Characters
What is Trevor Noah's mom’s name?
Patricia Nombuyiselo Noah
Who became president after Apartheid ended?
Nelson Mandela
How does code switching help Trevor in different cultural situations?
It allows him to connect with different ethnic groups
- “I soon learned that the quickest way to bridge the race gap was through language” (pg. 54)
To use someone or something unfairly or selfishly for one’s own benefit.
Exploited
What did Trevor learn after regaining ownership of Fluffi?
“You do not own the thing you love.” (pg. 100)
What is Trevor Noah’s dad's name?
Robert
What religion do most South Africans follow?
Christianity
Why is Trevor treated differently by his Grandparents?
He was treated differently because of his mixed race, and him being part white.
- "There were so many perks to being ‘white’ in a black family, i cant even front. My own family basically did what the American justice system does: I was given more lenient treatment than the black kids.” (pg. 52)
The most sophisticated form of legalized racial segregation known to exist.
Apartheid
Why did Trevor learn how to use Code Switching?
Helped him blend in with certain situations
Who was there when Trevor Noah pooped on the kitchen floor?
Koko
What was the Immorality Act, 1927?
An act that prohibited interracial sexual relationships
- "To prohibit illicit carnal intercourse between Europeans and natives and other acts in relation thereto.” (pg. XI)
What 2 tribes had conflict?
Zulu and Xhosa
- "The political dynamic between these two groups was very complicated, but the simplest way to understand it is as a proxy war between Zulu and Xhosa.” (pg. 12)
Any authority that uses its power unjustly to keep people under control.
Oppressor
Why was writing letters with his mom important when arguing?
Helped him learn to properly communicate with others
Who is the father of Andrew and Isaac?
Abel
What were Bantu schools?
Government built schools that taught a limited/restricted education to black South Africans
-"Under apartheid, the government built what became known as Bantu schools. Bantu schools taught no science, no history, no civics. They taught metrics and agriculture” (pg. 60)
What are the 3 largest South African tribes?
Zulu, Xhosa, and Sotho
To speak to a group of people in a forceful or angry way, often for a long time.
Haranguing
What did Trevor learn about relationships during his time with his father Robert?
“Relationships are built in the silences. You spend time with people, you observe them and interact with them, and you come to know them– and that is what apartheid stole from us: time.” (pg. 110)
Who sent Trevor Noah’s mom to live on a farm for days without food?
Temperance
Why were Japanese people classified as white in South Africa?
Japanese people were considered white because the South African government wanted to build good relations with them to import fancy cars and electronics.
- "Japanese people were labeled as white. The reason for this was that the South African government wanted to establish good relations with the Japanese in order to import their fancy cars and electronics." (pg. 75)
What language was Trevor taught to speak first and why?
English because Trevor's mom believed it would give him a leg up.
- “My mother made sure english was the first language i spoke. If you're black in South Africa, speaking English is the only thing that can give you a leg up.” (pg. 54)
Very Angry.
Incensed
What does Trevor learn about community by living in a matriarchal household?
Due to most men being absent because they had to work, were in prison, or they were taken away by apartheid, women held the community together