Daily Writing Assignment #5

Chapter Discussion and Group Work Exercise

Directions:

Read Born a Crime Part I and answer the questions below. After you’ve completed your responses, participate in the group exercise (We’ll do the group exercise in class.)

Type your short-answer responses after each question below. Your responses should be in blue color and should be writing in standard format, including being written in complete sentences. The document should be saved as a MS Word or Google Doc. I cannot accept Pages documents.

Questions:

1) What are the plot points in PART I of BAC? Basically, what happened? Why did it happen? Who did it happen to? Under what circumstances did it happen? E.g., Setting, Characters, Events, Challenges, Victories, Underlying Messages, Symbols, etc. Be specific and give several examples (15 minutes)

Trevor given us an interior see at the encounters, openings, and challenges he had in South Africa when apartheid finished. Since of the division, prejudice and separation play a noteworthy part in apartheid. Trevor's account starts when his mother Patricia had a child with a Swiss fellow at a time when it was illicit for a dark lady to have sexual relations with a white man. This happened to blacks, colored people, Indians, and even Chinese people. Trevor's transition to government school in sixth grade was a turning point. He was assigned to an A class that was entirely white, but he elected to attend a B class that was entirely black. The counselor tried to persuade him that he didn't belong there and that he wasn't meant to be there. This demonstrates how South Africa has influenced the minds of young children by pressuring them to create separationist ideas rather than integrationist goals. Patricia faced a struggle where she had to hide out in the city and sleep in public bathrooms until she figured out how to manage the streets. In the book, the Volkswagen beetle car stands as a symbol. The automobile depicts the post-apartheid world's freedom and possibilities. Trevor says several times in the novel that the neighborhood had driveways but no automobiles, which could be a sign of hope for the future. In the story, the chameleon is also highly meaningful. Within his culture, it denotes Trevor flexibility. Trevor’s advantage is that he talks in a distinctive dialect, which permits him to mix in with others that are comparative to him. Trevor, as a blended person, must alter to his environment. The fundamental message is almost separation within the lives of a little boy who is attempting to discover himself in a world full of despise. This intriguing novel is set in a number of countries, mainly South Africa.  Johannesburg, Soweto, Maryvale College, Eden Park, and Cape Town, where his father lives, were all mentioned in part one.

2) Who is the taxi driver? Where does he come from? What does he represent? Why is the taxi scene so important to Trevor’s ability to establish the context of his story? (10 minutes)

The taxi drivers were Zulu man and within the novel Trevor included that they are comparable to savage gangsters. Patricia was getting harassed by one off the men calling her names and telling her off. The minibus taxi served out of nowhere after being picked up from somebody that offered them a ride. This scene is significant because it is the primary time Trevor encounters the partition caused by apartheid between conventional south African tribes.

3) Who is Trevor’s mother? What role does she play in the plot? What role does she play in Trevor’s life? Why is her character important? (10 minutes)

Trevor's mother is portrayed as an independent, brave, and intelligent black lady in the novel. Her Christian religion is very important to her throughout the novel, and she feels that Jesus is the cure to all challenges. She simply didn't care what other people were thinking about her publicizing the fact that she has a colored son, which was a crime back then. She is a mother who appreciates him and is willing to go to great lengths to protect him. Her character is significant since she served as a provider, caregiver, guardian, disciplinarian, and educator all at the same time. In a culture of segregation and discrimination, she embraces and encourages the good as much as she can.

4) What is Trevor’s relationship with his mother? What is Trevor’s relationship with his mother’s family? In what ways is this relationship relevant to Trevor’s views on life and his development into manhood? (10 minutes)

The novel's strongest bond was between Trevor and his mother. She is referred to as his partner because she has laid the groundwork for all of his achievements, not only by teaching him to think for himself and dream of the kinds of success reserved for whites during apartheid, but also by demonstrating that outlook and achievement when the cards are stacked against her. With that, Trevor and Patricia couldn't be seen in public.  He always walked a few feet ahead of her because being too near would raise suspicions. Because of the apartheid, Trevor's connection with his family was strange. Trevor was unable to live a regular life or maintain friendships with certain individuals as a result of it. This relationship is relevant because it forcibly taught Trevor to be fiercely independent on his own. She taught him to value the important things in life and to be fearless in the face of adversity.

5) What is Trevor’s relationship to the community? How does his relationship with his mother impact his relationship with the community? What is significant about Trevor’s relationship with the community? (10 minutes)

The society was held together by women. By attending prayer meetings practically every day, his bond with his mother has an impact on his relationship with the community. Trevor is frequently welcomed into the community. Trevor just refuses to limit himself to a single group, preferring to define himself positively by exposing himself to a wide range of people, languages, and experiences. He prefers black districts (such as Soweto and Alexandra) and despises white suburbs, where everyone else lives behind a high wall. And he feels particularly marginalized by brown youngsters in Eden Park, who bully him on a regular basis.

6) Describe the relationship Trevor and his mother have with Trevor’s biological father. What is Trevor’s relationship with his father? In what ways does this relationship shape his world view? What impact does this relationship have on his development into manhood? (10 minutes)

Despite Robert's joy in Trevor's accomplishments, he treated him like a white child. This was common practice in their time, but Trevor may only give him discrete visits.  They had the occasional chat on Sundays while eating a German meal, but the majority of the time they were silent. Trevor was never touched by him, and neither was his mother's relatives. Trevor's perspective shifted in a variety of ways. He realized that the languages he knew helped him excel in his life encounters with many kids and individuals, particularly this one. In Trevor's life, Robert was a good role model. Robert opened the first integrated restaurant and then closed it because the government imposed a slew of regulations in response to his achievement. Robert teaches Trevor that he insists on living by his own set of norms and defying the apartheid regime. His restaurant demonstrates that no amount of institutional segregation or cultural hostility can keep people apart in the long run.

Group Exercise:

1) Get into groups and discuss your responses to Question #1. Take notes.

2) Switch into a new group and discuss your responses Question #2. Take notes.

3) Switch into a new group and discuss your responses Question #3. Take notes.

4) Switch into a new group and discuss your responses Question #4. Take notes.

5) Switch into a new group and discuss your responses Question #5. Take notes.

6) Switch into a new group and discuss your responses Question #6. Take notes.

NOTE: If you have not read PART I in Born A Crime, join the Reading Group and complete the reading and the questions independently.