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What Is Trevor Noah's Identity In Born A Crime

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No one would like to grow up with life altering disadvantages because of the colour of their skin. To overcome hardship, one must face life's challenges and grow. It is through this growth that we begin to develop a more detailed perception of ourselves as Trevor Noah did in his book “Born A Crime”. To belong one must determine one's identity to face the struggles of life and society in order to comprehend one's self, while focusing on resilience in the face of hardship, personal growth, and identity. One rises above hardships by choosing to be resilient. Trevor Noah grew up in an environment where he had no choice but to resist it. Noah recalled, “ Second hand cars made me get detention for being late to school. Second hand cars left us …show more content…

Anecdotal evidence of this is, “ You do not own the thing that you love. I was lucky to learn that lesson at such a young age. I have so many friends who still, as adults, wrestle with feelings of betrayal. They'll come to me angry and crying and talking about how they've been cheated on and lied to and I feel for them”(Noah, 100). In this quote, Trevor establishes the level of personal growth he’s undergone by giving advice to his friends who have had a less meaningful set of lessons throughout their lives despite being as old or similar age to Trevor. This is a result of his unique upbringing. It shows a deep sense of emotional maturity; being able to let go of someone you love. Trevors dog Fufi, taught him that while one may be emotionally attached to someone, one does not own said person. This is often a cause of deep jealousy and turmoil. This is further exemplified by the relationship Trevor has with his father. In later years, Trevor is able to somewhat rekindle the relationship with his estranged father. He is able to do so without an expectation of a meaningful emotional connection. It is through this experience that Trevor has manifested emotional …show more content…

Through Trevor’s discoveries in his upbringing in South Africa during apartheid, it is apparent that the challenges and adversities he encountered shaped his self definition significantly. A noteworthy trait of identity development is the ability to think critically and take the societal norms one is conditioned to with a so called “grain of salt”. Trevor reflects back on his own life and identity by mentioning, “ My colour didn't change, but I could change your perception of my colour”(Noah, 56). This quote accentuates the effect one has in shaping one’s own identity. Despite Trevors government classification as “coloured”, he broke racial barriers and bridged the gap through adaptability. He was able to create his own identity because he was able to adapt to any social situation with anybody through his multitude of dialects he spoke. The affect one’s family’s influence has on identity formation is crucial. Trevors relationship with his mother was quite influential on the development of the person he became. Patricia (mother) was a very strong woman battling a patriarchal society seemingly unphased in his eyes as a single mother. He stated, “ My mom did what school didn’t. She taught me how to think”(Noah, 68). This quote shows the profound effect Patricia had on Trevors critical thinking skills and development. Trevor often mentions the drawbacks of the

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