Previous
Chapter 34
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
Mandela is outraged to learn that Luthuli has been assaulted during his time in jail. Meanwhile, one of Mandela’s allies who’s also accused at the trial manages to escape the country when police mistake his identity, thinking he’s an interfering bystander, and order him to leave. Around the country, more than 2,000 people get detained without trial. Mandela himself remains imprisoned while the trial goes on.
The government fails to do its job in ways that are both comic and tragic. The assault of Luthuli in jail is a sad comment on how the government isn’t respecting the rule of law, and the escape of Mandela’s ally on trial shows how despite the government’s attempts to crack down, they sometimes remain incompetent to an extent that is almost humorous.
Themes
