Personal as Political in Nelson Mandela’s Conversation With Myself: An Otobiographical Reading

Abstract

Thisresearch paper makes an analysis ofautobiographical memoir ConversationwithMyselfauthored by a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary leader Nelson Mandela in order to argue that one’s personal experiences reveal the public dimension of life or the social structure that the individual belongs to. It further contends that the autobiographical accounts hold the social picture of one’s life rather being empirical sketch of philosophical ideas including facts that can be verified through historical documents. The memoir has the protagonist Nelson Mandela whose constant struggles, anxiety and sufferings portray the life during apartheid eraofSouth Africa. The pretensions of the protagonist seems to be refuting ownimmense courage and ability to riskhisown life for collective values. This studyhas been carried out taking theoreticalinsights fromOtobiography, a term proposed by Jacques Derrida in order to interpret life narratives. It insiststhat writer advances behind pseudonyms withhis signatureand that signature constructs the system. By this the writer as an individual becomes secondary.The writer makes an immense auto/biographical paragraph by reaffirming his experience throughout life and signs or seals with the signature. But the reaffirmation is selective where negativity is reduced and this makes almost impossible to discover the inner self. Thus, in autobiographical narrativeseven in diaries and letters which are considered to be personal writings,the storythat is alreadyin public discourse is cited and recited. Key Words:Otobiography, Subjectivity, Selfhood, Autobiographical ‘I’, Color Prejudice, Apartheid