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"Black south Africans adopted the religion of our colonizers. By "adopt" I mean it was forced on us." pg 5: I connect with this line because the religion they speak of is one I follow, and although it wasn't forced on me it was forced on my people.

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"Jesus will save you" pg 6

"Black south Africans adopted the religion of our colonizers. By "adopt" I mean it was forced on us." pg 5

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“I was born a crime.” pg 21

“In any society built on institutionalized racism, race-mixing doesn’t merely challenge the system as unjust, it reveals the system as unsustainable and incoherent.” pg 21

"my mother showed me what was possible. The thing that always amazed me about her life was that she did things that were supposed to be impossible.” pg 23

“They didn’t care about the law. They cared about each other.” pg 24

"She would walk a few paces behind me, never beside me, and if the police came she would have to pretend she didn’t know me.” pg 26

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“I was born a crime.” pg 21

This statement speaks to the feeling of being marginalized by laws and society-an experience many African Americans can relate to through the history of segregation and anti-miscegenation laws in the U.S.

"In any society built on institutionalized racism, race-mixing doesn’t merely challenge the system as unjust, it reveals the system as unsustainable and incoherent.” Pg 21

This observation is relevant to my experience being African American, especially regarding how relationships and identities have historically challenged racist systems in America.

“My mother showed me what was possible. The thing that always amazed me about her life was that she did things that were supposed to be impossible.” pg 23

This quote reflects the resilience and determination of black women in the face of systemic obstacles, a theme deeply familiar in African American communities.

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"there is something magical about Soweto. yes, it was a prison designed by our oppressors, but it also gave us a sense of self-determination and control. Soweto was ours." pg 42

"In America the dream is to make it out of the ghetto, in Soweto, the dream was to transform the ghetto" Pg 42

"When you strike a woman, you strike a rock" pg 39

"Sadly, no matter how fancy you made your house, there was one thing you could never aspire to improve: your toilet." pg40

"I was lying on the floor in the bedroom, reading. I needed to go, but it was pouring down rain. I was dreading going outside to use the toilet... Then I had an idea." pg 43

"Language brings with it an identity and culture, or at least the perception of it." pg 48

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"In America the dream is to make it out of the ghetto, in Soweto, the dream was to transform the ghetto" Pg 42

Growing up I've always lived in what would be described as the "ghetto" and for as long as I could dream my biggest one was to get out of here and finally have more than what I have in life.

"there is something magical about Soweto. yes, it was a prison designed by our oppressors, but it also gave us a sense of self-determination and control. Soweto was ours." pg 42

Being African American a lot of things I live with were designed by my oppressors most of the time keep me under but I have not fallen under and I will not .

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"I don't want to kill a white person i'm so afraid." pg 52

"Maybe I didn't look like you but if I spoke like you I was you" pg 56

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"I chose to have you because I wanted something to love and something that would love me unconditionally in return." pg 63

"My mom told me these things so that I'd never take for granted how we got to where we were." pg 66

"My mother wanted her child beholden to no fate." pg 67

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"Maybe I didn't look like you but if I spoke like you I was you" pg 56

Being who I am and where i'm from i'd always seek to have friends who had more than me because they didn't look like me so they go more opportunities, so i'd try to be more like them and speak their language, sometimes I still do.

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"Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of discipline will remove it far from him." pg 83

"I wasn't a sociopath. I was just creative and independent and full of energy." pg 85

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"In a black neighborhood, you wouldn't dare to own a cat, especially a black cat." pg 95

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"He’d been with me the whole time. He’d always been proud of me. Circumstances had pulled us apart, but he was never not my father." pg 110

"I never called my dad 'Dad'." pg 104

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"I don’t regret anything I've ever done in life, any choice that I've made. But I'm consumed with regret for the things I didn’t do, the choices I didn’t make, the things I didn't say. We spend so much time being afraid of failure, afraid of rejection. But regret is the thing we should fear most. Failure is an answer. Rejection is an answer. Regret is an eternal question you will never have the answer to. 'What if . . .' 'If only . . .' 'I wonder what would have . . .' You will never, never know, and it will haunt you for the rest of your days."

"I was the anomaly wherever we lived." pg 117

"When I finished, she burst out laughing." pg 123

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"I chose to have you because I wanted something to love and something that would love me unconditionally in return." pg 63

My mother never made me feel that way. loved. this is why I wish to have a child to feel the love I wish she felt when she had me.

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"Then something is definitely wrong with you." pg 85

The amount of times I have been told this is uncountable that I began to believe it, but there is nothing wrong with me right?

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When it came to how deeply Noah felt betrayed by Fufi I can relate to moments when something or someone I trusted didn't turn out as expected.

This also reflects how we as children form strong emotional bonds and how growing up often means confronting uncomfortable truths.

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I and many other people have experienced complicated relationships which a parent who was physically or emotionally distant.

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Trevor's struggle to fit in with his peers speaks to the universal desire for inclusion and friendship. I can also relate to being labeled unfairly or judged based on appearance or background.

