Born a Crime

by

Trevor Noah

Trevor’s blind, elderly great-grandmother, who spends all her time sitting next to the gas stove in Frances’s house in Soweto. Because she is immobile and only occasionally chats with Frances, Trevor considers her something of a nonentity, which gets him into trouble when he decides on one rainy day to defecate inside the house rather than going to the outhouse—she smells it and convinces the family that their house is haunted by a demon.
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Koko Character Timeline in Born a Crime

The timeline below shows where the character Koko appears in Born a Crime. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 3
Love and Personal Growth Theme Icon
...and commanding, “still to this day very active and very much alive.” There is also Koko, Noah’s elderly and blind great-grandmother, who spends her days sitting in the house’s warmest spot... (full context)
Racism, Apartheid, and the Cycle of Poverty Theme Icon
Resilience Through Religion, Education, and Humor Theme Icon
...Trevor savors the comfort of going inside on the piece of newspaper—until he realizes that Koko is still there, sitting by the stove, sniffing the air and realizing “that something was... (full context)
Identity, Belonging, and Community Theme Icon
Resilience Through Religion, Education, and Humor Theme Icon
Later that day, when Frances comes home, Koko exclaims that “there’s something in the house,” which she could hear and smell before. Frances... (full context)