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Born A Crime Sparknotes

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"Born a Crime" by Trevor Noah is an illuminating memoir that explores the intersections of race, identity, politics, and social institutions in apartheid South Africa. The book recounts the author's childhood experiences growing up as a mixed-race child in a country where interracial relationships were illegal and children like him were considered a crime.
Through personal anecdotes and stories, Noah shares his upbringing in poverty and the challenges he faced navigating a society that was deeply divided along racial lines. His experiences reflect social stratification, which is the division of society into different groups based on social class, race, or other factors. The apartheid government enforced strict laws to maintain this social stratification, including laws that prohibited interracial relationships and …show more content…

In South Africa, individuals were classified into different racial categories, such as Black, White, Colored, or Indian, and these categories determined the extent of one's rights and privileges in society. For example, Noah's own identity as a mixed-race child made him a social outcast, as he did not fit neatly into any of the designated racial categories.
The memoir also offers insight into the ways in which social institutions, such as the government and the education system, perpetuated racial divisions and reinforced social inequality. Noah's experiences attending both white and black schools reveal the extent of educational segregation and the impact it had on students' opportunities and outcomes. For example, at his predominantly white school, Noah faced racism and discrimination from both teachers and students. At his black school, on the other hand, he struggled to keep up academically due to the lack of resources and

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