Previous
Chapter 89
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 writes to the government requesting a meeting, but he gets no response. Finally, in early 1986, he manages to secure a meeting with some high-up figures, including Kobie Coetsee, the minister of justice. While Mandela is happy to talk to them, he says that they should also speak to Tambo, who is currently the real leader of the ANC. Meanwhile, Tambo has been leading people in civil disobedience, and international pressure on South Africa is growing. At Mandela’s next meeting with the same group, he requests to meet President Botha himself.
Mandela’s letters to the government shows that even after two decades in prison, he hasn’t given up on the idea that it might be possible for him to advocate for a better life for himself and others. Despite his status as a prisoner, Mandela carries himself with confidence, asking to take matters all the way up to Botha. Mandela shows a willingness to negotiate with these men, even though they are part of the system that has kept him in prison for so long.
Themes
