The Unexpected Hero

As I write this blog post, in the background the tv is on a Trevor Noah stand up from Netflix “Trevor Noah: Son of Patricia.” If you’re like me and enjoy a good stand up, head on over to Netflix and enjoy. We won’t be discussing his comedy career today though, we will discuss his book Born a Crime and highlight some instrumental roles from a  feminine perspective. More specifically, his mother. Patricia Noah, who molded and groomed him into the man that he is today.  Patrica Noah.a woman who has been profoundly self-sufficient and independent by challenging the status quo, broke barriers all because she refused to fall victim to the system and was not in agreement with it.

When is it ever okay to throw your kids out of a moving vehicle? For Patricia when the odds were against her, she did what was necessary for her and her family. I laughed and was in disbelief with her actions; I have no idea what I would have done in the heat of the moment. I do know if my mother threw me out of a moving van I would speak about it for years to come while still nursing the scars. What she did was risky and worth the sacrifice. I enjoyed most all the interactions that she and her son shared, he challenged her respectfully, and she did the same as a mother should. At no point in time while reading the book did I consider  Patricia to be weak or questioned her actions or inactions. She was assertive and stood her ground while refusing to back down. Even while in an argument with her ex-husband Abel she continuously taunted him referring to his actions as juvenile, in other words, she as saying to him that he wasn’t man enough, that angered him,not only was she right, but for a woman to speak up to her husband in that way was against societal norms. Abel was to be the man of the home, setting examples, be a source of provision in every possible way. He was weak and was not able to brave the battle that apartheid brought and seeing the qualities that he lacked revealed in his wife, qualities she had in surplus angered him further.

It eventually leads to him hitting her. Abel was no match for Patricia. In his book, Noah said that “For a long time he wondered why he ever married a woman like my mom in the first place, as she was the opposite of that in every way. If he wanted a woman to bow to him, there were plenty of girls back in Tzaneen being raised solely for that purpose”. For a long time, I wondered why he ever married a woman like my mom in the first place, as she was the opposite of that in every way. If he wanted a woman to bow to him, there were plenty of girls back in Tzaneen being raised solely for that purpose” (86). While reading the book I wonder, why was she with him, she was able to do so much better but as strong and resilient as she was she saw the best in him and wanted to assist in every way to bring out his truth. Patrica Noah didn’t need a man to define her nor to complete her, and I believe that is what scared her ex-husband Abel, he realized he wasn’t needed, he was just there as a  compliment to her life. She refused to be submissive and to not settle to his way of life and the way that he was trying to alter their way of life with his influences and beliefs. She did the unthinkable considering the restrictions that were in place due to apartheid, and never saw that as a hindrance and wanted her son not to allow fear to stand in the way of his dreams

 Patricia Noah was no one’s maid. Nor was she accepting of the patriarchal system that was forced upon her. It took incredible strength and resilience to do what she did not care what others thought. She is in my books the true hero of Noah’s memoir; she teaches him how to treat and respect women in a time when women were mistreated. Patrica Noah’s selflessness and intolerable strength surface when her ex-husband almost killed her. During apartheid in South Africa, it wasn’t something that was taken seriously, and the authorities did nothing about it as it’s the norm and deemed acceptable for men to physically abuse women.

At the receiving end of a bullet, Patricia Noah stood as armor in the protection of her family. She placed others first above all else while clinging to her Christian faith. I was lost for words during this experience. I know some of us will be fueled with anger and allow it to consume us beyond recognition, but Patricia found humor even in the most severe of circumstances and projected love, forgiveness, and perseverance amidst it all.

In an interview with Terry Gross he states that “I thought that I was the hero of my story, but in writing it I came to realize over time that my mom was the hero,” Noah says. “I was lucky enough to be in the shadow of a giant. My mom’s magic dust sprinkled on me, and I hope I have enough of it to be as brave as she was and continues to be.”(Noah). Another loss for words moment for me. Noah was pretty brave himself for exposing his past and his family all unapologetically to the world. Introducing the readers to his mom, a strong woman in every sense of the word, a warrior advocating for what she felt to be right. Noah does a remarkable job with his memoir and while highlighting women’s inhuman strength as seen through his mom. She is but an example of who we all aspire to be.

Applying Archetypal theory to Born a crime

The title of the book threw me off a bit initially. What does he mean by born a crime? But after reading, he couldn’t have chosen a more fitting title. Noah’s very existence during apartheids reign was a crime. He was born to a black mother and a white father, a union that was punishable by law with a prison sentence. He is what we refer to as a mixed race or biracial. As a kid, he was hidden away. He played indoors by himself. And if you don’t know kids from a young age are over stimulated they are over energetic and require some avenue by which they can burn off some of that energy like being outdoors at a park with other kids and associating with their peers. It wasn’t like that for Noah; he was lonely. This brings me to the archetype of fufi.

