My ideas about apartheid were vague. I had no idea about all of the different categories of race within the society or that "colored" was its own category. I thought the vignette about the colored lack of a cultural identity (or heritage that could be disentangled from the Dutch colonists) was maybe the most tragic.
I love that Indians were their own category too -- they are everywhere, and in sufficient numbers to influence whatever society they join.
Very interesting to think about the siloing effect that all of these constructs have. Also, so many things that get flipped on their heads due to race. In many cases, everyone is living and acting to live up to the rest of the world's expectations for their group -- the jail scene, for example.
I like the parts where he talks about language, and how "speaking someone's language" is an effective way to break through those barriers. And of course that contrasts with the scene with the girl at the dance that he can't get through to because he doesn't speak her language.
One of the interesting themes of the book was that Trevor's mixed background was something that made him an outsider and isolated wherever he was growing up, but ultimately he seems to use that to transcend barriers and be at home or comfortable in multiple groups.
One of the interesting themes of the book was that Trevor's mixed background was something that made him an outsider and isolated wherever he was growing up, but ultimately he seems to use that to transcend barriers and be at home or comfortable in multiple groups.