The unique relationship between humor and hardship

A Multigenre Inquiry Project based on Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime

Multigenre Inquiry Project

Through eight different genres, the student attempts to
answer a question raised by the central text. Through
both informational and artistic response, the student is
able to explore an answer to the central question that
challenges their typical pattern of thinking. The
multigenre inquiry project requires students to engage
divergent thinking as they find answers to their questions
in a variety of ways.

Overview
In this memoir, Trevor Noah explains his childhood
growing up during apartheid in South Africa. Laws
during apartheid dictated that biracial children were
against the law making so at times his mom would walk
far from him and nearly impossible to be seen in public
with his white dad. Noah approaches difficult subjects
like racism, finding identity, and exploring gender roles
through humor and wit. It makes the reader want to Essential Question
simultaneously laugh and cry as they get a better
understanding of the complexity of growing up and the How does humor help us process and
disgusting nature of racism. cope with struggle and injustice?

Other texts to pair with Born a Crime

These books explore themes of emerging identity, racism, and gender roles like Born a Crime:
• The Bluest Eyes
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower
• Their Eyes Were Watching God

struggleandhumor.weebly.com
 Public Platform Piece
This PSA is intended to persuade an audience in a moment to
try and laugh more by consuming more humor. I felt it was
important to acknowledge that serious mental health issues
cannot be solved by laughter alone, so I made note to
acknowledge that persisting and serious issues should receive
professional treatment.

And at last we are panting

But slowing to a stop
Your arms are bleeding
So am I
But we are safe and alive

My mind starts to worry about all I constantly put you Interactions

through
We are never safe because of our home
My husband is not good for anyone, especially me
How will you grow up alright? Who could you ever be?
Our stories are covered with poverty and racism and
abandonment and —
I notice you were saying something
I chose to write postcards of an imagined conversation
between Trevor and his dad after years of separation. I
imagine that Trevor would have chosen to use humor to not
seem as vulnerable or needy. In this way, humor serves as a
buffer to protect from showing some of the most vulnerable
emotions.

“Look mom,
I know you love Jesus,
But maybe next week you could ask him to meet us at Abby Scoresby
our house.
Because Wake Forest University
This scoraa20@wfu.edu
Really wasn’t a fun night.”
And I thank the heavens
As I start to laugh Please email me with any questions about this project!
Because I know, somehow, you will be alright.

Alternative Perspective
Above is an excerpt from a poem about the first chapter from Trevor’s mom’s perspective. Trevor writes his memoir as a love
letter to his mom. I wanted to think about how she felt as she was in this life or death situation. The poem ends with the childlike
humor of Trevor, quoted from the book, to show how humor saved both of them at times.