Born a Crime Setting
Choose your favoirte chapter from the book and consider its setting. How does Noah's home, school, or neighborhood affect his outlook at that point in time? Explain. If possible, include an image from the setting you've chosen.
Metonymy, or The Husband's Revenge
Metonymy, or the Husband's Revenge Rachel de Queiroz Metonymy. I learned the word in 1930 and shall never forget it. I had just published my first novel. A literary critic had scolded me because my hero went out into the night “chest unbuttoned.” “What deplorable nonsense!” wrote this eminently sensible gentleman. “Why does she not say what she means? Obviously, it was his shirt that was unbuttoned, not his chest.” I accepted his rebuke with humility, indeed with shame. But my illustrious Latin professor, Dr. Matos Peixoto came to my rescue. He said that what I had written was perfectly correct; that I had used a respectable figure of speech known as metonymy; and that this figure consisted in the use of one word for another word associated with it—for example, a word representing a cause instead of the effect, or representing the container when the content is intended. The classic instance, he told me, is “the sparkling cup”; in reality, not the cup but the wine in it is sparkli...
My favorite chapter was chapter 18, “My Mother’s Life.” The setting for some of it was the hospital. Here’s a pic of a South African hospital https://s2.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20200607&t=2&i=1521397896&r=LYNXMPEG560BB&w=1280
ReplyDeleteAnyways, I think the hospital influenced him to be more willing to save his mother’s life. Compared to if his mother was taken out of the family car and set on the ground causing the setting to be the road, I think it made him willing to save his mom. I mean, the setting would subconsciously make him think about the chances of saving his mom, undoubtedly, as we know he was already planning to do anything to save her; however, he’d probably be less willing to try something if her wounds got worse while if they were on the road and not at the hospital. So, the hospital setting made his outlook hopeful.
Here’s another South African hospital, but this one is in Johannesburg. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/The_Chris_Hani_Baragwanath_Hospital%2C_Soweto.jpg
https://s2.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20200607&t=2&i=1521397896&r=LYNXMPEG560BB&w=1280
Deletehttps://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/The_Chris_Hani_Baragwanath_Hospital%2C_Soweto.jpg
I am not sure if I follow your line of reasoning here. If she was on the road and Trevor saw her and her head was destroyed and covered in blood, I feel like that would make him want to save her more, seeing her in such a state. I don't think the setting affects Trevor's desire to save his mom. His love for her and gratitude towards her would cause him to want to do anything for her regardless of the setting. I can't imagine him seeing his dying mom in the road and thinking "she's already dead, time to give up." But yes, I suppose the setting out of the hospital makes it seem like there's hope for saving her.
DeleteThat's fair. It is kind of a stretch
DeleteChapter 4, "Chameleon," while it wasn't necessarily my favorite chapter (Chapter 18 probably), it had my favorite setting. I enjoyed the scenes at recess during school because it dives into the mind of a child. The kids separate into different groups based off of race and it leaves Trevor not knowing what do. I thought this chapter served as a good exploration into how stupid racism is. These are kids at recess and yet they've been exposed to apartheid and racism. Trevor was able to adapt and speak all these different languages, thus blending him into different groups of people. This setting affected his outlook on race and changed his perspective despite him being at such a young age. I'd say this was a changing point in his life and how he views the mixing of cultures.
ReplyDeleteI can't find a picture of a south african playground from 20 years ago
The page just ate my comment three times.
DeleteYes. I agree that ch 4's recess scene probably shaped Trevor Noah, but I don't think it changed his outlook on race because he was already trying to learn the other languages to fit in with everyone, for example. Maybe you meant it "changed his outlook on dividing or categorizing people by race" in which case yes that seemed to occur at that setting.
