Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom Question Answer – Class 10 English

Before You Read (Page 16)

'Apartheid' is a political system that separates people according to their race. Can you say which of the three countries named below had such a political system until very recently? (i) United States of America (ii) South Africa (iii) Australia

(ii) South Africa. Under apartheid, the white minority government kept black and other non-white people separate and denied them equal rights. The system ended with the first democratic, non-racial elections in 1994.

Have you heard of Nelson Mandela? Mandela, and his African National Congress, spent a lifetime fighting against apartheid. Mandela had to spend thirty years in prison. Finally, democratic elections were held in South Africa in 1994, and Mandela became the first black President of a new nation.

Yes. Nelson Mandela was the great leader of the African National Congress who fought all his life against apartheid. He spent nearly three decades in prison for his struggle, and after the 1994 elections he became the first black President of South Africa. He is admired all over the world as a symbol of courage, forgiveness and freedom.

In this extract from his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom, Mandela speaks about a historic occasion, 'the inauguration'. Can you guess what the occasion might be? Check your guess with this news item (from the BBC) of 10 May 1994.

The occasion is Nelson Mandela's own inauguration, the ceremony at which he was sworn in as the first black President of South Africa on 10 May 1994. The BBC news item confirms this: after the ANC won 252 of the 400 seats in the first democratic elections, Mandela was installed as President at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.

Activity (Page 17)

In Column A are some expressions you will find in the text. Make a guess and match each expression with an appropriate meaning from Column B.

Oral Comprehension Check (Page 18)

1. Where did the ceremonies take place? Can you name any public buildings in India that are made of sandstone?

The ceremonies took place in the lovely sandstone amphitheatre formed by the Union Buildings in Pretoria, South Africa. In India, the Red Fort and the Jama Masjid in Delhi, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House (Sansad Bhavan), Fatehpur Sikri and Humayun's Tomb are famous buildings made of red sandstone.

2. Can you say how 10 May is an 'autumn day' in South Africa?

South Africa lies in the Southern Hemisphere, so its seasons are the reverse of ours in the Northern Hemisphere. When India has summer in May, South Africa has autumn, which lasts roughly from March to May. That is why Mandela calls 10 May "that lovely autumn day".

3. 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?

By "an extraordinary human disaster", Mandela means apartheid, the long period of racial discrimination and oppression in which black South Africans were denied their basic rights, humiliated and imprisoned for decades. The "glorious human achievement" is the end of apartheid and the birth of a free, democratic, non-racial government, in which a black man was elected President of South Africa for the first time.

4. What does Mandela thank the international leaders for?

Mandela thanks the international leaders for coming to South Africa to share with its people what was "a common victory for justice, for peace, for human dignity". In his words, they had come "to take possession with the people of our country" of this victory. Many of these nations had broken off relations with South Africa because of apartheid, so their presence showed that the world now accepted and supported the new democracy.

5. What ideals does he set out for the future of South Africa?

Mandela pledges to liberate all his people from the continuing bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender and other discrimination. He promises that the land will never again see the oppression of one by another, and he wants a society of which "all humanity will be proud", where freedom reigns, built on justice, peace and human dignity.

Oral Comprehension Check (Page 21)

1. What do the military generals do? How has their attitude changed, and why?

The highest generals of the South African defence force and police, their chests decorated with ribbons and medals, saluted Mandela and pledged their loyalty to him. Not many years earlier, they would have arrested him instead. Their attitude changed because apartheid had ended and Mandela now headed a government that had been freely and fairly elected; their loyalty was to democracy.

2. Why were two national anthems sung?

Two national anthems were sung to show the unity and equality of all South Africans. The whites sang 'Nkosi Sikelel-iAfrika', the anthem of the blacks, and the blacks sang 'Die Stem', the old anthem of the Republic. Each group honoured the other's anthem, which symbolised respect and the coming together of both races in the new nation.

3. How does Mandela describe the systems of government in his country (i) in the first decade, and (ii) in the final decade, of the twentieth century?

(i) In the first decade, after the Anglo-Boer war, the white-skinned peoples patched up their differences and set up a system of racial domination against the dark-skinned people of their own land. It became one of the harshest and most inhumane societies the world has known.

(ii) In the final decade, that system was overturned forever and replaced by one that recognised the rights and freedoms of all peoples, regardless of the colour of their skin.

