What is *Born a Crime* by Trevor Noah about?

*Born a Crime* is Trevor Noah’s memoir about growing up mixed-race in apartheid South Africa, where his birth was literally illegal. It explores his tumultuous childhood, his fiercely independent mother’s influence, and his journey navigating racial identity, poverty, and systemic injustice with humor and resilience.

Who should read *Born a Crime*?

This book appeals to readers interested in memoirs, South African history, or social justice. It’s ideal for fans of Noah’s comedy, those exploring biracial identity, or anyone seeking insights into apartheid’s legacy through a personal lens.

Is *Born a Crime* worth reading?

Yes. Noah balances raw honesty with sharp wit, offering both a gripping personal story and a nuanced critique of systemic racism. Its blend of humor and heartbreak makes it accessible while tackling heavy themes like violence, inequality, and survival.

How does *Born a Crime* address racial identity?

Noah details his struggle to belong in a racially stratified society, using language and cultural fluency to bridge groups. His “colored” identity forces him to code-switch constantly, highlighting apartheid’s absurdity and the resilience required to navigate it.

What role does Patricia Noah play in the book?

Trevor’s mother, Patricia, is portrayed as a defiant, resourceful figure who challenges apartheid’s rules. Her unshakable faith and tough love shape Trevor’s worldview, culminating in her surviving a gunshot to the head—a testament to her resilience.

How does *Born a Crime* depict poverty in South Africa?

Noah illustrates how systemic inequality traps communities like Alexandra in cycles of crime and deprivation. His teenage hustling ventures reveal how poverty forces ingenuity but rarely leads to escape, underscoring structural barriers.

What are key quotes from *Born a Crime*?

- “I was born a crime”: Reflects Noah’s illegal status under apartheid for being mixed-race. - “A dog is a great thing for a kid to have”: Highlights his mother’s pragmatic lessons about survival and loyalty.

How does *Born a Crime* critique apartheid’s legacy?

Noah shows how apartheid’s racial categories distorted personal and communal identities long after its end. His anecdotes about police brutality and economic disparity underscore systemic racism’s lingering effects.

おやすみ前のバイオグラフィー

生まれた理由

トレバー・ノア

4.49(784360 Reviews)

『おやすみ前のバイオグラフィー』の概要

トレバー・ノアによるニューヨーク・タイムズ紙No.1ベストセラーである本作は、自身の存在そのものが違法であったアパルトヘイト下での数奇な幼少期を明かしています。ジル・バイデンが大学の必読書に指定し、ルピタ・ニョンゴ主演での映画化も決定している、ダークな笑いと深い感動に満ちた回想録です。

語り方を選ぶ

1冊の本。さまざまな聴き方。

おやすみ前のバイオグラフィーの同じアイデアを、あなたに合う声・深さ・ペースで学べます。いつでも切り替えられます。

第1章

A World of Contradictions

I was born a crime. Not figuratively, but literally. My very existence was illegal under apartheid law in South Africa. You see, I'm what's known as "colored" - mixed race. My mother is a black South African woman, and my father is a white Swiss-German man. Their union was forbidden. Growing up, I lived a life of contradictions. I was too light to be considered black, but not light enough to be white. I didn't fit neatly into any of apartheid's racial categories. As a result, I spent much of my childhood hidden away, isolated from the outside world. My mother couldn't be seen with me in public without risking arrest. But my mother was a rebel at heart. She refused to let the oppressive system dictate how she lived her life or raised her child. She taught me to question everything, to think for myself, and to never accept artificial limitations placed on me by others. "Trevor," she would say, "you need to learn how to think." It was her way of teaching me to see beyond the surface, to understand the complex realities beneath.