 Trevor’s dog companion, who came at a time in his life when he needed him the most. Trevor had no friends and due to his skin color, he wasn’t allowed to go outside to play with the other kids in fear of being reported to the authorities which will eventually lead to him being taken away from his mother. Noah sought companionship in a pet dog fufi. He described the dog to be “the love of his life. I potty-trained her, she slept in my bed. A dog is a great companion for a kid to have. It’s like a bicycle but with emotions” (Noah 97). Noah sought friendship in his pet deaf dog fufi. Yes! you read correctly, fufi was incapable of hearing. Both Trevor and fufi came into the relationship with some form of incapability. Trevor was a prisoner in his own home incapable of going out, and fufu was incapable of hearing, seeking love and acceptance from Trevor. They had a close bond. The archetype of the companion builds close ties and friendship with the protagonist. The protagonist being innocent and vulnerable trusts the companion and is very loyal to them. As Noah experiences growth on his life’s journey, he learns of the importance of friendship and unity through his companion fuji.

Noah learned a valuable life lesson through the archetype of his companion. As much as fufi was emotionally attached to Noah, she also had other interest and whatever the protagonist couldn’t provide she got it elsewherepJGeorge11$, from another family in his case. Noah speaks of how his companion was also the companion oLRTf another boy. “The hard thing was understanding that Fufi wasn’t cheating on me with another boy. She was merely living her life to the fullest. Until I knew that she was going out on her own during the day, her other relationship hadn’t affected me at all. Fufi had no malicious intent.”(Noah100). It was at that moment Noah understood what friendship was about. His best friend had another best friend, something he had no understanding of from a young age. He then concluded that “Fufi was my first heartbreak….. – I believed that Fufi was my dog, but of course, that wasn’t true. Fufi was a dog. I was a boy. We got along well. She happened to live in my house. That experience shaped what I’ve felt about relationships for the rest of my life: You do not own the thing that you love” (Noah 100). A vital lesson that the protagonist learned, that shaped his relationships moving forward.

Noah, Trevor. Born a Crime Stories from a South African Childhood. Spiegel & Grau, 2016.

Applying Readers Response Literary Theory to Trevor Noah Born a Crime.

I stumbled on “Born a Crime” while at the bookstore looking for a gift. Imagine that I went in looking for a book as a gift for someone, and I came out with a book for myself. I’ve always been a massive fan of Trevor Noah. If you’re a frequent watcher of the daily show like I am, then you’re familiar with him. When I saw the book on the shelves, there was no debate to be had; I was getting it. I went home, and I lost myself in the first few pages. At first, I was in complete disbelief on how a system of institutionalized racial segregation occurred in South Africa of all places. A country where the population was predominantly black, but that’s another discussion for another day. If you haven’t read born a crime, I implore you to. This book has been on my to-read list for a while, seeing that time was against me; I considered an audiobook to still get my monthly dosage of reading on, but this read required a real book and I enjoyed every bit of it. It’s a recommended read; you won’t be disappointed. It not only contains humor which Noah is known for but it gives an in-depth look at apartheid and post-apartheid in South Africa, Noah reveals some insightful perspectives on racism, I’m sure readers found that to be an eye opener like I did.

Through reader’s response criticism while reading “Born a Crime” this part in the text spoke to me more than any other quote.” My mom raised me as if there were no limitations to where I could go or what I could do. When I look back I realized she raised me like a white kid¬—not white culturally, but in in the sense of believing that the world was my oyster, that I should speak up for myself, that my ideas and thoughts and decisions mattered” (Noah 73). Noah’s mom raised him with the belief that the world was at his disposal and whatever he wanted, he could achieve, and no one should tell him different. She reinforced the belief that there were no limits to how far he can go, once he wants it badly enough. He drew a comparison to that of a “white kid”(Noah 73) because during Apartheid reign the whites were allowed access to resources that the blacks could not have, such as education, housing and many more.

 I was able to relate to Noah, growing up in the Caribbean I was raised under similar beliefs. But with a little twist. My family was not the best at showing love or encouraging a child to pursue their dreams. It was done but in the uncanny of ways, you were sent subliminal messages and you had to read between the lines. Then there was the other side of the family that blatantly shut down your hopes and dreams all because they don’t think you can do it. As a kid, being young and fragile with an underdeveloped mind you give in to that and being told constantly that you can’t do something you eventually start believing it. But I was strong-willed.  I became my motivator; I challenged myself, it was Avril vs. Avril. Being successful was reliant on how baldy I wanted it. So from personal experience, I appreciated that Noah’s mom went the extra mile to mold and shape him in preparations for the harshness of the world. Being a mom, you will go the extra mile for your kids and try to instill in them the morals of kindness, self-respect, and independence. Especially in time during apartheid, where everyone was limited in doing what they wanted, and their skin color determined their success.

Another important reminder was for Noah to speak up and not be silent for his voice mattered. This struck closer to home for me as I was pretty quiet growing up. I still am to this very day. One of my weaknesses is not speaking out enough or not at all. Throughout the book, Noah was very vocal and spoke up, him and his mom engaged in conversations both verbal and non-verbal she encouraged him to express himself and never to stifle his voice.

That’s my take on things. I’m eager to hear your viewpoints on some issues pertaining to the book.

Noah, Trevor. Born a Crime Stories from a South African Childhood. Spiegel & Grau, 2016.