Myths and heroes Nelson Mandela PDF

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Nelson Mandela et l'apartheid ...

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- I'm going to talk about the notion of myths and heroes. But before, I will define words “myth” and “hero”. A myth is a legend, but a myth also refers to a popular belief embodying the ideals of a society. A hero is a person with superhuman abilities but it also refers to a person who is admired for his achievements or his noble qualities. - This notion can be illustrated with the example of Nelson Mandela who fought courageously for black people's rights even if he risked going to jail. He also became a real hero. - We may wonder how Nelson Mandela managed to assert black people's rights in South Africa and became a real hero for everyone ? Why can he be regarded as a hero? - First I’d like to describe South Africa's society during Apartheid. Then I will talk about the role of Nelson Mandela who fought for equality between black and white people. Finally, I will explain why NM is the symbol of the struggle against Apartheid in South Africa for everyone. - Let's begin with the description of violence and discrimination under Apartheid. In order to illustrate this aspect, I have chosen two documents.The first is the beginning of the film “Cry freedom” and the second is a book extract called “Dorothy”. Both documents underline different problems in the 70's during Apartheid in SA. They clearly show black people's appalling living conditions in townships. Indeed, Blacks had to live in townships where there was no electricity, no running water and t iny houses contrary to Whites' houses which were luxury. They highlight the fact that Whites were not aware of the destitute situation of Blacks. So, both documents show that Blacks and Whites lived apart but Cry Freedom is the only one which raises the problem of the violence of the police. Indeed, Blacks were persecuted, imprisoned without trial and sometimes beaten to death even if they protested peacefully. We should bear in mind that at the time Blacks had no liberty. They couldn't say what they wanted and they were forbidden to move freely. For example, in 1960, 69 black protesters were killed by security forces during a peaceful demonstration. It's the Sharpeville massacre. It was a real injustice, so it was time to react for Mandela. - So let's continue with NM's fight for equality. Mandela wanted to fight with peace and non violence against segregation. He organised sabotages and became the leader of the ANC which represented the main opposition to the Afrikaner government. In 1962, he was arrested and sent to jail for life on Robben Island. Even if he was imprisoned, he wanted to unite Blacks and Whites. He thought that love was better than hate so he overcame the natural anger he felt for being in prison. He was able to see the future before it come into existence. In 1990, Mandela was released after 27 years in jail thanks to President Klerk. This moment marked the beginning of the end of Apartheid but the transition to democracy was violent. On the contrary, Mandela promoted reconciliation and not revenge. One of the key moments of post-apartheid was in 1994 when there were the first free elections in South Africa thanks to Mandela who became president of the rainbow nation. - Finally, we will see that Mandela became a real hero for everyone because of his noble qualities. He was courageous, committed for freedom and he inspired million people of all ages and races all around the world. Indeed, he marked history by his pacifist actions and the strength of his ideas. He sacrificed his freedom for the freedom of others. Thanks to him, black people in South Africa really became citizens. Moreover, he managed to pacify South Africa. That's why he received the Nobel Peace Price in 1993 and why he can be regarded as a legend or a myth. To put it in a nutshell, it seems that Nelson Mandela is a hero because despite all the difficulties he had to face, he managed to reach his goal of bringing people together in South Africa. He also embodies moral values. To conclude, we can say that Nelson Mandela is a real hero because his fight against segregation in South Africa was a success. Indeed, Blacks managed to have equal rights. That's why he inspires respect. He represents a model which people can follow. He is a hero because he managed to do something for other people instead of seeking his own fame or profit. He wrote an incredible story around his name. To put it in a nutshell, he made things evolve....