第2章

The Power of Language

One of the most valuable lessons my mother taught me was the importance of language. In South Africa, with its 11 official languages, being multilingual was more than just a skill - it was a superpower. I learned to speak several languages fluently: English, Afrikaans, Xhosa, Zulu, Tsonga, and more. This ability allowed me to navigate between different racial and cultural groups with ease. I could blend in anywhere, becoming a chameleon of sorts. There's a Xhosa phrase that says, "Umlungu ngaphakathi" - it means "white on the inside." That's how many people saw me. I could speak their language, understand their customs, laugh at their jokes. Language opened doors for me that would have otherwise remained firmly shut. I remember once, as a teenager, I was with a group of Zulu guys when we were stopped by the police. The officers were ready to arrest us all, but when I spoke to them in flawless Afrikaans, their demeanor changed completely. Suddenly, I wasn't just another black kid causing trouble - I was someone they could relate to. We walked away without incident that day.

聴きながら、すべての言葉を目で追えます

『おやすみ前のバイオグラフィー』の一語一語が音声に合わせてリアルタイムでハイライトされ、自然に読み進められます。

第3章

The Mischief Maker

Now, don't get me wrong - I wasn't always using my powers for good. I was a mischievous child, always getting into trouble. But even in my misadventures, there were lessons to be learned. Take the time I accidentally burned down a white family's house. Yes, you heard that right. It was an accident, I swear! I was playing with matches (as kids do) and things got out of hand. As I watched the house go up in flames, I was terrified. Not just of getting caught, but of the consequences. In apartheid South Africa, a black kid burning down a white family's home? That could have ended very badly for me. But here's the thing - nothing happened. The police came, took statements, and left. No one even considered that I, the colored kid from down the street, could have been responsible. It was a stark reminder of the privilege my lighter skin afforded me, even in a system designed to oppress people who looked like me.

第4章

The Hustle

As I grew older, I began to understand the harsh realities of life in post-apartheid South Africa. Poverty was rampant, opportunities were scarce, and the legacy of racial inequality was still deeply ingrained in society. To make ends meet, I became a hustler. I sold pirated CDs, DJed parties, anything to make a buck. It wasn't always legal, but it was survival. One of my most successful ventures was running a small loan operation in high school. I would buy candy in bulk and sell it to my classmates at a markup. Then, I started offering loans to kids who couldn't afford lunch. It was a lucrative business, but it also taught me valuable lessons about economics, supply and demand, and the cycle of poverty. I saw firsthand how easy it was for people to get trapped in debt, how a small loan could snowball into an insurmountable burden. It made me realize that the system was designed to keep poor people poor, and it lit a fire in me to find a way out.

『おやすみ前のバイオグラフィー』をもっと深く楽しむ

毎日の新しい気づきを10万件以上のレッスンから
言葉をハイライトして音声と同期
ライブラリを保存して、どの端末からでも利用

第5章

The Power of Education

My mother always emphasized the importance of education. She saw it as the key to breaking the cycle of poverty and oppression. Even when we barely had enough to eat, she made sure I had books to read. "Education is the only thing they can't take away from you," she would say. And she was right. The knowledge and skills I gained through reading and learning became my ticket to a better life. It wasn't just academic knowledge that proved valuable. The street smarts I developed, the ability to read people and situations, the skill of adapting to different environments - these were all forms of education that served me well. I remember once, during a particularly lean time, my mother and I were living on corn and pap for weeks. One day, she brought home a big stack of books from the library. I was confused - we needed food, not books. But she sat me down and said, "I know you're hungry, but there's more to life than just eating. These books will feed your mind."

第6章

A Mother's Love

Throughout all the ups and downs of my childhood, one constant remained - my mother's unwavering love and support. She was my rock, my protector, my biggest cheerleader. Even when she was tough on me, even when she disciplined me (and trust me, she could be strict), I never doubted her love. She pushed me to be better, to aim higher, to never settle for less than I was capable of. One of the most powerful moments in our relationship came after she was shot by my stepfather. As she lay in the hospital, her head wrapped in bandages, she looked at me and said, "Now you're the man of the house. You have to take care of your little brother. You need to be strong." In that moment, I realized the depth of her strength, her resilience. She had survived apartheid, poverty, domestic violence, and now this. And through it all, her concern was still for her children. My mother taught me that love is not just an emotion - it's an action. It's showing up, day after day, no matter how hard things get. It's sacrificing your own comfort for the sake of those you care about. It's believing in someone even when they don't believe in themselves. As I look back on my journey from the townships of Soweto to the stages of international comedy, I realize that every step was shaped by the lessons my mother taught me. Her courage, her wisdom, her unconditional love - these were the true crimes that brought me into this world. And for that, I will be forever grateful.

