A Long Walk To Freedom, By Nelson Mandela

Key points

● Nelson Mandela was sworn in as the first black president of South Africa on 10th
May 1994.
● The swearing in ceremony took place in the lovely sandstone amphitheatre in
Pretoria
● He addressed the rainbow gathering with a zest telling that never, never, and
never again should it be that that beautiful land would experience the oppression
of one by another.
● He wished that freedom in Africa should reign.
● The army officials who could have caught and put him in jail before were saluting
him to pay respect to the newly born democracy.
● The two national anthems were sung at the time of his swearing in ceremony.
● He recalls the history and pays homage to the national martyrs who sacrificed
their lives for the sake of their motherland.
● He tells that the martyrs were the men of extraordinary courage and wisdom and
generosity.
● The country of South Africa is rich in minerals and gems but the greatest wealth
of the country is its people.
● He tells no one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or
his background , or his religion.
● If people learn to hate, they can be taught to love too.
● He talks that man's goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never exhausted.
● He talks about the twin obligations-obligation towards his family & obligation
towards his nation. While discharging his duties he found he was not free.
● Hence, he joined the African National Congress and fought for the freedom of his
country.
● He knew that the oppressor must be liberated just as surely as the oppressed.
● The oppressor and oppressed alike are robbed of their humanity.

Theme -

● Inspiring life of a great freedom fighter of South Africa

● Mental grit and determination can change the course of life of a determined youth
● Where there is a will, there is a way
● There is nothing that can defeat you if you so desire
● Never forget the sacrifices of the great freedom fighters of South Africa
● Fight for Equality and Respect is a basic right .
Genre- Autobiography ( features- timelines, first person, personal anecdotes,
facts,names of people and incidents)

Message -

● relentless pursuit of freedom, justice, and equality

● power of perseverance and the determination to challenge oppressive systems.
● the oppressor and the oppressed both lose humanity.
● Never give up

Literary device-

● Imagery- ,
● Metaphor-
● Simile-

DISCUSS TEXTUAL QUESTIONS- All to be done in the notebook

1. Why did such a large number of international leaders attend the inauguration?
What did it signify the triumph of?

The presence of a large number of international leaders was a gesture of solidarity from
the international community to the idea of the end of apartheid. It signified the triumph of
good over evil, the triumph of the idea of a more tolerant society without any
discrimination.

2. What does Mandela mean when he says he is “simply the sum of all those
African patriots” who had gone before him?

Mandela wanted to thank the generations before him who had fought hard for justice.
He gathered his courage from these brave heroes and it is because of them, he fought
fearlessly for what is right. This is why he referred to himself as “simply the sum of all
those African patriots that had gone before him.

3. Would you agree that “depths of oppression” create “heights of character”?

How does Mandela illustrate this? Can you add your own examples to this
argument?

I agree with the statement that depths of oppression create heights of character. Nelson
Mandela illustrates this by giving examples of great heroes of South Africa like Oliver
Tambo, Walter Sisulu and others who were inspired to sacrifice their lives in the long
freedom struggle.

4. How did Mandela’s understanding of freedom change with age and experience?
As he grew older, freedom to raise a family and freedom to earn livelihood started
dominating his thoughts. Gradually, he realised that he was selfish during his boyhood.
He slowly understood that it was not just his freedom that was being curtailed, but the
freedom of all blacks.

5. How did Mandela’s ‘hunger for freedom’ change his life?

Mandela realised in his youth that it was not just his freedom that was being curtailed
but the freedom of all blacks. The hunger for his own freedom gradually turned into
hunger for the freedom of his people. This desire of a non-racial society transformed
him into a virtuous and self-sacrificing man.

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RTC Solved Question- Reference only

Q1

10th May dawned bright and clear. For the past few days 1 had been pleasantly
besieged by dignitaries and world leaders who were coming to pay their respects before
the inauguration. The inauguration would be the largest gathering ever of international
leaders on South African soil. The ceremonies took place in the lovely sandstone
amphitheatre formed by the Union Buildings in Pretoria. For decades this had been the
seat of white supremacy, and now it was the site of a rainbow gathering of different
colours and nations for the installation of South Africa’s first democratic, non-racial
government.

