Born a Crime Metaphors and Similes

"the Xhosa played chess with the white man" (pg. 4-5) (Metaphor)

Noah uses this metaphor to describe the way in which one African tribe, the Xhosa people, engaged with white Europeans in South Africa. "Playing chess" implies that the Xhosa engaged in a long-term, intellectually calculated strategy for trying to regain power, rather than engaging in more impulsive and violent acts of resistance. The metaphor expresses how the Xhosa people understood that victory is gained through a series of moves that build on one another. The metaphor also has an extra dimension since chess was traditionally considered a European game, so describing the Xhosa political strategy as "playing chess" implies that they learned from the political strategies of their oppressors and are using it against them.

"Like the gazelle runs from the lions, I ran." (pg. 16) (Simile) Noah uses this simile to describe how he runs after leaping out of a moving car when he and his mother are threatened by the men driving the minibus. The simile reflects the dramatic tension of the moment and the terror Noah is feeling. Even though he is too young to understand exactly why the situation was precarious, he knows that his mother would not have made them take this risk unless it was truly necessary. By comparing himself to an animal feeling from predators, Noah highlights the danger of the situation. It also reflects the one advantage he has: like the lions, the men driving the bus are much bigger and stronger, but Noah is faster, and as long as he can outrun them, he will be okay.