★★★★★

『おやすみ前のバイオグラフィー』を最後まで読み終えました

100万人以上の学習者に愛用されています

“23日間、毎日使い続けています。今では日課の一部です。”

jayallen

『おやすみ前のバイオグラフィー』の主要テーマ

apartheid south africa
multilingual identity
interracial family dynamics
systemic racial oppression
maternal influence

『おやすみ前のバイオグラフィー』の名言

I was born a crime. Not figuratively, but literally.
"Trevor," she would say, "you need to learn how to think."
Education is the only thing they can't take away from you.
My mother taught me that love is not just an emotion - it's an action.
I was too light to be considered black, but not light enough to be white.

『おやすみ前のバイオグラフィー』の登場人物

Trevor NoahThe protagonist and author of the memoir
Trevor's MotherA rebellious woman who raised Trevor to think
Trevor's FatherA white Swiss-German man
Trevor's StepfatherA man who committed domestic violence

著者について

トレバー・ノアは、ベストセラーとなった『生まれたことが犯罪：南アフリカで育った僕の物語』の著者です。彼はエミー賞を受賞したコメディアン、政治評論家であり、『ザ・デイリー・ショー』の元ホストでもあります。

1984年、アパルトヘイト時代のヨハネスブルグで、黒人の南アフリカ人の母と白人のヨーロッパ人の父の間に生まれたノアの回想録は、ユーモアとありのままの誠実さが融合しています。本書では、分断された社会における人種、アイデンティティ、そして生存というテーマを掘り下げています。

ノアのキャリアには、Netflixの『トレバー・ノア：暗闇を恐れるな』やコメディ・セントラルの『ロスト・イン・トランスレーション』など、9つのコメディ・スペシャルが含まれます。さらに、彼は5年連続でグラミー賞の司会を務めたほか、2022年のホワイトハウス記者夕食会の司会も務めました。

ノア自身がナレーションを務めた『Born a Crime』のAudible版は、2016年に同プラットフォームで最高評価を受けたオーディオブックとなり、世界中で数百万部を売り上げました。本作は2つのNAACPイメージ・アワードを受賞し、制度的な抑圧と回復力（レジリエンス）に関する議論において欠かせない作品であり続けています。

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BeFreedがウェブ上でどのように話題になっているかをもっと見る

今すぐ学習の旅を始めよう

おやすみ前のバイオグラフィー

概要『おやすみ前のバイオグラフィー』の概要

1冊の本。さまざまな聴き方。

A World of Contradictions

The Power of Language

聴きながら、すべての言葉を目で追えます

The Mischief Maker

The Hustle

『おやすみ前のバイオグラフィー』をもっと深く楽しむ

The Power of Education

A Mother's Love

『おやすみ前のバイオグラフィー』を最後まで読み終えました

『おやすみ前のバイオグラフィー』の主要テーマ

『おやすみ前のバイオグラフィー』の名言

『おやすみ前のバイオグラフィー』の登場人物

著者について

おやすみ前のバイオグラフィーの要約をダウンロード

他のユーザーのお気に入り

この本に関するよくある質問

What is Born a Crime by Trevor Noah about?

Who should read Born a Crime?

Is Born a Crime worth reading?

How does Born a Crime address racial identity?

もっと見る

1,000,000+ curious minds.

1,000,000+ curious minds.

1冊の本。さまざまな聴き方。

A World of Contradictions

The Power of Language

聴きながら、すべての言葉を目で追えます

The Mischief Maker

The Hustle

『おやすみ前のバイオグラフィー』をもっと深く楽しむ

The Power of Education

A Mother's Love

『おやすみ前のバイオグラフィー』を最後まで読み終えました

他のユーザーのお気に入り

もっと見る

『おやすみ前のバイオグラフィー』の概要