The Kid Under Apartheid: The Trevor Noah Experience

Table of Contents

Introduction
Apartheid’s Impact on Noah and His Family
Shape of Noah’s Character and Experiences
Humor, Irony and Sarcasm Through Apartheid
Conclusion
Works Cited

Introduction

Apartheid had a significant impact on all South Africans and many people who traveled to these territories or researched this issue. A well-known anti-apartheid fighter was Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa, who spent years in prison. He once said: “Many people in this country have paid the price before me and many will pay the price after me” (McKenna). This expression means that he understands that the catastrophe of apartheid will not be overcome by one person or group of people. The fight against apartheid at the level of traditions, social norms, and unspoken rules will continue after his death, just like people tried to overcome it before Mandela took decisive action. Subsequent generations will be indicators of the laws of apartheid in many ways (University). What was experienced by the parents will undoubtedly be reflected later on the children, even if they enter a completely different era.

Apartheid had a significant impact on the psychological development of young South Africans, on their perception and worldview. An example of such a complex worldview is Trevor Noah’s book, Born a Crime. Trevor Noah uses a lot of slang and does not shy away from describing an ordinary mixed-race boy’s routine and everyday life. Apartheid was a terrible period in South African history, but only because whites were obliged to intervene in the blacks’ heinous and frightening acts to maintain their dominance. Trevor Noah’s entire family has experienced a severe impact of apartheid, reflected in their attitudes towards danger, death, and each other. From birth, Trevor Noah believed that he was obliged to hide since his appearance is evidence of a crime committed by his parents once (the book’s title testifies to this). Apartheid gave the author a particular life experience and shaped his character. His innate humor helped him overcome many fears and traumas, and now he can talk about the horrors and brutality of apartheid with a smile.

Apartheid’s Impact on Noah and His Family

The mother had a massive impact on Trevor Noah, and through her personality, the author perceives his family as a whole in many ways. Apartheid forced Trevor’s parents to hide the fruit of their love and relationship (Zakarin). It is hard not to blame anybody and not to feel constant shame in such circumstances. In addition, the family had big financial problems, not only emotional and communicative. Patricia, Trevor’s mother, has always been a tough person, a stubborn and severe woman. It was hard for her to get money, and she tried to save money. Due to financial obligations, she was forced to part with her vindictive husband Abel because Patricia could not pull the loan burden with him. Trevor describes it this way: “Abel’s debts and his terrible business decisions started impacting my mother’s credit and her ability to support her sons, she wanted out” (Noah 228). Patricia is also a saver on medical bills and has waived her insurance, arguing that she seldom gets sick; it was her decision. Trevor was shocked because the doctors wanted to transport her to a public hospital when her mother needed emergency surgery after a bullet wound. The English language and its study influenced the author’s identity formation. Teachers considered him a master of English; he was an excellent student. Here is how he describes his becoming through language: “That, and so many other smaller incidents in my life, made me realize that language, even more than color, defines who you are to people” (Noah 52). Apartheid had a significant impact on Trevor Noah’s identity, as he describes in Born a Crime. When Noah was born, his existence was against the law as interracial relationships were illegal. He struggled to fit in during his childhood and adolescence because he did not fit into either black or white culture.

Shape of Noah’s Character and Experiences

Here the reader must remember that Noah is a child of mixed race; it radically influenced his formation, identity, and character. He sincerely did not understand which group of people to include himself in for a long time. Each of the groups offered its obligations, the sphere of responsibility, but at the same time, only black people suffered from apartheid. His mother and all relatives, including brothers, were dark-skinned, but his mixture of blood was very noticeable. Trevor felt like a stranger to both white and black teenagers (“Trevor Chats With His Grandma About Apartheid and Tours Her Home, ‘MTV Cribs’-Style | the Daily Show” 03:15–05:21). Despite this, he noted: “The black kids embraced me” (Noah 56). In addition, apartheid’s separation allowed him to choose classes for white and black children. He realized that the quality of education was significantly worse in black classes; because of his ability in English and literature, he was strongly encouraged to choose a class with white children. Readers must not forget that Trevor initially studied at a Catholic school, famous for its discipline (Noah 77). It was there that the author’s impressive collision with Western culture, with the culture of white people, took place.

Humor, Irony and Sarcasm Through Apartheid

Introspection, soul-searching, and a sense of humor helped the author describe the harsh apartheid regime with a smile. In addition, Trevor Noah re-discovered the specifics of this period for young people who read his literature and see him on TV or the Internet. Trevor understands that this perception of the world came from his mother: “My mom thought everything was funny. There was no subject too dark or too painful for her to tackle with humor” (Noah 106). It allowed Trevor to capture the paradoxes of reality and his society from a young age. Hypocrisy surrounded Trevor in the newspapers, and he describes such case, talking about South African cases of cruelty to animals (Noah 88). Noticing and remembering this, he constructed an unusual cultural background within himself. In general, the humorous tone touches on many areas of Trevor’s teenage development: relationship with mother, the first attempts to earn money, playing on the street, the cruelty of the laws. The author describes his adolescent experiences with characteristic irony and sincerity, in particular his first love for a girl called Maylene (Noah 113-115). Everywhere in his descriptions, honesty, humor, genuine simplicity, and teenage naivety innocence.

Conclusion

After reading the book, there is a very calm and easy feeling, and in many ways, this is due to the masterful language of Trevor Noah. He humorously shows tough things that are not usually found in the experience of modern teenagers. Looking at such examples, the reader can understand that people can survive in very different conditions and come out of them like civilized people, with suitable adaptation and socialization skills. However, this is by no means a compliment to apartheid as a regime of prohibitions and total injustice. As Trevor Noah demonstrates, segregation is not justified in its illogicality and absurdity. He exposes fundamental social problems in South Africa and ridicules them. Through ridicule, many people find it easier to face their fears, sorrows, and traumas, even if so many years have passed.