1. Why did such a large number of international leaders attend the inauguration ? What
did it signify the triumph of ?
2. What does Mandela mean when he says he is ‘simply the sum of all those African patriots"
who had gone before him?
3. Would you agree that the depths of oppression'create ‘heights of character'? How does
Mandela illustrate this? Can you add your own examples to this argument ?
4. How did Mandela's understanding of freedom change with age and experience ?
5. How did Mandela's 'hunger for freedom'change his life?
Answers
1. The presence of large number of international leaders was a gesture of solidarity from 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 tolerant society without any discrimination.
2. By saying that he is simply the sum of all those African patriots, Mandela wants to pay his tribute to all the people who have sacrificed their lives for the sake of freedom. He says that he is grateful to those who had gone before him because those heroes of past had paved the path of co-operation and unity for him.
3. 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 who sacrificed their lives in the long freedom struggle. India is full of such examples.
4. During young age freedom for Mandela meant a freedom on a personal level. The freedom to raise a family, and the freedom to earn a livelihood. After gaining experience the freedom meant a lot more to Nelson Mandela. It was a freedom for everybody
HOPE IT HELPS
a large number of international leaders attend the inauguration to show their support for the emancipation of the south african black after long years of fight against apartheid.