Trevor
What are two adjectives to describe Trevor's personality as a child?
Fun, a little misbehaved, innocent, loves to eat, high-energy, not a rule follower
What are two adjectives to describe Patricia's personality?
Brave, hardworking, faithful, makes sacrifices, loving mother, stubborn, not a rule follower
What is the name of the system of racism and segregation that existed in South Africa when Trevor was growing up?
Apartheid
Patricia tells Trevor that she chose to have a child for a reason. What was that reason?
She wanted something to love that would love her in return
What is Abel's, Patricia's boyfriend, central emotion?
He "hustles" by delivering other kids' cafeteria orders to them
Describe Patricia's upbringing.
Patricia's childhood was incredibly difficult. She lived on a farm with 14 other children. She was most often very hungry and had to work all day long.
Why does Patricia throw Trevor out of a moving vehicle?
The driver realized that Patricia was a member of the Xhosa tribe and held negative stereotypes about Xhosa women, and threatened their lives
Trevor says that Patricia raised him "like a white kid." What does he mean by this?
Patricia raised Trevor to believe that his ideas are important and valuable and that he can go anywhere in life
What Trevor realize when he sees Abel getting revenge on the kids who teased him?
That the other child is just like him, afraid
Describe Trevor's relationship to his father.
Trevor was somewhat close with his father, Robert. They spent time together as a child, and then drifted apart. They later reconnected when Trevor was a young adult.
Describe some of the sacrifices Patricia makes to protect herself and her son under apartheid.
Patricia had to pretend to not be Trevor's mother, had to lie on his birth certificate, and had to keep him isolated and hidden away when he was a baby
Patricia is able to get a job working as a secretary in an office. Why is this significant?
Because of systemic racism in South Africa, it was nearly impossible for black women to get a "white collar" job
Why was the car that Patricia owned so important to her and Trevor?
Why is Trevor especially hurt that Maylene chooses Lorenzo over him?
Later on when Trevor has graduated high school, how does he make a living?
He sells pirated music on CDs and sells them
How did Patricia contribute to Trevor's education?
She would bring him old books that she found for free, read to him from the Bible, drove him around Soweto and incorporated him into society, taught him 4 languages, and would have him write his arguments with her on paper
Religion and community
Although Trevor's life was not materially luxurious, he said that he "never felt poor." Why?
His life was rich with experience and knowledge
Why does Trevor get away with stealing chocolates while Teddy gets punished?
Trevor's skin looks white on the security footage, so the police think that Teddy's accomplice was white
In Chapter 7 (about Fufi, the dog) what ultimate lesson does Trevor learn?
You do not own what you love
As a mother, what is Patricia like? What is her parenting style?
Patricia balances love and discipline. She is strict with Trevor and punishes him when he misbehaves, but never withholds love from him and does everything she can to make sure he has a good life
When Trevor changes schools and attends H.A. Jack, what does he realize about his race?
He realizes "that he is black" and that he never felt like he belonged with white children
Why doesn't Trevor want to go to Catholic school?
He thinks the rules are illogical and contradictory
Why is cheese so important in Soweto?
Cheese is expensive, so if you can afford it, it's a symbol of wealth