Yes that's what I meant
DeleteOne of my favorite chapters is chapter 16 "The Cheese Boys. This chapter took place in Alexandra. Alexandra is a rundown township which Trevor Noah considers "the hood." During his time in Alexandra, he forgot about paying for college and instead focused on hustling by burning CD's and flipping different products. Each day was a repetitive cycle of taking the bus to Alexandra, burning CD's and working out, eating, going home then repeating everything. In Trevor's mind "you can't leave the hood, so you survive by the rules of the hood." At this point in time, Trevor felt stuck and unable leave. It took getting arrested for him to finally leave.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Flh3.googleusercontent.com%2Fqe4xtXiLzKmzBIz4qsizLHYXGAjKGcQjL192ki8Da8pZ1OLRB0d5VGfgkQm8wVKj_RLauwNl33-9tODXiRk0d-tC-UmdfOqR%3Ds1000&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sowetanlive.co.za%2Fnews%2Fsouth-africa%2F2019-10-18-waiting-to-exhale-the-story-of-alexandra-township%2F&tbnid=w0MJoH7bTFf5bM&vet=12ahUKEwjjgoin54PvAhWKJ6wKHQH4AeIQMygCegUIARCyAQ..i&docid=PVCVlPdQ20qF3M&w=1000&h=657&q=alexandra%20south%20africa&hl=en&safe=active&ved=2ahUKEwjjgoin54PvAhWKJ6wKHQH4AeIQMygCegUIARCyAQ
DeleteI also thought the setting of the "hood" impacted him a lot. It certainly makes sense that he got sucked into that cycle. It reminds me of generational poverty. It is hard to break.
DeleteMy favorite chapter was chapter 3, Trevor, Pray. The house he lived in was fine for the most part, but he felt low because state of (or rather lack of) the bathroom. No matter how hard you worked to better your living conditions in Soweto, that was the one thing they were helpless to change. This feeling drove him to strive for "better conditions", even if he went about it by deciding to use the bathroom in the middle of his floor in front of his blind grandma. I believe his situation got him into the mindset that set him on his path in the future, the one that had him making his own money and eventually getting away from how that house made him feel. Noah is successful now, having his own talk show and quite a bit of money to his name, and I do not think he would have pushed himself to go that far if it were not for the malcontent he felt because of that outhouse.
ReplyDeleteI can definitely see how this mindset played into Noah’s present accomplishments. It is not uncommon for people with unfortunate backgrounds to strive for a future that would allow them to escape these circumstances, and I think not wanting to be stuck utilizing an outhouse for the rest of his life would certainly qualify.
DeleteAlthough Chapter 10 was not my favorite chapter, I think the setting played a role in Noah’s developing outlook of racial society. The chapter was about the Valentine’s Day dance and it mainly takes place at their primary school, H.A. Jack. Noah is all set up to go to the dance with another colored girl, but at the last minute, she cancels to go with a popular white guy instead. The children in the school still follow the social statues previously set by apartheid, which means that as a colored boy attending the school, Noah would always come in second to the white boy. Even worse, Noah completely understood why the girl chose the other boy. He states, “He was popular. He was white.” I think that maybe going to schools where social statues still existed at an earlier age most likely shaped if not enhanced his take on the status of colored people whether it be in other schools he attended or life in general. He always saw himself as the “colored outsider.”
ReplyDeleteI tried to find a picture of the school, but none of the links would work. They were all blocked.
I completely agree with you and think this is really good insight! The fact that Noah felt that way is saddening and shows the effects of apartheid on the colored kids. While at that point he viewed himself as a "colored outsider" he in later chapters states that he preferred being an "insider as an outsider" rather than being an "outsider as an insider" which I feel is significantly different than I would anticipate after reading this chapter.
DeleteI'm not really sure what my favorite chapter is, but one setting I did find impactful was that of chapter 17, The World Doesn't Love You. This is the chapter where Noah is in jail for a week. I think this is really the first time he realized that he was guilty of the same prejudice as those who have victimized him. Once faced with a scary situation where he was forced to make decisions based on how people looked at initial glance, he was able to see that he too, although often subject to the same assumptions, treats people differently based on the color of their skin. This really hit when he realized the scariest man in the room was practically a big teddy bear. I just think that without an experience like this he may have never truly realized that it is something he does too. I mean yes as a kid he knows how a group of black kids will treat him versus a group of white and a group of colored. But that is him worrying about how those interactions would affect him. There is nothing in them to make him realize he is doing the very thing he hates, racial profiling—even if it is on a smaller and not very harmful scale. He needed that eye opener in the jail. And it also exposed him to some harsh conditions and fear that allowed him to make better decisions for his future. After seeing someone who has lost their mind from all they have endured in prison, you definitely don't want to spend any time in there. Not to mention that his homecoming was another reminder that his mother loves him and understands the unjustness of their law system and that she has worked hard to protect him and prepare him for it.
