Fufi
Learning Objectives
- Read and comprehend a memoir extract written in a humorous yet emotionally rich narrative voice
- Trace the sequence of events and identify how humour is used to convey deeper truths
- Understand how the author uses a childhood anecdote to arrive at a universal life lesson
- Analyse the contrast between the child’s emotional response and the adult narrator’s reflective wisdom
- Appreciate the themes of love, possession, betrayal, and freedom as explored through the story
- Produce a short personal anecdote modelled on Trevor Noah’s narrative style
Learning Outcomes
- CO1 — Reads a narrative prose text with comprehension and critical awareness
- CO2 — Identifies narrative techniques: humour, irony, retrospective narration
- CO3 — Connects the text’s central idea to personal experience and universal human relationships
- CO4 — Infers meaning of unfamiliar words from context
- CO5 — Writes a personal narrative with a clear event, emotional response, and reflection
About the Author
- Trevor Noah was born in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1984, to a Black Xhosa mother and a white Swiss father — a relationship that was literally a criminal offence under apartheid-era law, hence the memoir title Born a Crime.
- He is a globally recognised stand-up comedian, television host, political commentator, and author. He hosted The Daily Show on Comedy Central (USA) for seven years.
- Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood (2016) is his memoir — a candid, funny, and deeply moving account of growing up in post-apartheid South Africa.
- “Fufi” is one of the anecdotes from this memoir, narrated with Noah’s trademark blend of humour and emotional honesty.
Key Themes
Love & Attachment
Trevor’s deep bond with Fufi captures the unconditional affection a child feels for a pet — and how that love can become possessive.
Betrayal & Heartbreak
The discovery that Fufi leads a “double life” is the narrator’s first experience of heartbreak — raw, comic, and surprisingly painful.
Freedom vs Possession
The central life lesson: “You do not own the thing you love.” Fufi’s independence challenges Trevor’s sense of ownership over those he loves.
Humour as Insight
Noah uses comedy — the argument over “Fufi vs Spotty,” Fufi’s deafness — to make serious observations about human relationships accessible and memorable.
Key Vocabulary
| Word / Phrase | Meaning | In Context |
|---|---|---|
| Rascal | A mischievous person or animal; a lovable troublemaker | Fufi was a little rascal as well. |
| Scale | To climb up a wall or steep surface | It never occurred to us that she could actually scale a five-foot wall. |
| Scampered | Ran with quick, light steps | She’d jumped, scampered up the last couple of feet and then she was gone. |
| Budging | Moving or changing position / opinion | This woman wasn’t budging. |
| Documentation | Official papers or evidence | We gathered up our documentation and went back to the house. |
| Malicious intent | The deliberate desire to cause harm | Fufi had no malicious intent. |
| Retrospect | Looking back on past events (implied in the narration) | The adult narrator reflects on what the child experienced |
| Anecdote | A short, personal story used to illustrate a point | The entire text is a personal anecdote from Noah’s memoir |
| Potty-trained | Taught a young animal or child to use the toilet | I raised her. I potty-trained her. |
| Confronted | Faced someone directly in a challenging way | My mom rang the bell and confronted the mom. |
Teaching-Learning Activities
Ask: “Has anyone here had a pet? Or a moment when someone you trusted disappointed you?” Brief pair-share.
Brief introduction to Trevor Noah — comedian, host, South African background, and the memoir Born a Crime. Explain what a memoir is vs autobiography.
Teacher reads the full text aloud with expression, mirroring Noah’s comic-yet-tender tone. Students follow in textbook.
Ten key words discussed. Students first attempt meanings from context clues before teacher confirms.
Students re-read silently section by section. In pairs they answer: What happened? How did Trevor feel? What do you think?
Whole-class discussion: What does the central lesson mean? Do you agree? Can this apply to human relationships?
Students write a short paragraph (80–100 words) about a time they felt let down by someone or something they loved — and what they learned from it.
Two or three students share their paragraphs. Teacher connects back to the text and the lesson’s central theme.
Comprehension Questions
- Why did Trevor’s family stop having pets for a while before getting Fufi and Panther? Recall
- How were Fufi and Panther different in personality and ability? Recall
- How did the family discover that Fufi was deaf? What had they mistakenly assumed about her all along? Recall
- Describe how Trevor discovered what Fufi was doing every day when the family left home. Recall
- The argument between Trevor and the other boy over “Fufi vs Spotty” is funny, yet painful. Why is this scene both comic and heartbreaking? Analyse
- Trevor’s mother tells him, “So get over it.” Why do you think she responds this way? Do you think she is being cruel or wise? Evaluate
- Trevor says Fufi was not cheating — she was “merely living her life to the fullest.” What does this distinction mean and why is it important to him? Analyse
- How does the fact that Fufi is deaf add an extra layer of meaning to the story? Analyse
- The narrator says, “You do not own the thing you love.” Do you agree with this? How can this lesson apply to human relationships? Evaluate
- Write a short paragraph describing a relationship in your own life where you have felt possessive or hurt by someone’s independence. What did you learn? Create
Values & Life Skills Integrated
Homework & Extended Activities
Personal Anecdote
Write a personal anecdote (100–120 words) about a pet, friendship, or relationship where you learnt something important. Follow Noah’s structure: story → feeling → lesson.
Character Comparison
Compare Trevor Noah’s mother in “Fufi” with Bertrand Russell’s emotional tone in the Prologue. How does each writer treat pain and disappointment differently?
Research Task
Find out what apartheid was and how it shaped Trevor Noah’s childhood. Write 3–4 sentences explaining how the social context of Born a Crime differs from Kerala today.
Diary Entry
Write a diary entry as young Trevor on the evening he discovered Fufi’s secret. Capture his shock, hurt, and confusion in first person.
Assessment
| Tool | Description | When |
|---|---|---|
| Oral Discussion | Participation in theme discussion and comprehension questioning during class | During class |
| Written Summary | Student-written paragraph summarising the anecdote in own words (80–100 words) | In class |
| Personal Anecdote | Originality, emotional honesty, and narrative structure; event, feeling, and lesson all present | Homework |
| Vocabulary Work | Context-based identification of word meanings from the text | In class |
| Diary Entry | Creative empathy, first-person voice, and accuracy to the text’s events and emotions | Homework |
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