In his memoir about growing up in South Africa, Trevor Noah primarily presents the conflict of humans versus society. Because society, politics, and the legal system were dominated by extreme racial segregation during apartheid, Noah's parents constantly faced discrimination. His father was white, and his mother is black.

Apartheid operated at the broadest, national level but also stigmatized individual bodies and behaviors. The mere fact of his existence was a violation of the law which prohibited interracial relationships and might have led to his parents' imprisonment.

Another major type of conflict is human versus human. Such conflicts play important roles in Noah's life history. In particular, his stepfather physically abused his mother and once even shot her in the head; fortunately, she recovered.