BORN A CRIME: Trevor Noah

BORN A CRIME: Trevor Noah

A reader response essay is an informal essay reflection upon any segment of a book, or of the work in its entirety — there is a tremendous amount of freedom with this essay. You are allowed to discuss personal narrative in conjunction with the book. This isn’t a high school five paragraph book summary — you need to make a personal connection to the work.

Example Ideas:

(Personal Narrative) I’ve seen essays revolve completely around Trevor’s painfully awkward first baby steps into Romantic love and one’s own personal experiences with dating/dances and the nature of regret.

(Personal Narrative) I’ve seen essays which compare the actions/word/idioms of Trevor’s mother with the words a student remembered hearing from a parent/grandparent. This book is filled with idioms and advice that resonate across racial/social barriers, which makes this book so universal in its appeal.

(Humor and Craft) I’ve seen essays focus on how Trevor uses self-depreciation as a tool to convey humor in conjunction to one’s own painful or humorous self observations/happenings in life.

(History and Memoir) I’ve seen essays that dig deeper into the role of Apartheid — in which South African history is discussed while explicating Trevor’s narrative. You could even find access points to discuss racism in the United States — and Trevor’s understanding of what it means to be “colored”.

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The more important question to think about is this — what did this book make YOU think about? Racism in America unfolding right now? Implicit bias and the scene in “Go Hitler”?

You are in full control of the narrative you wish to construct.

SOME ADVICE:

(1)FIND YOUR QUOTES FIRST

(2) BUILD YOUR BODY PARAGRAPHS FROM YOUR QUOTES.

THE BIGGEST DANGER IN THIS ESSAY IS WANDERING OFF INTO PERSONAL NARRATIVE WITH NO REAL SUBSTANTIAL CONNECTION TO THE BOOK

RUBRIC:

3 – 5 pgs.

TITLE

EDIT FOR GRAMMAR

MLA FORMATTED

IN-TEXT CITATIONS

WORK CITED

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