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Class 10 English Nelson Mandela: A Long Walk to Freedom
Nelson Mandela: A Long Walk to Freedom
INTEXT QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1. Where did the ceremonies take place? Can
you name any public buildings in India that are made of sandstone?
Answer: - The
Union Buildings in Pretoria, a lovely sandstone amphitheater, as the venue of
the ceremonies. This was the largest gathering of dignitaries and international
leaders from several nations on South African soil.
Some notable sandstone monuments
in India are Red Fort, Rashtrapati Bhavan,
Supreme Court of India, Madras High Court etc.
2. Can you say how 10 May is an ‘autumn day’
in South Africa?
Answer: - 10th May 1994, had been deemed as ‘autumn day’ in South
Africa because of its significance and also keeping a correlation with the
prevalent season at that time. As autumn is associated with abundance and
prosperity,’ autumn day’ marked the day of South Africa’s largest gathering of
dignitaries and international leaders to witness the installation of the
country’s first non-racial democratic government. Moreover, as South Africa
lies in the Southern hemisphere the autumn season falls in the month of May.
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?
Answer: - By ‘an extraordinary human disaster’, in his speech Mandela referred to the
practice of apartheid in South Africa; the discrimination done by the British
Government made the native Africans and the coloured people suffer a lot during
this practice. They were deprived of the right to freedom. Mandela himself was
imprisoned in the ‘Robben Island’ for 18 years where he was mistreated by the
authorities.
At the end of his speech Mandela speaks of ‘glorious a human
achievement’ signifying his becoming of the first Black President of South
Africa, putting an end to the sufferings of the native Africans due to
apartheid.
4. What does Mandela thank the international
leaders for?
Answer: - Mandela thanked the international leaders for attending the historical
oath-taking ceremony of the first Black President of South Africa. Thus,
Mandela felt extremely privileged to welcome those international leaders to
witness such a wonderful gesture of international recognition to a newly born
free democratic nation.
5. What ideals does he set out for the future
of South Africa?
Answer: - After becoming the first Black President of South Africa, Mandela set
the ideals of liberating the people of South Africa from the bondage of
poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender and other discrimination.
6. What
do the military generals do? How was their attitude changed and why?
Answer: - The highest military generals and police saluted and pledged their loyalty to Mandela.
Their attitudes had changed from the Apartheid Era, when they would have arrested and disrespected Mandela or any other Black people instead of saluting him. This change in their attitude was due to Mandela becoming their president then.
7. Why
were two national anthems sung?
Answer: - On the oath taking ceremony two
national anthems were sung as a symbol of equality of rights between the Whites
and the Blacks. The Whites sang ‘Nkosi Sikelel- iAfrika’ and the blacks sang
‘Die Stem’ that was the old anthem f the Republic.
8. How
does Mandela describe the systems of government in his country (i) in the first
decade (ii) in the final decade of the twentieth century?
Answer: - The system of government as described by
Mandela, were,
(i)
In the first decade: - In the first decade there was the supremacy of the white- skinned
people over the Blacks. The Whites patched up their differences and created one
of the harshest, inhumane society the world has ever witnessed.
(ii)
In the final decade: -In the final decade of the twentieth century there was a turnover of
the previous system of government. This new system of government provided
rights and freedom to all people irrespective of their skin colour.
9. What does courage mean to Mandela?
Answer: - Mandela’s definition of courage was not
the absence of fear, but the victory over it. Thus, he says that a brave man is
not the one who does not feel afraid, but one who conquers it.
10. What does he think is natural, to love or to hate?
11. What 'twin obligations' does Mandela mention?
Answer: - According to Mandela, every person has two obligations in life. The first one is to his family, parents, wife and children. The second one is to his people, community and country. These two were the 'twin obligations' of Mandela.
12. 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'?
Answer: - The meaning of freedom to Mandela was different at different stages. As a boy freedom is to be free to wander, swim, run, roast meanies and to ride bulls. Again, as a student freedom is to be free to stay out at night, read whatever pleased him and go anywhere he wanted. But after growing up Mandela realized that childhood and schooldays freedom were 'transitory freedoms'. Thus, he contrasted these 'transitory freedoms' with 'the basic and honourable freedoms' and said that the latter meant equality and honour for all and also to live with dignity and self-respect.
13. Does Mandela think the oppressor is free? why or why not?
14. Why did such a large number of international leaders attend the inauguration? What did it signify the triumph of?
15. What does Mandela mean when he says he is 'simply the sum of all those African patriots' who had gone before him?
16. Would you agree that the 'depths of oppression' creates 'heights of character'? How does Mandela illustrate this? Can you add your own examples to this argument?
17. How did Mandela's understanding of freedom change with age and experience?
18. How did Mandela's 'hunger for freedom' change his life?
Answer: - As Mandela gained age and experience, he understood that it was not just his freedom that was being curtailed, but also the freedom of all Blacks. He desired of a non-racial society, so that all the black people can live with dignity and self-respect. This changed Mandela from a frightened man to a bold and self-sacrificing person. Thus, the hunger for his own freedom became the hunger for the freedom of his people. In this way 'hunger for freedom' changed his life.