ReplyDeleteI find your treatise most enticing, Willow Keller. I agree that Noah's jail time probably played a massive part in his development. That's about it, your opinion is very congruent to mine own. I thought the end with his mother was very interesting because he did exactly what he expected she'd "want him to do" so that part was a bit wacky in my head.
DeleteMy favorite chapter is definitely 13, colorblind (probably because I went like in depth on this one). This is the chapter where Teddy, also know as Bugs Bunny, and Noah are caught shoplifting the alcohol filled candy. However, that chapter isn't really good for the setting question so I am going to discuss chapter 9, the mulberry tree. In this chapter, Noah is a primarily colored area called Hillbrow which he stated "was the biggest mind[changer he's] ever experienced". He went from being an "insider as an outsider" to an "outsider as an insider" and he had slim to no friends because of this. He felt as if he could never find a common ground with the others because some of the people thought he acted too black and others thought he acted too white. I think living in this neighborhood gave him a feeling of pity of some sorts for the colored people who never felt good enough and that their "blood is tainted" but it also made him develop a sense of respect for himself knowing he didn't need to be treated terribly. The most prevalent image created in this chapter is some kid throwing mulberries at Noah and then Abel beating him until he said he was sorry.
ReplyDeletethat was very insightful! I agree that this marks a huge shift for him as he goes from being pampered as the “white kid” in the black community to being treated as an outsider. the whole mulberry thing was so sad but played a big part in his development
DeleteI really enjoyed chapter 6. I feel like this chapter shows an important time in Noah’s life regarding who he wanted and chose to be. Noah was forced to acknowledge and learn the difference in the way white and black people were treated and how this affected him as a biracial individual. Because of this, Noah spends his time learning an array of languages to “bridge the race gap” and form a connection with the black people in his neighborhood. While a lot of people around him viewed him as a white child, when he was given the chance to choose, he ultimately decided that he related the black children and community the most. I think that Noah’s choice in this chapter is an admirable one considering he chose the side that is not presented with many opportunities to do well, but despite this, he chose those he felt a connection with due to his upbringing.
ReplyDeleteI agree, this chapter not only displayed his will to fit in amongst as many groups as he can, but that he officially wanted to be seen as black, the same as his family. He could have tried to fit in with the white kids because of his father, but decided his family's influence meant more to him.
DeleteMy favorite chapter is by far Chapter 15, "Go Hitler." The setting that I primarily affects Noah at this point is probably McDonalds. I don't think you guys need an image of that. Anyway, the reason why I am choosing McDonalds is specifically due to his what is happening in his life. The chapter begins primarily with Noah talking about his own capitalist exploits and reinvestment of himself. Ultimately, he funnels this money into McDonalds because he likes it so much. Besides being a good (not in my opinion but he seems to like it) place to eat, McDonalds has become a cornerstone of America. Whether you like it or not, a hamburger with fries represents "freedom." Which is what Noah ultimately discovers. Through his money, he has the choice to decide what gets to eat when he would normally otherwise not have that freedom. Without McDonalds, he may have possibly never felt/learned freedom through his spending.
ReplyDeleteI agree. For South Africa, McDonalds was a beacon for hope and freedom in a rundown place. I think there's another side to the way it affects him though. Yes it gives him that sense of freedom and independence, but I think it also shows him not to take advantage of this freedom. He began to choose McDonalds over his mother's cooking and was blowing extremely valuable money on burgers and fries. I just think this was his way of showing the audience that, in his situation, there is a certain responsibility with such freedom.
DeleteMy favorite chapter from Trevor Noah’s novel was “A Young Man’s Long, Awkward, Occasionally Tragic , and Frequently Humiliating Education in Affairs with the Heart, Part Two: The Crush” because of how it really allows the readers to connect with him and vibe with his experiences. Not everyone can relate to living through apartheid, but most everyone can relate to those awkward crushes where they don’t think they’re good enough, or living in constant regret for the decisions that they have made. The school reflects his output because of the hierarchy built inside of it: he believed he wasn’t good enough for her because she was more “popular” than him. He believed he wasn’t the guy that got the girls; he was simply the funny guy. So, he didn’t go for what he wanted and didn’t realize he would have had it until it was too late.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with this. I wrote something similar about how the school environment kind of fueled his outlook of apartheid and the hierarchy of society. Especially the part about the other boy being more popular than he was mainly because he was white. I wrote how he viewed himself as the outsider (you put as the funny guy) because of how the school society shaped his views.
