Babiki Character Analysis in Born a Crime

Trevor’s prom date, with whom Tim sets him up in exchange for a better commission on the pirated CDs they work together to sell. Babiki is incredibly beautiful and fashionable, which intimidates Trevor. When they actually go to the dance, she refuses to get out of the car, and Trevor realizes that they have never actually talked one-on-one, and Babiki does not speak any English, Xhosa, Zulu, or anything else besides her native Pedi. After a disastrous time at the dance, Trevor is thoroughly confused when Babiki kisses him goodbye.

Babiki Character Timeline in Born a Crime

The timeline below shows where the character Babiki appears in Born a Crime. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Identity, Belonging, and Community Theme Icon

...then meet a “really, really enormous, fat woman” inside (“her older sister,” one of three). Babiki, Trevor’s date, comes home after ten minutes, and Trevor is stunned, “dumbfounded,” with “no idea... (full context)

Tim and Trevor visit Babiki’s family some more in the next few weeks; they are from the smaller Pedi tribe... (full context)

Resilience Through Religion, Education, and Humor Theme Icon

Trevor also needs new clothes, especially since Babiki is so fashion-obsessed; he has terrible taste but convinces his mom to pay for a... (full context)

...to give him the BMW and leaves him with “the shitty Mazda.” Trevor gets to Babiki’s house an hour late, and she is beautiful but furious. They then get lost and... (full context)

Racism, Apartheid, and the Cycle of Poverty Theme Icon

Sometime later, Sizwe tries one last time to bring Babiki inside and instead tells Trevor she definitely does not speak English. And Trevor realizes that... (full context)

...Pedi—nobody does. He spends the rest of the night in the parking lot and drives Babiki home in silence—whereupon “she leaned over and gave me a kiss. Like, a real kiss,... (full context)

The chapter begins. After getting his makeover for the dance with Babiki, Trevor finally starts getting interest from girls, and he returns to the hair salon every... (full context)