📘 Class 10 English – Chapter 2 Summary & Q&A

 Chapter Name: Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

Author: Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela

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✨ Summary of the Chapter: Nelson Mandela – Long Walk to Freedom

This autobiographical excerpt is taken from Mandela’s inauguration speech as the first Black President of South Africa on 10 May 1994, after decades of struggle against apartheid.

🔷 Key Points:

• The inauguration was held in Pretoria and attended by leaders from around the world.

• Mandela praises all the brave men and women who sacrificed their lives for freedom, equality, and dignity.

• He remembers how apartheid (racial discrimination) had divided the country.

• Mandela speaks about two obligations:

  • To his family

  • To his people and country

• He explains that in prison, he realized that freedom is indivisible – unless everyone is free, no one is truly free.

• He highlights that courage is not the absence of fear but the triumph over it.

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🌟 Moral / Message

• True freedom means equality, justice, and dignity for all.

• Even the oppressor needs freedom, because hatred traps both the victim and the oppressor.

• Perseverance, forgiveness, and leadership with compassion are powerful tools for change.

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❓ Extra Question & Answers (With Value Points)

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📄 Short Answer Type Questions

1. What is the significance of 10 May 1994 for South Africa?
   ➤ It was the day when Nelson Mandela became the first Black President of a democratic South Africa.

2. What did Mandela say about courage?
   ➤ Mandela said, "Courage was not the absence of fear but the triumph over it."

3. What are the twin obligations according to Mandela?
   ➤ Obligation to family and obligation to nation/people.

4. What did apartheid mean in South Africa?
   ➤ Apartheid was a system of racial segregation that oppressed Black people socially, economically, and politically.

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📄 Long Answer Type Questions

1. How did Mandela describe the meaning of freedom for him as a child and as an adult?
   ➤ As a child, freedom meant running freely, playing, and staying out late. As he grew older, he realized true freedom meant living with dignity, equal rights, and no discrimination. His understanding of freedom matured with experience and the realization of injustice.

2. Explain how Mandela’s life was a struggle for freedom.
   ➤ Mandela spent 27 years in prison fighting against apartheid. He sacrificed his personal life, endured suffering, separation, and emerged as a symbol of hope and resistance. His journey reflects the “long walk to freedom” that brought democracy to South Africa.

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🔤 Vocabulary / Phrases to Highlight

• Apartheid – a system of racial discrimination

• Inauguration – formal introduction to a new role

• Resilience – the ability to recover from difficulties

• Sacrifice – giving up something for the sake of others

• Triumph – a great victory or achievement