“A Long Walk to Freedom,” is a poignant and powerful account of his life, from his humble beginnings in South Africa to his rise as a global icon of resistance against apartheid. The book chronicles his journey from a young boy raised in the Transkei to his education at Fort Hare University, his involvement in the African National Congress (ANC), and his eventual imprisonment for 27 years for his fight against racial discrimination.
A Long Walk to Freedom Summary
Nelson Mandela’s narration ‘A Long Walk to Freedom’ is at once soul-stirring and thought-provoking. Every man has obligations to his family and his country. Fulfilling them depends on one’s ability and nature. But in South Africa coloured people were not allowed to fulfil any of those obligations. But Mandela tried and succeeded to fulfil his obligations to the country. But he failed in the case of his family. He was born free. But soon he discovered that his freedom was not true. He realised that no black in South Africa was free. They didn’t have self-respect too. His hunger for personal freedom became the hunger for everyone’s freedom. For that, he changed himself. He became animated. He became bold. He sacrificed his personal ambitions and life. He worked for the freedom of the oppressor too. He believed that freedom was indivisible. He attempted for freedom to everyone and he achieved it too.
Conclusion:
In the concluding chapters of his autobiography, Nelson Mandela reflects on his journey as a freedom fighter and the lessons he learned from his experiences. He emphasizes the importance of resilience, the power of unity, and the need for forgiveness in the pursuit of justice.