Get NCERT Solutions for Class 10th English, at Aasoka, to get a better grasp on concepts in order to perform well in exams. These solutions will prove to be beneficial for students as they are prepared by subject matter experts.
“Long Walk to Freedom” is an extract from the Nelson Mandela’s autobiography. In this story, you will read about the historic moment when he became the first Black President of South Africa and his struggles. Students of Class 10th can find NCERT Solutions of the story on Aasoka to get ready for their English exam.
Question 1:
Why did such a large number of international leaders attend the inauguration ? What did it signify the triumph of ?
Answer:
They had come to honour the South Africa’s first democratic and non-racial government. It was a common victory for justice, peace and human dignity.
Question 2:
What does Mandela mean when he says he is ‘simply the sum of all those African patriots’ who had gone before him ?
Answer:
Mandela means to say that without the sacrifices of all those who had gone before him, he could never have been what he is today. His becoming the first black President of South Africa could never have been possible without their sacrifices. That is why he calls himself ‘simply the sum of all those African patriots’ who had gone before him.
Question 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 ?
Answer:
Mandela is perfectly right in what he says. The deeper the oppression, the higher the character. It proved true in the case of Mandela himself. He felt not only for the oppressed but also for the oppressor. He saw the oppressor not as a cruel master but also as a helpless slave of hatred. To this example, we can add the examples of our own numberless freedom fighters.
Question 4:
How did Mandela’s understanding of freedom change with age and experience ?
Answer:
As a child, freedom meant to Mandela the freedom to run in the fields. As a student, it meant the freedom to read what he pleased and go where he pleased. As a young man, it meant the freedom to develop one’s potential and live a lawful life. But then he realised that all these were transitory freedoms. At a later stage freedom meant to him the freedom of everyone who looked like him.
Question 5:
How did Mandela’s ‘hunger for freedom’ change his life ?
Answer:
Mandela’s hunger for freedom ended all his fears. Now he became a bold person. But it also drove him from a law-abiding attorney to become a criminal in the eyes of law. He became homeless and was forced to live the life of a monk.