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Analyzing Language, Style, and Structure
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1. Vocabulary in Context. In paragraph 16, Mandela says that the attacks will “provide an
outlet” for some people. What does the word “outlet” mean in this context? How is Mandela’s
use of the word similar to or different from other uses you have encountered?
2. Vocabulary in Context. Mandela, in paragraph 10, says that “channels of peaceful protest”
were closed to him. What does the word “channels” mean in this context?
3. Skill Focus. Mandela gave this speech in the courtroom as part of his defense. With that
context in mind, why was it essential that he include personal experiences in his argument
Changing the World
about the necessity to commit political violence?
4. How does opening with an acknowledgement about his use of violence to create change help
Mandela establish his overall purpose?
5. What reasons does Mandela provide for the formation of the resistance group Umkhonto?
How effectively do these reasons justify the organization’s actions for creating change?
6. What purpose does quoting Chief Lutuli serve in Mandela’s argument (par. 6)? In your
response, consider both the quotation itself as well as the speaker.
7. In what ways does Mandela use the prospect of civil war in South Africa to explain the choice
to adopt a more violent approach?
8. Explain how Mandela’s statement that “[p]olitical division, based on colour, is entirely artificial
and, when it disappears, so will the domination of one colour group by another” (par. 37) is
linked to his argument about change as a whole.

Topics for Composing

1. Analysis. How does Mandela justify abandoning nonviolent protest, and how does he make
the case for sabotage as his preferred alternative? How does this reasoning support his overall
argument in this speech?
2. Argument. Mandela put his life on the line, and ultimately sacrificed his freedom in pursuit of
his cause. Consider a current political, social, or economic issue of great importance. to you.
Write an argument in which you explain the issue, why you believe it’s important, why you
believe others should agree with your position, and what you would be willing to do in order to
support your position. This can be an issue related to your school, your local community, the
entire nation, or even the global community.
3. Connection. Locate online and read Martin Luther King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”
and consider the similarities between that speech and Mandela’s. Specifically, consider the
ways in which both King and Mandela use the circumstances of their imprisonment to
advance their causes.
4. Speaking and Listening. Prepare for and hold a discussion with classmates in which you
address one or more of the following questions: Was Nelson Mandela justified in the use of
violence to overthrow apartheid? What does it mean that he was awarded the Nobel Peace
Prize in spite of his call for violent opposition? Can violence ever be justified?
5. Research. When Mandela was released from prison, many South Africans thought he would
be angry and would seek revenge because the government had mistreated him, but instead
he helped to create the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), which tried to heal the
damage done by the years of apartheid. Research the TRC’s work and write an examination of
its lasting impact in South Africa and around the world.

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