Long Walk to Freedom Summary, Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela, Try.Fulfil

Long Walk to Freedom Summary, Try.Fulfil

Name of the treatise: Long Walk to Freedom.
Author: Nelson Mandela.
Genre of writing: Fiction/Autobiography.
Published: 1994
Main Points: Black Rights in South Africa, Apartheid System.

Long Walk to Freedom: Short Summary:

Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as South Africa’s first black president on May 10, 1994, at the age of 77. “Long Walk to Freedom” is an autobiography written by Mandela and published in 1995. Part Eleven of the autobiography, sub-titled ‘Freedom’, chapter-115, describes vividly the inaugural ceremony, his pride at the victory of black people against racial domination, his concept of freedom and vision of a bright future.

Long Walk to Freedom: Full Summary:

Inauguration Ceremony:

As the first elected black president of South Africa, Mandela had already been congratulated and admired by many dignitaries and world leaders before the inauguration. The ceremonies held in an amphitheater of sandstone by the Union Buildings in Pretoria, previously which was a place of the white supremacy. Nelson Mandela attended the ceremony in company with his daughter .On the occasion of the inaugural ceremony, there was a grand display of South African jets, helicopters, troop carriers, defense and police forces. The highest general and officers of South African defense force a police, saluted him and pledged their loyalty to him. Their two national anthems were also played in the ceremony. Mandela uttered there that, a few days ago he and his followers were regarded as outlaws but now they are acting as the host to the nation.

Repents for their comrades/their sacrifices: Long Walk to Freedom:

On the day of the inauguration Mandela looked back to the history of his country. He remembered thousands of the South African patriots who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of their motherland. He said, their sufferings, courage and sacrifices brought about this victory. Their contributions to the freedom could never be rapid. Now he felt that he was simply the sum of all those African patriots who had gone before him. He was sorry that he could not thank them and they were not able to see the results of their sacrifices. Nelson Mandela boldly said that he and his comrades took up the struggle for freedom, knowing well that their path would not be a smooth one. When he joined the African National congress (ANC), he was a young man and he saw the price of his comrades paid for their ideologies. Nelson Mandela was not hopeless about the great change of society, because he had seen courage not only in the heroes but also in the ordinary men and women of his country. He believed that human beings are born not to hate one another because of the differences of caste, creed or color but to love each other. He told goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished.

Concept of Freedom: Long Walk to Freedom:

Nelson Mandela gave his concept of freedom. In South Africa, a man of black skin who tried to live as a human being or tried to fulfil his duties to his people was punished by the rulers, driven away from his family and forced to live a life of an underground rebel. So, he understood that his freedom had already been taken away from him and he began to hunger for it. During his student life and Johannesburg life, he wanted freedom only for himself. When Nelson Mandela joined the African National Congress, his hunger transform into a greater hunger for the freedom of his people. It was desire of living with dignity and self respect. This scene of freedom inspired his life and transformed a young man into a rebel, drove a law abiding attorney to the path of a criminal, turned a family-loving husband into a man without a home and forced a life-loving man to live like a monk. According to him, freedom is invisible, that is freedom means collective freedom-freedom for all people. The chains on anyone of his people means the chains on all of them and the chains on all of his people means the chains on him.

Hopes for the future/Future plans: Long Walk to Freedom:

On the inauguration day some people thought that Nelson Mandela’s mission had been achieve, but it was not so. According to him, people of South Africa had merely achieved the freedom to move freely, but the final victory, the achievement of dignity, respect and peace had yet to be gained. He told that ha had walked a long road to freedom and at every step he had tried not to falter, not to deviate from his purpose. Nelson Mandela felt that, the victory was a rest for a moment, but his long walk for democracy and freedom had not yet ended. He had many promises to keep and he could have yet reached his goal.

For 20 years, Nelson Mandela directed peaceful, non-violent acts of defiance against the South African government and it’s racist policies. He and many of his followers were arrested for several times, but never they gave up their hopes. Thus under the great leadership of Nelson Mandela, South Africa achieved freedom from the British Colonial rule. In 1993, this great leader was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.