a very similar outlook as Trevor Noah, but as I grew I'd hear X thing about X race from X person and my outlook shifted. To me, Trevor Noah's account really highlights how racism and discrimination is something that's acquired.

- "Where South Africa's white countryside was lush and irrigated and green, the black lands were overpopulated and overgrazed, the soil depleting and eroding." (65) 

   This quote really stuck out, because this is still a contrast that exists today. If you look at places like Minneapolis, you have these huge, lavish buildings on the inside, but on the outskirts lie old, run-down and low income neighborhoods. It seems lie some things never change.

• Discussion Questions:
• What animal or insect on earth most frightens you? Do you think you could handle a close-up experience with the creature? What happens to Trevor Noah in this bit where he has an “authentic Balinese experience?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fN9hm7k9fns

- I'm not really scared of any animal, but if I had to pick something that I at least find to be a bit chilling, I'd have to pick the blue ring octopus. One bite from that thing, and your entire body becomes paralyzed, including your vital bodily systems. In his "authentic Balinese experience" Trevor Noah, during a trip to Bali, has an experience where at a sort of show, the performers brought out snakes to them. Afraid, he moves away to watch the rest of the show. In the middle of it, a performer gets bitten on the lips by a king cobra and tries to play it off, but can't and ends up running off, leaving the snake behind. Some pretty silly shenanigans occurred in the resulting chaos, but Noah, having moved to the back, was unaffected.

 

• In chapter four, what does Trevor Noah mean when he writes “language even more than color defines who you are?” (56). In what sense does he believe he was a “chameleon” growing up?

- Language allows you to communicate in ways that can change the way people perceive you. Noah was still able to fit in by speaking different languages at the appropriate times.

• In chapter five Noah describes the “black tax” (66). What does he mean by this? What advice does his mother give him about dealing with the past? Lastly, what does he mean that they were poor “but rich in experience?”

- The Black Tax is the generational issue of having to fix problems of the past. You lose everything trying to bring up those who came before you. Noah's mother essentially teaches that while acknowledging the past is important, dwelling on it can be crippling. They're rich in experience, because the way he was brought up has taught him to see things in a more positive light.

 

 

"Born a Crime" chapters 2-3

 A good reader is one who reads actively, taking notes, staying engaged with the text. In active reading the process is dialectical: the story begins in the writer’s mind but is completed in the reader’s. With your journals, I would like you to do exactly that, have a dialogue with the text. For each reading, choose two passages that struck you in some way as powerful, reminded you of something in your life, raised emotions or questions in your mind, or that you admired because of the description or writing style.

Copy down the full passage, from a single sentence to a solid paragraph. It is vitally important that you copy the passage word for word. I want you to get inside the words themselves, consider their meaning. Get inside the writer’s mind, his/her style, and the flow of the sentences.

Next, free write your own response.  This is your place to spread out.  Your response to each of the two passages should aim for a solid paragraph. When you respond to your quotes, think about these things.

• Why did you choose this particular passage to write about? Describe your own thoughts and questions. Did it awaken a thought or response of your own? Describe it vividly. Did it raise questions you hope will be answered? How so?

For this week’s reading journal continue reading chapters two and three from Born a Crime.

1. Include your two short quotes and responses here. Please try to include page numbers. (It’s best if you choose one quote from each chapter.)

2. In chapter two we learn the story of how Trevor Noah’s mother Patricia met his father. How does Patricia move through a world governed by institutional racism? Describe Trevor Noah’s early upbringing.

3. Like many young males in South Africa, Trevor Noah grows up in a household surrounded by women. Describe what you learn about “Soweto,” his life there, and what struck you as notable about this chapter.

1- 

Passages:

"Where most people are proof of their parents' love, I was proof of their criminality." (p.27)

- This stuck out to me, because I can relate to it (on a less severe scale and with happier conditions of course). My mother and father's families didn't approve of them marrying. My parents had to go against everything they were taught so they could be together. This idea of a taboo relationship is similar to that of the one between Trevor Noah's mother and father in the story, with love being a bit more of a motivator on my parent's side. To me, this makes it a lot easier to sympathize with Noah's memoir.

"People built homes the way they bought eggs: a little at a time. Every family in the township was allocated a piece of land by the government. You'd first build a shanty on your plot, a makeshift structure of plywood and corrugated iron. Over time, you'd save up money and build a brick wall. One wall. Then you'd save up and build another wall. Then, years later, a third wall and eventually a fourth. Now you had a room, one room for everyone in your family to sleep, eat, do everything. Then you'd save up for a roof. Then windows. Then you'd plaster the thing. Then your daughter would start a family. There was nowhere for them to go, so they'd move in with you. You'd add another corrugated-iron structure onto your brick room and slowly, over years, turn that into a proper room for them as well. Now your house had two rooms. Then three. Maybe four. Slowly, over generations, you'd keep trying to get to the point where you had a home." (p. 41)

- This was another segment that really resonated with me, because I had a very experience growing up in a backwater Bulgarian village. Everything was left to the individual to be built from the ground up. When hard times fell, you had no choice to adapt. This idea ties in well with Noah's above description, which gives me another connection to him.

2-  Patricia moves through the institutional racism-governed world with a rebellious mindset. She ran away from home to downtown Johannesburg, where it was illegal for people of color to live. She threw herself around quite a bit, but found solace with a man in the same flat corridor as her. The two had a kid, who, from birth, was clearly different. No matter which parent he was with, his lightskinned appearance would draw unwanted attention. Noah's mother had to go to great lengths to hide him and who he was. Every once in a while, he'd spend time with his grandma in Soweto, a fairly dangerous area with heavy police presence. Just by leaving the house, he could put his family in great danger

3- Living in Soweto, the only "semi-regular" male in Trevor Noah's life was his eccentric (bipolar) grandpa. He was a loud, and somewhat careless individual.. His grandma was the complete opposite. she ran the house well and did everything there was to do. Compared to other kids, Trevor Noah's reason for growing up in a women-run world was completely different. While strict laws separated  Noah from his father, the kids he grew up with had lost their fathers in a multitude of ways. This absence of men was filled in by religion. Despite being similar to a jailhouse, Soweto certainly had a charm to it. It still had its issues, however. For example, Noah's grandmother lived in a two-room house with no running water. The only bathroom was an outhouse, which wasn't the most convenient thing to use. When Trevor opted to do his business on a newspaper inside the house, the smell and the feces found in the garbage bin made his mother think that a demon was present, which ties back to the role that religion plays for them.                                                                                   

Discussion