119 pages 3 hours read

Nelson Mandela

No Easy Walk to Freedom

Nonfiction | Biography | Adult | Published in 1973

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Reading Questions & Paired Texts

Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key plot points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Part 1 (Chapters 1-2)

Reading Check

1. What organized movement does Mandela first discuss?

2. Who formulated the “M” Plan?

3. What political party does Mandela criticize in reference to their constitution?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How did the “M” Plan demonstrate Mass Mobilization and Shifts in Strategies and Tactics for the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa?

2. What evidence in the first two chapters indicates that the anti-apartheid struggle embraced multiracialism?

Paired Resource

Generational Conflict and African Nationalism in South Africa: The African National Congress, 1949 - 1959

  • This scholarly article explains the relationship among the ANC, the ANC Youth League, the Pan-Africanist Congress, and the Communist Party. It calls attention to the role of the ANCYL, which Mandela helped to create, in turning the ANC towards militancy, mass mobilization, and direct action. It also discusses laws and measures that the Nationalist government used from 1948 forward to repress Black African resistance to white supremacy. In addition, it includes discussion of the Defiance Campaign.
  • Connects to themes of Mass Mobilization and Unity, Shifts in Strategies and Tactics, and the ANC’s Relationship to Other Political Parties
  • Teacher-appropriate (not student-facing)

Related Titles

By Nelson Mandela