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Chapter 14
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
At 1952’s annual ANC conference, Chief Albert Luthuli takes over, poised to lead in a more activist direction. Mandela supports him but after his arrest can’t legally attend meetings or leave Johannesburg. Nevertheless, Mandela starts holding secret meetings about a project called the M-Plan that will help local communities organize and coordinate nationally. Although the M-Plan achieves some success, Mandela feels that no one is prepared for how swiftly and powerfully the government will crack down.
Although Mandela believes in honesty and openness, he also ends up having to attend illegal secret meetings to organize. This reflects how Mandela is willing to adapt his ideas according to the present situation. One downside of Mandela’s optimistic attitude to life is that it sometimes leaves him unprepared when the South African government reacts aggressively.
Themes