4. What does courage mean to Mandela?

To Mandela, courage is not the absence of fear but the triumph over it. He learned this from his comrades, who risked their lives for an idea and stood up to attacks and torture without breaking. In his words, "The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear."

5. Which does he think is natural, to love or to hate?

Mandela thinks love is more natural than hate. No one is born hating another person because of skin colour, background or religion; people learn to hate. If they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, "for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite."

Oral Comprehension Check (Page 24)

1. What "twin obligations" does Mandela mention?

Mandela says every man has twin obligations. The first is to his family: to his parents, his wife and his children. The second is to his people, his community and his country. In a civil and humane society, a man can fulfil both according to his own inclinations and abilities.

2. What did being free mean to Mandela as a boy, and as a student? How does he contrast these "transitory freedoms" with "the basic and honourable freedoms"?

As a boy, freedom meant running in the fields near his mother's hut, swimming in the clear village stream, roasting mealies under the stars and riding the broad backs of slow-moving bulls. As a student, it meant staying out at night, reading what he pleased and going where he chose. These were "transitory freedoms", personal and short-lived. As a young man in Johannesburg, he yearned for "the basic and honourable freedoms": achieving his potential, earning his keep, marrying and having a family, and living a lawful life without being obstructed.

3. Does Mandela think the oppressor is free? Why/Why not?

No, Mandela does not think the oppressor is free. A man who takes away another man's freedom is "a prisoner of hatred", locked behind the bars of prejudice and narrow-mindedness. Mandela believes he cannot be truly free if he takes away someone else's freedom. Both "the oppressed and the oppressor alike are robbed of their humanity", so the oppressor must be liberated too.

Thinking about the Text

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

A large number of international leaders attended the inauguration to show their respect and support for the new, democratically elected, non-racial government of South Africa. Because of apartheid, many countries had earlier broken off diplomatic relations with South Africa, and its leaders were treated as outlaws. The presence of dignitaries from more than 140 countries showed that the world had welcomed South Africa back. It was the largest gathering of international leaders ever on South African soil. In Mandela's words, it signified "a common victory for justice, for peace, for human dignity". It was the triumph of freedom and equality over racial discrimination, and of democracy over apartheid.

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

Mandela means that he did not achieve freedom alone. That day had come about through the "unimaginable sacrifices of thousands" of his people, whose suffering and courage could never be counted or repaid. Heroes like Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu, Chief Luthuli, Yusuf Dadoo, Bram Fischer and Robert Sobukwe had fought and suffered for the cause long before him. Mandela saw himself as the continuation of their "long and noble line", which ended and began again with him. By saying this, he humbly gives the credit for his success to all the patriots, and he is pained that he cannot thank them and that they cannot see what their sacrifices had achieved.

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?

Yes, I agree. Great suffering often brings out the best in people, because it tests their courage, patience and faith. Mandela illustrates this by saying that the decades of oppression and brutality under apartheid had an unintended effect: they produced men like Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu, Chief Luthuli, Yusuf Dadoo, Bram Fischer and Robert Sobukwe, "men of such extraordinary courage, wisdom and generosity that their like may never be known again."

Examples from India support this argument. British rule produced leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhas Chandra Bose and Bhagat Singh. In Assam, Kanaklata Barua and Maniram Dewan showed great courage against colonial rule. In America, racial injustice produced Martin Luther King Jr, and Mandela himself became a world leader after twenty-seven years in prison.

4. How did Mandela's understanding of freedom change with age and experience?

Mandela's idea of freedom grew wider as he grew older. As a boy, he thought he was born free: he could run in the fields, swim in the stream and ride bulls, and as long as he obeyed his father and the customs of his tribe, he was not troubled by any law. As a student, he wanted freedom only for himself, the "transitory freedoms" of staying out at night, reading what he liked and going where he chose. As a young man in Johannesburg, he wanted the "basic and honourable freedoms" of earning his keep, marrying and living a lawful life. Slowly he realised that his brothers and sisters were not free either, and that the freedom of everyone who looked like him had been curtailed. His hunger for his own freedom then became "the greater hunger for the freedom of my people".

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

Mandela's hunger for the freedom of his people changed his life completely. It made him join the African National Congress and gave his life a new purpose. In his own words, it "transformed a frightened young man into a bold one", drove "a law-abiding attorney to become a criminal", turned "a family-loving husband into a man without a home" and forced "a life-loving man to live like a monk". He had to live "a twilight existence of secrecy and rebellion", was separated from his family and spent many years in prison. He could not enjoy even his limited personal freedoms while his people remained in chains.

