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Chapter 76
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
Although Winnie’s stay in prison isn’t very long, police keep harassing Winnie and finding excuses to detain her. Zindzi turns 15 in 1975, but Winnie modifies her birth record to make her look 16 so that she can visit Mandela in prison. Mandela hasn’t seen her since she was 3 years old. She is shy at first, but Mandela tries to make her comfortable.
Although Mandela generally favors honesty, his and Winnie’s decision to forge Zindzi’s birth record is yet another instance that shows how Mandela isn’t rigid in his views. He is willing to adapt to the needs of the specific situation.
Themes
Winnie has trouble organizing her next visit to Mandela, and he gets in an argument with a warder about it. The warder charges Mandela with insulting him, and Mandela gets the lawyer George Bizos to defend him. Eventually, they get the prosecution to drop the case. The whole time in prison, Mandela thinks of escape plans, but despite considering many options, none of them come to fruition for him.
Once again, Mandela finds that his best weapon is sometimes just his persistence, as he gets the government to drop yet another case against him by stalling it out. Although Mandela often contemplates escape, his patience not to attempt a risky plan shows yet again his methodical style of seeking progress.
Themes
