Born a Crime: Chapters 2&3

 Born a Crime: Chapters 2&3

Passage 1: 

“I wasn’t a lonely kid—I was good at being alone. I’d read books, play with the toy I had, make up imaginary worlds. I lived inside my head. I still live inside my head. To this day you can leave me alone for hours and I’m perfectly happy entertaining myself. I have to remember to be with people”(Noah, 51).

Response: 

I chose this passage because I feel that I relate to it deeply. I find myself  enjoying my time the most when I am only with myself. That’s when I truly feel most like myself. Trevor explains how he was able to entertain himself as a kid because he wasn’t allowed to go out and interact with others that often. When I was a kid, I was definitely more exposed to social settings and was with other people quite a bit. I find it interesting how as I got older, I realized that I like my own company over the company of others. Noah was like this his whole life, but I started feeling this way as I grew into my teenage years. I really liked his description of being in his head because I feel that way too. I feel as though he captured the feeling of being content with being alone very well. I find it very easy to entertain myself for long periods of time that I don’t even realize that I haven’t spoken to anyone all day. I definitely understand what he means on a personal level. 

Passage 2: 

“Whenever I prayed, my grandmother would say, “That prayer is going to be answered. I can feel it.” 

Women in the township always had something to pray for—money problems, a son who’d been arrested, a daughter who was sick, a husband who drank. Whenever the prayer meetings were at our house, because my prayers were so good, my grandmother would want me to pray for everyone. She would turn to me and say, “Trevor, pray.” And I’d pray. I loved doing it” (Noah, 64).

Response: 

I chose this passage because I too feel a deep connection when I pray. Noah explained how his grandmother made him believe that his prayers get answered and I believe that too. Whenever I pray I always know when my prayers get answered. I feel a connection, and things happen for me that I prayed for. I truly love doing it because I know that I can always turn to prayer for any aspect of my life. Trevor believed his prayers get answered for different reasons, but mainly because of the way he prayed. I believe that my prayers get answered for other reasons, but mostly because I see the outcome of what I prayed for. I connected deeply to this passage because my faith is very important to me, just like Noah and his grandmother. I believe that my prayers can help any hardship I am dealing with, just like how Noah stated the things the women in the township prayed for. 

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.

Trevor Noah’s mother Patricia moved to downtown Johannesburg, which was a place that was illegal for black people to live. She spent her time learning ways to move around the city without being questioned or stopped. She lived in a secret flat in Hillbrow. When Patricia had Noah, she couldn’t be seen with him out in public because it was illegal to have a mixed baby. If people saw Noah, who was light-skinned, with his mom, it would raise many questions and suspicions. He also couldn’t be seen with his dad because he was white. Patricia found a colored woman to take Noah out to the park without raising any questions. Patricia would walk behind them to make it seem like the collared lady was Noah’s mother. Noah only saw his father indoors so he wouldn’t get caught. He and his parents lived in secret to avoid the harsh laws and punishments of the apartheid.

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.

Soweto was a township meant for only black people. The place had high levels of surveillance and control. There were many officers because of the many protests that happened constantly. Noah wasn’t allowed outside of the house because he was colored. His grandmother was afraid that he would get taken by the police and hauled off to an orphanage. The police make sure that there are no wrong colored kids in the wrong colored area. Noah explains how it was no coincidence that he was raised in a house full of women. The apartheid kept kids from their fathers in one way or another. Women ran the community of Soweto and built their own family. They centered the town around faith and prayer. I found it notable how they always had prayer meetings that would rotate houses each day. The people of the community would always gather to sing and pray. The people of this town turned something that is so horrible and wrongfully done, into their home. It is a testament of their determination and courage. People made a life for themselves out of the world they were forced to stay in.