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Chapter 84
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
In 1979, Mandela gets a severe limp while playing tennis. He gets taken to a hospital in Cape Town. Mandela is reluctant to undergo any sort of medical procedure, but a kind doctor convinces him of the necessity of heel surgery. Despite rumors of his poor health spreading, Mandela recovers successfully. In 1980, prisoners can finally buy newspapers. Although the papers are both conservative and heavily censored, Mandela learns of the existence of a Free Mandela campaign outside of prison. This campaign helps to rekindle some of Mandela’s hope.
Mandela’s limp from tennis is a sign of how he is aging and coming up against his limits. His refusal to undergo surgery is at first an attempt to try to remain self-sufficient, but he ultimately acknowledges that he needs help. This connects with the growing Free Mandela campaign outside of prison, which also shows how, for as much as Mandela tries to protest and negotiate on his own in prison, he also needs the help and support of people on the outside.
Themes