Thinking about Language

I. Nouns formed from verbs

1. Make a list of such pairs of nouns and verbs in the text.

2. Read the paragraph below. Fill in the blanks with the noun forms of the verbs in brackets.

Martin Luther King's contribution (contribute) to our history as an outstanding leader began when he came to the assistance (assist) of Rosa Parks, a seamstress who refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger. In those days American Blacks were confined to positions of second class citizenship by restrictive laws and customs. To break these laws would mean subjugation (subjugate) and humiliation (humiliate) by the police and the legal system. Beatings, imprisonment (imprison) and sometimes death awaited those who defied the System. Martin Luther King's tactics of protest involved non-violent resistance (resist) to racial injustice.

II. Using the Definite Article with Names

Here are some more examples of 'the' used with proper names. Try to say what these sentences mean. (You may consult a dictionary if you wish. Look at the entry for 'the'.)

1. Mr Singh regularly invites the Amitabh Bachchans and the Shah Rukh Khans to his parties.

Mr Singh regularly invites famous film stars, people like Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan, to his parties. (It can also mean that he invites the families of Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan.)

2. Many people think that Madhuri Dixit is the Madhubala of our times.

Many people think that Madhuri Dixit is as beautiful, graceful and talented an actress in our times as Madhubala was in her own time.

3. History is not only the story of the Alexanders, the Napoleons and the Hitlers, but of ordinary people as well.

History is not only the story of great conquerors and powerful rulers like Alexander, Napoleon and Hitler, but also the story of ordinary people.

III. Idiomatic Expressions

Match the italicised phrases in Column A with the phrase nearest in meaning in Column B. (Hint: First look for the sentence in the text in which the phrase in Column A occurs.)

Speaking

In groups, discuss the issues suggested in the box below. Then prepare a speech of about two minutes on the following topic. (First make notes for your speech in writing.) True liberty is freedom from poverty, deprivation and all forms of discrimination.

Notes:

• Political freedom alone is incomplete; Mandela's pledge in 1994.
• Causes of poverty: illiteracy, unemployment, population growth, unequal land and wealth, corruption.
• Means of overcoming it: education, skill training, jobs, fair wages, welfare schemes.
• Discrimination on the basis of gender, religion, caste and class divides society.
• The Constitution guarantees equality, freedom, the right against exploitation and the right to education.
• Conclusion: liberty must reach every citizen.

Sample speech:

Good morning, respected teachers and dear friends. Today I would like to speak on the topic "True liberty is freedom from poverty, deprivation and all forms of discrimination."

When Nelson Mandela became President of South Africa, he said that his people had achieved political emancipation, but he also pledged to free them from "poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender and other discrimination". He knew that a vote alone does not make a person free.

Think of a child who must work in a tea stall instead of going to school, or a family that cannot afford medicine. Are they truly free? Poverty is caused by illiteracy, unemployment, unequal distribution of wealth and corruption. We can overcome it through good education, skill training, fair wages and honest government schemes.

Discrimination is another chain. When a girl is denied education, or a person is insulted because of religion, caste or class, liberty becomes meaningless. Our Constitution guarantees fundamental rights such as the right to equality, the right to freedom, the right against exploitation and the right to education. These rights must be respected not only in law books but in our daily lives.

Friends, India became free in 1947, but the struggle for true liberty continues. Let us treat everyone as equal and work so that no one is left hungry or ignored. Only then will we be truly free. Thank you.

Writing

I. Looking at Contrasts

Use the following phrases to complete the sentences given below.

1. It requires such depths of oppression …

It requires such depths of oppression to create such heights of character.

2. Courage was not the absence of fear …

Courage was not the absence of fear but the triumph over it.

3. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid …

The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid but he who conquers that fear.

4. If people can learn to hate …

If people can learn to hate, they can be taught to love.

5. I was not born with a hunger to be free. …

I was not born with a hunger to be free. I was born free.

II. Contrasting the past with the present or the future

Find in the text the second part of the contrast, and complete each item. Identify the words which signal the contrast.

1. For decades the Union Buildings had been the seat of white supremacy, and now …

For decades the Union Buildings 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.

Signal words: For decades … and now

2. Only moments before, the highest generals of the South African defence force and police … saluted me and pledged their loyalty. … not so many years before they would not have saluted …

Only moments before, the highest generals of the South African defence force and police … saluted me and pledged their loyalty. … not so many years before they would not have saluted but arrested me.

