Does Mandela think the oppressor is free? Why/Why not?
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”?
In his boyhood, Mandela enjoyed every freedom. He was free to run in the fields near his mother’s hut or to swim in the clear stream that ran through his village. His sense of freedom was limited to his own enjoyment. As long as he obeyed his father and abided by the customs of his tribe, his freedom wasn't restricted by the laws of man or God. Gradually, he learnt that his boyhood freedom was an illusion.
As a student, I wanted freedom only for myself, the transitory freedoms of being able to stay out at night, read what I pleased and go where I chose. Later, as a young man in Johannesburg, I yearned for the basic and honourable freedoms of achieving my potential, of earning my keep, of marrying and having a family
What “twin obligations” does Mandela mention?
Why did such a large number of international leaders attend the inauguration? What did it signify the triumph of?
What does Mandela mean when he says he is “simply the sum of all those African patriots” who had gone before him?
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