95 pages 3 hours read

Trevor Noah

Born A Crime

Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 2016

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Key Figures

Trevor Noah

While Noah may have recently gained notoriety as the host of the Daily Show, his memoir reveals the complexities of growing up in South Africa during apartheid. Although he is legally classified as colored by the government, Noah identifies himself as being black; this makes him feel ostracized from other colored people. For most of the memoir, Noah feels lonely because he doesn’t fit in with the government’s notion of what he should be or aspire to.

Noah says he was perceived as a naughty child, but actually, he was just curious and creative. This is best demonstrated when Noah accidently burns down Abel’s landlord’s home. While his family views him as destructive, Noah says that his love of fire coincided with his desire to create; he liked to see what is left after the fire burns. In his teenage years, his creativity and curiosity translate to humor and a savvy for business. Not only does he think of creative ways to make money, such as burning CDs or DJ’ing, but he uses his humorous personality to sell his products.

Noah says he was an ugly teenager due to his acne and inability to buy nice clothing, but after senior year he starts cornrowing his hair and caring about his appearance more generally, attracting the attention of women.