DeleteI also agree that his schooling environment definitely had an effect on his view on segregation and apartheid. In a place of hierarchies and cliques, it's oftentimes hard to find a place to belong. The oppressive atmosphere made Trevor feel inadequate and like he wasn't enough. This mirrors the affect of their governmental structure, in which black people are told they are lesser than the superior white people, and colored people are left in the middle, not accepted by either side and meant to simply fall back and forth between both worlds with no where to belong.
DeleteMy favorite chapter of the book was chapter three: Trevor, Pray. There is no real stand-out reason for this chapter being my favorite, besides the obvious demon hunt. However, it is a truly good chapter when actually examined. When developing the image of Soweto, Noah makes sure to describe the significance he sees behind the driveways in the neighborhoods. Most people are too poor to have more than two rooms in their house; however, it is normal for everyone to have a driveway even if they have no car. This affects Noah’s outlook by teaching him the importance of hope. When living in Soweto, it is easy to feel defeated living in a place created to be inescapable. So instead of focusing on the escape, the people of Soweto focus on working with what they have and “transform[ing] the ghetto.” One simple way they do this is through hope, and Trevor sees that. If no one is hopeful, nothing will get better; so the driveways create a type of aspiration in order to keep everyone moving forward.
ReplyDeleteThis is a picture of a worse part of Soweto:
https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=1tuMvF3g&id=D8A11C5147CE71E75E39583D551FD1854E684E71&thid=OIP.1tuMvF3gK47kDfeqrFg1KAHaFj&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fbackpackerlee.files.wordpress.com%2f2015%2f12%2fsoweto2.jpg%3fw%3d1200&exph=900&expw=1200&q=soweto&simid=607992160963069729&ck=6F5A0472D1CDC225C710907DF09B3119&selectedIndex=12&FORM=IRPRST
and this is a better part of Soweto (still insanely crowded):
https://www.philandgarth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/A-common-sight-in-Soweto-affluent-areas-next-to-smaller-townships.jpg
I, too, enjoyed this chapter. I think the fact that the collective neighborhood all having driveways also showed a sense of community. With a driveway at every house, yet no ownership of a car, truly does show the hope that citizens of Soweto had. Everyday, they could wake up and have faith that one day cars would be in their driveways and, as you said, "transform the ghetto." Back to the sense of community, though. I like that they all had this feature on their homes so they could work together toward this goal. No singular person desires these luxuries, but the entire neighborhood wants to see each other prosper.
DeleteOne of my favorite chapters from the book was chapter 7, titled "Fufi". This story takes place in Trevor Noah's neighborhood Eden Park. Since Eden Park is a colored neighborhood, Noah explains the shocks he experienced in this new environment as well as lessons he learned from it through a series of pets. His first pets, two black cats, were unfortunately killed by those in the neighborhood, and although Noah himself was not extremely close with the cats, he discovered new information regarding his surroundings. Those in the colored neighborhoods stay true to their superstitions generation after generation. Claiming that "colored people... were no more progressive than black people on the issue of cats," the setting of this chapter gave Noah a chance to learn about the differences and similarities between various communities. Furthermore, once Noah had Fufi and discovered that she was going back and forth between his house and another boy's house, Noah took away important life lessons from experiences in Eden Park. Coming to realize "you do not own the thing that you love," Noah carries the story of Fufi from Eden Park with him throughout life.
ReplyDeletehttps://albertonrecord.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/04/16MOTHER_74927.jpg
One of my favorite chapters was chapter 4, "Chameleon." It shows the diversity of the playground and the minds of children and how, at that point, they have had enough outside influence that they have divided into groups based on race. However, there is also a progression of Trevor discovering how to maneuver amongst these groups and make himself belong -- even if he doesn't entirely believe that he does. It highlights the importance of language and the ability to communicate. The scene here feels like one of the most impactful on his view of race, apartheid, and all else related to such, especially as someone who is able to slip through the cracks of the segregated structure and use it to his own advantage.
ReplyDelete