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Chapter 107
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Long Walk to Freedom, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Racism and Division
Negotiation, Democracy, and Progress
Nonviolent Protest vs. Violent Protest
The Value of Optimism
Summary
Analysis
After all of the preliminary talks, the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA) begins. Although there are some issues with the talks, such as PAC boycotting them, Mandela believes they are a historic moment. On the first day, de Klerk surprises Mandela with a request for a speech, which Mandela grants, but after de Klerk gives a speech that questions the trustworthiness of ANC, Mandela is angry with him. Six weeks after the beginning of CODESA 1 (the first part of the talks), de Klerk holds a referendum with White voters on whether to continue negotiations with the ANC. When he finds that he has support, de Klerk begins to use more aggressive negotiating tactics.
Similar to Mandela’s legal trials, the process of setting up South Africa’s first freely democratic election is a long one. Although Mandela faces many challenges, including an uncooperative de Klerk, he continues as he always does to make incremental progress. To advance his arguments, Mandela portrays himself as an honest negotiator and highlights the ways in which de Klerk is less honest, walking back his promises and attempting to take hard-line positions.
Themes
