Trevor Noah's Born A Crime

Gwen Bushnell Honors English 9 Ms. Venturelli Born a Crime Final Essay 19 May 2024 Title It is strange to think that a person’s existence could be illegal. To author Trevor Noah, though, the feeling is somewhat familiar. A white father and a black mother having a child together during apartheid in South Africa is illegal. Growing up during that time, Trevor experienced everything from unfair treatment to overly-kind treatment, from racial prejudice to being highly favored, because he was mixed. Born a Crime recounts his adventures and conflicts as he struggled to live as normally as possible during a time when nothing was normal. Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime examines identity and the human experience through societal expectations, lessons, and relationships. In Born a Crime, Trevor

Recounting his experience at school, he says, “The white kids I’d met that morning, they went in one direction, the black kids went in another direction, and I was left standing in the middle, totally confused” (57). The kids at his school all grouped themselves based on race. Trevor, being the only person who was mixed, was left out, feeling like he did not belong. Previously, Trevor had never experienced this, so it came as a shock to him when he began primary school. This unspoken rule impacted Trevor’s life by causing him to have trouble forming relationships. He says, “I stood there awkwardly by myself in this no-man’s land in the middle of the playground” (57). When he writes about his school life, Trevor mentions feeling as if he is left stuck in the middle while the other children make friends based on their race. Later, he says, “I was bullied all the time” (121). Everyone around Trevor had conformed to the unspoken rule that labeled people as different based on their skin color. Because of this, people treated Trevor differently and bullied him. This caused him to have trouble making