Character relationships

Here, you can read about the relationships between Trevor Noah and various characters in his autobiography Born a Crime. 

Trevor and Patricia

Trevor and his mother have a complex relationship, as Patricia is the most influential authority figure in his life. Patricia does not want her son to live the same life she lived, so she is determined to help him evolve: 

If my mother had one goal, it was to free my mind. My mother spoke to me like an adult, which was unusual. (…) She was always telling me stories, giving me lessons, Bible lessons especially. She was big into Psalms. I had to read Psalms every day. She would quiz me on it. “What does the passage mean? What does it mean to you? How do you apply it to your life?” That was every day of my life. My mom did what school didn’t. She taught me how to think. (Chapter 5, p. 75)

Although Trevor appreciates his mother’s dedication to helping him improve, he realizes that he often stood in her way with his erratic behavior. He describes their relationship as “a very Tom and Jerry relationship” (Chapter 1, p. 17), with her being “the strict disciplinarian” (Chapter 1, p. 17) and him being “naughty as shit” (Chapter 1, p. 17). Although Patricia often disciplines him by beating him, she is always sure to let him know that “it was discipline from a place of love” (Chapter 6, p. 91).

After Patricia marries Abel, her relationship with Trevor becomes affected by Abel’s abusive behavior. However, Trevor never blames his mother for the time they lived in misery and appreciates her efforts: “I didn...