Born a Crime
Theme
How did Trevor and his mother use language to cross legal and social boundaries and navigate challenging situations?
How did Trevor and his mother use language to cross legal and social boundaries and navigate challenging situations?
There are 11 official languages in South Africa, and, along with race and culture, language is used as a major way for groups to classify who belongs and who is considered an outsider. Alongside being racially ambiguous, Trevor also speaks multiple languages, and this allows him to easily fit in with different groups who might otherwise not be accepting of him. Trevor's language skills allow him to broaden his horizons and move between different communities, giving him a degree of freedom and flexibility which not many South Africans possess.
Born a Crime