Sample Answer In an excerpt from his memoir, Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela explains his shifting understandings of freedom based on different stages in his life. His perceptions of freedom evolved from wanting freedom for just himself to fighting for freedom for others. He concludes that denying freedom to others robs the oppressors of their own freedoms. As a child, Mandela “was not born with a hunger to be free. I was born free – in every way that I could know”. Clearly, Mandela did not hunger for freedom because he was free in every way that he knew. He was “Free to run in the fields…, free to swim in the clear stream…, free to roast mealies…, and ride the broad backs of slow-moving bulls”. These are all things that young children might associate with the simple freedoms in life. As long as he “obeyed his father” and “abided by the customs of his tribe”, Mandela viewed himself as totally free. As a young man, Mandela realized that his freedom had already been taken from him, and he then began to hunger for it. As a student, he longed for freedom only for himself such as “being able to stay out at night, read what I pleased, and go where I chose”. Mandela reacted to freedom as many young people might at this stage of his life. He was totally focused on how he could establish himself and enjoy his own success. Others’ freedoms were not of paramount concern to him at this time. Later he longed for “the freedom not to be obstructed in a lawful life”. At this point in his life, Mandela realized that not only was he not free, but his brothers and sisters were also not free. He joined the African National Congress which stimulated his desire for his own freedom into a desire for freedom for all black South Africans. This desire “transformed a frightened young man into a bold one that drove a law-abiding attorney to become a criminal that turned a family-loving husband into a man without a home that forced a life-loving man to live life like a monk”. Mandela realized that he could not enjoy the limited freedoms he was allowed when he knew his own people were not free. At this stage, he realized “the oppressor must be liberated just as surely as the oppressed”. He became even bolder and more determined that he would never be satisfied until all his people were free.
Sample Answer In an excerpt from his memoir, Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela explains his shifting understandings of freedom based on different stages in his life. His perceptions of freedom evolved from wanting freedom for just himself to fighting for freedom for others. He concludes that denying freedom to others robs the oppressors of their own freedoms. As a child, Mandela “was not born with a hunger to be free. I was born free – in every way that I could know”. Clearly, Mandela did not hunger for freedom because he was free in every way that he knew. He was “Free to run in the fields…, free to swim in the clear stream…, free to roast mealies…, and ride the broad backs of slow-moving bulls”. These are all things that young children might associate with the simple freedoms in life. As long as he “obeyed his father” and “abided by the customs of his tribe”, Mandela viewed himself as totally free. As a young man, Mandela realized that his freedom had already been taken from him, and he then began to hunger for it. As a student, he longed for freedom only for himself such as “being able to stay out at night, read what I pleased, and go where I chose”. Mandela reacted to freedom as many young people might at this stage of his life. He was totally focused on how he could establish himself and enjoy his own success. Others’ freedoms were not of paramount concern to him at this time. Later he longed for “the freedom not to be obstructed in a lawful life”. At this point in his life, Mandela realized that not only was he not free, but his brothers and sisters were also not free. He joined the African National Congress which stimulated his desire for his own freedom into a desire for freedom for all black South Africans. This desire “transformed a frightened young man into a bold one that drove a law-abiding attorney to become a criminal that turned a family-loving husband into a man without a home that forced a life-loving man to live life like a monk”. Mandela realized that he could not enjoy the limited freedoms he was allowed when he knew his own people were not free. At this stage, he realized “the oppressor must be liberated just as surely as the oppressed”. He became even bolder and more determined that he would never be satisfied until all his people were free.
7.%20Long%20Walk%20to%20Freedom.%20lesson%20-%20Story.docx