Robert

Outer characterization

Robert is another important character in Trevor Noah’s autobiography Born a Crime. He is a white man of Swiss-German heritage (Chapter 2, p. 27) and Trevor’s father. Robert’s skin color plays a major role in the memoir, as it prevents him from being close to his son during apartheid. When he meets Patricia, Robert lives in “a neighborhood called Hillbrow” (Chapter 2, p. 30), down the corridor from Patricia’s flat. In terms of physical appearance, Robert has brown eyes (Chapter 2, p. 30). 

Robert used to own a restaurant in Johannesburg that served both whites and people of color. When authorities asked Robert to apply racial division in his restaurant, Robert refused, so the place was shut down.

Inner characterization

Because apartheid considered Patricia and Robert’s relationship illegal, Robert was forced to stay away from his son. Therefore, Robert unwillingly distances himself from Trevor out of fear of being arrested:

My mother tells me that once, when I was a toddler, my dad tried to go with u...