Assignment:
1. Watch the TED Talk by our next author, Chimamanda Adiche, "The Danger of a Single Story." Then, apply the ideas from the talk to Born a Crime. What is an example of a single story told about a character in Trevor Noah's book? What did you learn from reading about how the person is initially portrayed versus what we come to learn about them? Finally, Ms. Adiche says that stories matter. Is there a story in Born a Crime that mattered to you? Why or why not?
2. Nelson Mandela said that "If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart" (qtd. In Noah 236). Explain one way this quote plays a role in Trevor's life. Be sure to cite a specific example from the text.
3. Themes are underlying universal messages about the human experience. Describe one theme in Born a Crime. Then, cite a specific example in the book that illustrates the theme. Finally, analyze the example being sure to address how the example develops the theme.
(To receive full credit, you MUST use quotes from the text and cite them in MLA format to receive credit. Incomplete answers will receive a zero.)
Link to ted talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story/up-next?language=en
Readings:
Born a crime
By Trevor Noah