Signal words: Only moments before … not so many years before … not … but

3. Although that day neither group knew the lyrics of the anthem …, they would soon …

Although that day neither group knew the lyrics of the anthem they once despised, they would soon know the words by heart.

Signal words: Although … that day … soon

4. My country is rich in the minerals and gems that lie beneath its soil, …

My country is rich in the minerals and gems that lie beneath its soil, but I have always known that its greatest wealth is its people, finer and truer than the purest diamonds.

Signal word: but

5. The Air Show was not only a display of pinpoint precision and military force, but …

The Air Show was not only a display of pinpoint precision and military force, but a demonstration of the military's loyalty to democracy, to a new government that had been freely and fairly elected.

Signal words: not only … but

6. It was this desire for the freedom of my people … that transformed … into a bold one, that drove … to become a criminal, that turned … into a man without a home.

It was this desire for the freedom of my people … that transformed a frightened young man into a bold one, that drove a law-abiding attorney to become a criminal, that turned a family-loving husband into a man without a home.

Signal words: transformed … into, drove … to become, turned … into

III. Expressing Your Opinion

Do you think there is colour prejudice in our own country? Discuss this with your friend and write a paragraph of about 100 to 150 words about this. You have the option of making your paragraph a humorous one. (Read the short verse given below.)

Yes, colour prejudice does exist in our country, though it is seldom openly admitted. Fair skin is often treated as a mark of beauty and success, while dark-skinned people, especially girls, are teased or judged. Matrimonial advertisements ask for "fair" brides, and fairness creams promise confidence and good jobs. People from the North-East, including Assam, and from Africa sometimes face rude remarks in other parts of the country simply because of how they look. Such attitudes hurt self-respect and divide society. Yet skin colour is only a matter of melanin and climate; it says nothing about a person's ability or character. As the short verse reminds us, the so-called "white" man turns pink, red, yellow, purple and grey, so who is really "coloured"? We must judge people by their deeds, not their complexion. Schools, films and advertisements can help by celebrating every shade of skin.

Tip: You may also write a humorous paragraph, like the verse, on how fairness creams claim to change a person's luck overnight.

In This Lesson: What You Can Do (Page 28)

Divide your class into three groups and give each group one of the following topics to research: (i) black Americans, and their fight against discrimination, (ii) women, and their fight for equality, (iii) the Vietnamese, and their fight for independence. Choose a student from each group to present a short summary of each topic to the class.

(i) Black Americans and their fight against discrimination: Africans were brought to America as slaves. Slavery was abolished in 1865 after the Civil War, but segregation laws kept black people apart in schools, buses and public places. In 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger, and Martin Luther King Jr led a peaceful bus boycott. The Civil Rights Movement, through non-violent marches, led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. In 2008, Barack Obama became the first black President of the USA.

(ii) Women and their fight for equality: For centuries, women were denied the right to vote, to own property and to get an education. The suffragette movement won women the vote in countries like New Zealand (1893), Britain and the USA. In India, reformers like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Savitribai Phule and Pandita Ramabai worked for women's education and against social evils. Today women work in every field, but they still fight for equal pay, safety and equal opportunity.

(iii) The Vietnamese and their fight for independence: Vietnam was a French colony from the nineteenth century. Led by Ho Chi Minh, the Vietnamese defeated the French at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. The country was then divided into North and South, and a long war followed in which the USA supported the South. After years of suffering and great courage, the Americans withdrew in 1973, South Vietnam fell in 1975, and Vietnam was formally united as one independent country in 1976.

Homophones (Page 28)

Can you find the words below that are spelt similarly, and sometimes even pronounced similarly, but have very different meanings? Check their pronunciation and meaning in a dictionary.

The bandage was wound around the wound.

• wound (/waʊnd/, rhymes with "round"): past tense of wind, meaning wrapped or twisted around something.
• wound (/wuːnd/, rhymes with "spooned"): an injury to the body, such as a cut.

The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.

• desert (/dɪˈzɜːt/, stress on the second syllable): a verb meaning to leave or abandon.
• dessert (/dɪˈzɜːt/, pronounced the same way): a sweet dish eaten at the end of a meal.
• desert (/ˈdezət/, stress on the first syllable): a noun meaning a large, dry, sandy area, such as the Sahara.