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"I was 12 years old, and I'd never done Valentines say before" pg 129

"As devastated as I was I understood why Maylene made the choice that she did. I would have picked Lorenzo over me, too." pg 133

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"I wasn't popular, but I wasn't an outcast. I was everywhere with everybody, and at the same time I was all by myself." pg 141

"I was an overnight success. Fat guys were my number-one-customers. They loved food, but couldn't run." pg 140

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"The minute I became somebody, I raised no longer being welcomed as nobody." pg 146

"Hey, Zaheera, I like you. Will you be my girlfriend? Ten words that might have changed my life if i'd had the courage to say them. But I hadn't, now she was gone."

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everyone has felt lonely and let down at some point in their life, when people don't respect you fully or value other people over you its a negative experience but also a valuable experience making sure your not to arrogant or over confident. It's humbling, Which can build good character.

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Through food, humans are able to bypass social groups. No matter where you are, if there is good food, then you can get people to come as a collective, no matter what group they are in.

I feel like we could all connect to this quote (pg 141) from the first day freshman year. We all have been in a class without knowing anybody so we just stayed silent.

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In this chapter Noah has his first love ( apart from Fufi ) the lesson that we can all learn from is that we miss all the shots you don't take. don't wait because you are too nervous, you have to just act on your feelings and take the chance.

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Epistrophe

rule of 3

parenthesis

parallelism

rhetorical questions

polysyndeton

anadipolosis

asyndeton

anaphora

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Alliteration

“These people had been so fucked by their own construct of race that they could not see that the white person they were looking for was sitting right in front of them.”

Page 108–114

Alliteration is present in the repeated "s" sound in "so...sitting" and "see...sitting," though it is subtle.

Parallelism

“When you put me on a black-and-white screen next to a black person, the camera doesn’t know what to do. If the camera has to pick, it picks me as white.”

Page 108–114

This line uses parallelism with the structure: “If the camera has to pick, it picks me as white,” echoing the earlier clause and creating a balanced rhythm.

Asyndeton

omission of conjunctions in a list or series

Polysyndeton

overuse of conjunctions

Anaphora

repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses

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These lines highlight the absurdity and arbitrariness of racial categorization. Readers like me who have experienced being misidentified or stereotyped due to their appearance may relate to Trevor’s frustration and sense of invisibility.

The part with the security camera exposes how systems built on racial assumptions can be deeply flawed, sometimes to the point of comedy or tragedy. This can resonate with anyone who has seen or experienced institutional bias.

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“When you put me on a black-and-white screen next to a black person, the camera doesn’t know what to do. If the camera has to pick, it picks me as white.”

“These people had been so fucked by their own construct of race that they could not see that the white person they were looking for was sitting right in front of them.” pg 108–114

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the chapter centers on Trevor’s anticipation and awkwardness at a school dance, culminating in the realization that his date, Babiki, does not speak English.

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Readers such as myself may connect to the universal experience of adolescent embarrassment and the pain of miscommunication, especially in cross-cultural or multilingual settings.

The chapter’s comic tone offers relief but also underscores the challenges of connection in a diverse society.

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this chapter describes Trevor’s experience as a DJ with a dance crew, including a member named Hitler, and the cultural misunderstandings that ensue.

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The story illustrates how context shapes meaning: what is shocking or offensive in one culture may be neutral in another. Readers who have navigated cultural misunderstandings or explained their background to others may find this relatable.

The chapter also touches on the search for belonging and identity in multicultural environments.

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this chapter explores Trevor’s attempts to fit in with wealthier peers, the “cheese boys,” and his realization that material wealth does not guarantee happiness or acceptance.

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Many readers may connect to Trevor’s feelings of exclusion and his efforts to adapt to different social groups, reflecting on the pressures to conform and the value of authenticity.

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“I know you see me as some crazy old bitch nagging at you,” she said, “but you forget the reason I ride you so hard and give you so much shit is because I love you. Everything I have ever done I've done from a place of love. If I don't punish you, the world will punish you even worse. The world doesn't love you. If the police get you, the police don't love you. When I beat you, I'm trying to save you. When they beat you, they're trying to kill you.”

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This powerful statement from Trevor’s mother reflects the harsh realities of raising Black children in a prejudiced society. Readers who have experienced tough love or protective parenting may recognize the fear and love behind such actions.

The line also invites reflection on the difference between familial discipline and societal violence, and the ways parents try to shield their children from a hostile world.

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“I saw, more than anything, that relationships are not sustained by violence but by love. Love is a creative act. When you love someone you create a new world for them. My mother did that for me, and with the progress I made and the things I learned, I came back and created a new world and a new understanding for her. After that, she never raised her hand to her children again. Unfortunately, by the time she stopped, Abel had started.” pg 73

“I chose to have you because I wanted something to love and something that would love me unconditionally in return.” pg 66

“That was the turning point. When my mother started making more money and getting her independence back - that's when we saw the dragon emerge. The drinking got worse. He grew more and more violent.” pg 234–235

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The first quote is a profound meditation on the power of love to transform relationships and break cycles of violence. Readers may connect to the idea of generational change and the hope that love can heal what violence has broken.

The second quote, Patricia’s reason for having Trevor, speaks to the universal human longing for unconditional love.

The third quote about Abel’s increasing violence as Patricia gains independence highlights the dangers of patriarchal control and domestic abuse, resonating with readers who have witnessed or experienced similar dynamics.