Born a Crime by Trevor Noah Book Review

“In America, the dream is to make it out of the ghetto. In Soweto, because there was no leaving the ghetto, the dream was to transform the ghetto” (Noah 40). Born a Crime is a book that describes the struggles of a mixed child during apartheid. Trevor Noah is a mixed child who talks about what his life was like and how he combatted racism during this time. No matter what the circumstances are, it is always possible to change the world around you. 

In this wonderful world, there are no limits to what you can achieve and the new ideas that you can find. In chapter 3, Trevor says “In America, the dream is to make it out of the ghetto. In Soweto, because there was no leaving the ghetto, the dream was to transform the ghetto” (Noah 40). This quote is when Trevor is explaining that Soweto is magical and important despite the oppression that the people are under. This quote explains that not all places have the same opportunities, and that life isn’t always running away from bad circumstances but doing everything that you can to change these circumstances for you and the people around you. This is an important mindset to have because running away from an issue, doesn’t get rid of it. The reader can learn a lot from this quote and apply it to solve real-life issues. 

Imagination is an incredibly strong ability and can give someone the power of creating opportunities for themselves. In chapter 5, Trevor’s mom says “even if he never leaves the ghetto, he will know that the ghetto is not the world. If that is all I accomplish, I’ve done enough.” (Noah 74). Trevor explains that people thought his mom was crazy because she provided many opportunities for Trevor that were common to white people. People wondered why Trevor’s mom would do all of this if they were never going to leave the ghetto. Trevor’s mom Patricia tells people that even if he doesn’t leave the ghetto, he will understand that there is more to the world and to take more ambitious opportunities. This is crucial for the story because imagination is only as useful as the things that you have seen. Trevor uses his imagination to pursue risks and to do things that other colored people could not do. The reader can be inspired to take more risks and to utilize imagination more. 

Everyone is born in a different environment, which can really change the opportunities that you might receive. Trevor Noah tells us whatever hardships that you have gone through, that giving up is simply not an option, and that every single person has the power to change the world in their own unique way. The world is filled with infinite possibilities and ideas, and this is because people persevered through their hardships and shortcomings to change the world. Imagination is another important part of changing the world because it is drastically more difficult to create new ideas if the number of ideas that influence you are limited. Trevor Noah represents both ideas and is a perfect example of doing the best you can with what you got. Perseverance regardless of conditions is the difference between succeeding and failing.