(a) Who were coming and for what before the inauguration?

(b) What happened on the inauguration day?

(c) Find out the word that means the same ‘commencement’ from the passage.

(d) Find the word from the passage which means ‘an open space surrounded by
sloping land’.

Answer:

(a) Dignitaries and world leaders were coming to pay their respects to the nation
before the inauguration.

(b) On the inauguration the first ever democratic, non-racial government was
installed as a victory of good or evil.
(c) The word is ‘inauguration’.

(d) The word is ‘amphitheatre’.

Solved Questions: Reference only

Q1 What ideals did Mandela set out for the future of South Africa in his speech?
Mandela set out ideals for the future of South Africa because he had deep feelings for
his country and countrymen. He pledged to liberate all the people from poverty,
deprivation and discrimination.

Q2 What is the common loss of both the oppressor and the oppressed?

According to the speaker, the oppressed and the oppressor alike are robbed of their
humility away; another man’s freedom is a prisoner of hatred; he is locked behind the
bars of prejudice and narrow-mindedness. I am not truly free if I am taking away
someone else’s freedom, just as surely as I am not free when my freedom is taken
away from me. The oppressed and the oppressor alike are robbed of their humanity

Q3 Describe the value of freedom for human beings and how it is important for
the growth of civilization and humanism as described in the lesson ‘Nelson
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom’.

Everybody, whether human or other creatures, wants to live free as freedom is natural
to all living beings. The value of freedom is better known to that human being who has
not tasted it till he gets it. A person who is chained with the limits and not allowed to
perform his duties freely, values freedom more than anyone else. For instance, the
value of freedom is known better to Mandela who remained behind the bars most of his
life. Think about a bird or animal which is caged as they have the habit of living with full
freedom but in the cage they are not free and their conditions are very pitiable. Similarly,
life becomes a hell if we are deprived of freedom. There is no growth of civilization as it
grows only when one has freedom. Similarly, humanism grows in the atmosphere of
freedom.

PRACTICE QUESTIONS- To be done in the NB

Q1 How did Mandela’s ‘hunger for freedom’ change his life?(3)

Q2 Mandela feels that courage is triumph over fear. How would you define courage in
this context? (3)
Q3 At the beginning of his speech, Mandela mentions “an extraordinary human
disaster”. What does he mean by this? What is the “glorious … human achievement” he
speaks of at the end? (6)

Q4 Freedom is inconsequential if it is behind bars of prejudice and narrow mindedness.

How would you explain this statement? Support your answer with suitable examples
from the real world.(6)

1
❖ The hunger for his own freedom became the hunger for the freedom of his
people.
❖ This desire of a non-racial society transformed him into a virtuous and
self-sacrificing man.
❖ Thus, he joined the African National Congress and this changed him from a
frightened young man into a bold man.

2
● As per Mandela, courage means there is no presence of fear but to get
victory over odds.
● A man can be brave not when he doesn't feel fear or is not afraid of anyone
or anything,
● but at the time, when he conquers or get victory over their fear.

3
● By human disaster Mandela means to say that coloured people have
suffered a lot due to discrimination in the hands of whites.
● He considered it as great glorious human achievement that a black person
became the president of a country
● where the blacks are not considered as human being and are treated badly.

4
● Nelson Mandela believed that freedom is indivisible.
● His hunger for his own freedom became the greater hunger for the people.
● He couldn’t live his life with dignity and self-respect if his own people were
bound in chains. The chains on any one of his people were the chains on
all of them.
● Mandela realised that the oppressor must be liberated as surely as the
oppressed.
● A man who takes away another’s freedom is a prisoner of hatred, prejudice
and narrow mindedness. He is not truly free if he is taking away someone
else's freedom. Surely, he is not free when his freedom is taken away from
him.
● A person’s freedom is of no use if he doesn’t expand the horizons of his
thoughts and think like a narrow-minded person.
● A person’s freedom is insignificant if he takes the freedom of another man,
thus, the oppressed and the oppressor alike are robbed of their humanity.