Question

How does the author define 'freedom'?

Class 10
Nelson mandela long walk to freedom.

Answer 1

10th May was the day when Nelson Mandela sworn in as the first black Head of State, South Africa. It was after years of struggle that his anti-racist party came into power. Until then, the seat had always been occupied by white Presidents. That is why, the author referred to the day as “bright and clear”.

Answer 2

Mandela gradually realized that freedom was curtailed for those people who looked like he did, but not for the whites. Consequently, he joined the African National Congress, and that was when his “hunger for freedom” became a “greater hunger.”

When Mandela was a boy, freedom for him meant to run freely in the fields and to swim in the streams. As a young man, he wanted basic and honourable freedoms, e.g. to earn his living, too many and to have a family. According to Mandela, true freedom means freedom not to be obstructed in leading a lawful life.

It was the desire for the freedom of his people to live their lives with dignity and self-respect that animated his life. It transformed a frightened young man into a bold one. It drove a law-abiding attorney to be a criminal. It turned a family loving husband to live like a monk.