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Chapter 40
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
While in hiding, Mandela busies himself planning a May 29 stay-at-home protest. Verwoerd, the prime minister, warns people against participating in the protest. But the protest ends up being one of the most successful yet. At a meeting with Luthuli, Mandela argues that the state has left activists with no choice but violence, and Luthuli himself feels very conflicted, despite his previous commitment to nonviolence. Luthuli seems to consider endorsing violence, then wavers, and Indian people at the meeting speak out strongly against nonviolence. Mandela receives authorization to create a separate organization from the ANC that can use force.
Mandela makes it known that, while he ultimately ends up advocating for violence, he only does so reluctantly and after listening at length to his allies who prefer nonviolent methods of protest. By showing the different viewpoints and different factions within the group of activists, Mandela shows that it's possible for people to have disagreements but still ultimately remain unified on the issues that matter most.
Themes
