Teddy Character Analysis in Born a Crime

The son of a domestic worker in the Johannesburg suburbs who goes to high school with Trevor and is also “naughty as shit.” They spend hours wandering around the city and shoplift liquor-filled chocolates from the mall. When they get caught one day, Teddy refuses to follow Trevor through a hole in a fence in Highlands North and ends up getting caught by the police and expelled from school. He never admits that Trevor was the other kid with him and the school officials never suspect it, because Trevor looks white on the black-and-white security camera footage.

Teddy Character Timeline in Born a Crime

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

Racism, Apartheid, and the Cycle of Poverty Theme Icon

Trevor makes one close friend at his new school: Teddy, who is also “naughty as shit” and plays pranks with him. Teddy’s mother works in... (full context)

Teddy’s parents visit Patricia and explain that he has been arrested for shoplifting—Patricia insists Trevor must... (full context)

Identity, Belonging, and Community Theme Icon

Then the teacher asks Trevor if he “know[s] of any white kids that Teddy hangs out with.” Trevor is confused, but soon realizes what’s going on: in the black-and-white... (full context)

Trevor has two friends involved in his CD scheme. One is Tim, who (like Teddy) is the son of a domestic worker, but goes to “a proper ghetto school” called... (full context)