18 Questions
What does the text suggest about the challenges faced by the speaker and First Flight?
They felt they couldn't endure the suffering anymore.
What prompted Nelson Mandela to join the African National Congress?
His hunger for the freedom of his people
What was the main motivation for the speaker to keep going according to the text?
To live in hope during difficult times.
How did Nelson Mandela's view of freedom evolve as a young man in Johannesburg?
He saw that his personal freedom was curtailed as well as others who looked like him
In Nelson Mandela's writing, what is a common theme related to fear and courage?
The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid
What transformation did Nelson Mandela undergo due to his desire for the freedom of his people?
From a criminal to a law-abiding attorney
Based on the text, what is considered as one of the basic freedoms related to earning money?
Earning enough money to live on honorably.
What drove Nelson Mandela's decision to join the struggle despite personal sacrifices?
The desire for his people's dignity and self-respect
What do the sentences in Nelson Mandela's writing suggest about the nature of oppression?
It requires such depths of oppression to create such heights of character
What key theme is highlighted in the text concerning freedom?
Freedom from poverty and discrimination
In what way did Nelson Mandela realize he couldn't enjoy even limited freedoms?
When he saw that his people were not free
What was the pivotal reason for Nelson Mandela's transition from a family-loving husband to a man without a home?
The desire for his people's freedom and dignity
What was the primary reason mentioned in the text for a man of color in South Africa finding it difficult to fulfill both living as a human being and serving his people?
Being forced to live a life apart from family due to serving the people
What made the protagonist begin to hunger for freedom as a young man?
Discovering his boyhood freedom was an illusion
Why did the protagonist initially want freedom only for himself as a student?
To be able to stay out at night and read what he pleased
What realization led the protagonist to understand that his freedom had already been taken away from him?
Realizing that his boyhood freedom was an illusion
Why did trying to serve his people prevent the protagonist from fulfilling his obligations as a son, brother, father, and husband?
He was ripped from family and forced to live apart
What caused the protagonist to shift from not desiring freedom to beginning to hunger for it?
Realizing he was born free but it was taken away
Study Notes
Nelson Mandela's Journey to Freedom
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As a young man in Johannesburg, Mandela yearned for basic freedoms like achieving his potential, earning a living, marrying, and having a family.
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He realized that his freedom was curtailed, and so was the freedom of everyone who looked like him.
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Mandela joined the African National Congress, driven by a desire for the freedom of his people to live with dignity and self-respect.
The Struggle for Freedom
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Mandela's desire for freedom transformed him from a frightened young man to a bold one, from a law-abiding attorney to a criminal, and from a family-loving husband to a man without a home.
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He could not enjoy the limited freedoms he was allowed when he knew his people were not free.
The Illusion of Freedom
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Mandela was born free, but discovered as a young man that his freedom had already been taken from him.
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He initially wanted freedom only for himself, seeking transitory freedoms like staying out at night, reading what he pleased, and going where he chose.
The Importance of Liberty
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True liberty is freedom from poverty, deprivation, and all forms of discrimination, including gender, religion, and class.
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Mandela worked towards achieving constitutionally guaranteed human rights and overcoming the causes of poverty.
Read an excerpt of Nelson Mandela's reflection on his yearning for freedom and his decision to join the African National Congress.
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