Chapters 1-2
a South African system of segregation and discrimination on grounds on race
What was apartheid?
Although Trevor respected his great-grandmother Koko, he also took advantage of a disability that surgery could have prevented.
Was she blind?
Could she see?The title of chapter 5 refers to these two points.
Was Trevor's mom the second daughter in her family?
Did being a daughter give his mom less prestige in her family?
The name of chapter 7 refers to this.
Was Trevor's dog named Fufi?
Trevor's stepfather had a problem controlling his anger, and this made it worse.
Was he angrier when he drank alcohol?
Xhosa, Zulu, Sotho...
What are some South African tribes?
We know that Trevor's mom didn't trust her dad's "second family (36) because of this.
Did she think they would poison the food?
Did she think their food was poisonous?
This is the term for using two or more languages at the same time, in the same sentence or conversation.
What is codeswitching?
Trevor learned a lesson from his dog, explaining that "Fufi wasn't cheating on me with another boy. She was merely living her life to the fullest" (100), referring to this.
Did Fufi like escaping from Trevor's yard when she thought no one was home, and going to visit another family?
After other boys bullied Trevor, his mom and Abel reacted differently.
Did Trevor's mom try to laugh it off, while Abel got mad and wanted revenge?
How was Patricia a rebel?
Trevor's grandmother showed internalized racism because she couldn't bring herself to do this.
Could she beat him, as a light-skinned child?
By moving to Eden Park, life changed for Trevor and his mom in a few specific ways, but stayed the same in others.
The original copyright for Born a Crime is from _____. That means that by now, Trevor might have learned more about these people on his dad's side of the family.
Was it first published in 2016?
Did he ever meet his grandparents or his aunt on his dad's side?
Does he know more about his dad's education by now?
The name of chapter 9 connects to a calm moment and a scary one.
In a video we watched, Trevor talked about wanting to narrate his story by recording the audiobook himself. The written version is a ... (What genre?)
memoir
nonfiction
Trevor's school counselor showed internalized racism by doing this.
Did she say that no one was smart in the class full of Black kids?
Trevor explains that "we got by with next to nothing, but we always had church and we always had books and we always had food" (72). This is because of two factors that were important to his mother.
Was his mom frugal and interesting in supporting his body, mind and soul?
or Did she try to raise him to think critically, learn from books, be physically healthy and be religious like her?
There were a few reasons why Trevor's dad's restaurant in South Africa was successful yet failed.
Did he have experience as a chef?
Was he against apartheid and in favor of integration?
Were black and white people curious to eat in the same space?
Did some people complain to the authorities about the way his restaurant didn't follow the rules of apartheid?
Foreshadowing is when a write gives the reader a clue about something that will happen later in the story or book. Find a paragraph or sentence that uses this technique.
Trevor's comment that "nobody ran like me and my mom" (10) connects to at least 2 points.
How did Trevor's mom discipline him? (By hitting him so he tried to run away)
What's different about Trevor's brain? (ADHD, where the D stands for hyperactivity)
Trevor and his mom used English for one purpose, Xhosa and Zulu for another and Afrikaans for a different reason.
Was English for school and jobs, Xhosa and Zulu for threats and self-defense, and Afrikaans to understand the people in power?
Is it valuable to be multilingual and "know the language of your oppressor" (55)?
Trevor's mom supported his literacy through one of her discipline methods, and she also supported his independence and sense of right and wrong.
Did she write letters to him about their arguments, and did she agree with him changing schools when his school didn't understand him (by not respecting his creativity etc)?
Trevor finally started spending time with his dad, then they lost touch, and eventually they got back in touch due to these factors.
Was Trevor curious about his dad?
Did Trevor's mom push him to contact his dad?
Did Trevor's dad love him in spite of their limited contact with each other?
Did distance and teenage interests interfere with their relationship?Trevor and his mom both understood how dangerous Able was. He showed typical behavior of an abuser.