Friday, April 11, 2025

Born a Crime Chapters Two and Three

 "“Neighbors would report on one another. The girlfriends of the white men in my mom's block of flats had every single reason to report a black woman—a prostitute, no doubt—living among them That's how a police state works—everyone thinks everyone else is the police.” Chapter 2 page 25

This shows just how bold and fearless Patricia had to be to move through a world governed by institutional racism. She was constantly at risk, not just from the law but also from her neighbors. Despite this, she refused to let the system define her life. She intentionally placed herself in spaces where she wasn’t allowed, took jobs she technically wasn’t permitted to have, and even had a child with a white man—something illegal under apartheid. Patricia challenged the system through her choices, her independence, and her refusal to conform to unjust laws. Trevor Noah’s early upbringing was shaped by his mother’s defiance and courage. He was raised to be aware of his situation, but not limited by it. She gave him books, took him to church, and exposed him to languages and culture beyond what was typical in his community. Her approach to parenting was both protective and empowering, trying to create a sense of freedom and possibility despite the restrictive world around them.

“In Soweto, religion filled the void left by absent men. I used to ask my mom if it was hard for her to raise me alone without a husband. She'd reply, ‘Just because I live without a man doesn't mean I've never had a husband. God is my husband.’ For my mom, my aunt, my grandmother, and all the other women on our street, life centered on faith.” Chapter 3 page 39


This passage stood out to me because it beautifully captures the strength and resilience of the women who raised Trevor Noah—and by extension, so many women around the world who raise families without male partners. It hit me emotionally because it shows how deeply faith can fill emotional, social, and even practical gaps when people are left to navigate the world on their own. In Soweto, where men were often absent due to work, death, or abandonment, women held their households and communities together. Patricia, Trevor’s mom, didn’t express sadness about raising him alone—instead, she drew strength from her belief in God. That line, “God is my husband,” really stuck with me. It reminded me of my own grandmother, who raised kids largely on her own and often spoke about “God providing” when things got hard. It made me reflect on how often faith serves not just as a belief system, but as a source of stability, purpose, and identity, especially in places where systems have failed people.

From this chapter, I also learned a lot about Soweto as a community—it was a place of hardship, definitely, but also one of deep cultural and spiritual life. Trevor’s early experiences there shaped how he viewed race, class, gender, and survival. It’s notable how humor, storytelling, and strong family bonds helped people get through tough times. Even in struggle, there was laughter, there was church, there was community. That contrast between scarcity and abundance—in resources versus love—is what made this chapter especially powerful for me.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Born a Crime Chapter 13-17

Chapter 16 pg.207- "I graduated from high school when I was seventeen, and by that point, life at home had become toxic because of my s...