A REAL HERO!

NELSON MANDELA: FLESH AND BLOOD

Nelson Lolihlahla Mandela was born in a village called Qunu, in South Africa, on 18th July 1918. He studied law at Witwatersrand University. In 1944 he joined the African National Congress (ANC) and founded the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL). From 1952, he worked actively not only against discriminatory legislation but also against exploitation and segregation.

In 1962 he was arrested and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment for leaving the country illegally. While he was in prison, he was accused of sabotage and, as a result, he was sentenced to life imprisonment. During his years in jail, he worked hard, especially in favour of education, and he was a source of strength for the other prisoners as well. On several occasions he was offered liberty if he abandoned violence, but he rejected it. As a result, he became a symbol of resistance. Moreover, he personified struggle. “The struggle is my life” are Mandela’s words. In 1990 he was released from prison and went back to the activity he had had to abandon a long time ago.

Mandel has always claimed his dedication to democracy, education, and, in particular, equality. In addition, he has sacrificed his whole life in favour of his people. For instance, he has fought against oppression and deprivation, and what’s more, he has never answered racism with racism.

Mandela’s work has been recognised worldwide. In 1993 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, which he accepted in the name of all South Africans.

In 1996 he divorced his first wife and two years later he married again. In 1999 Nelson Mandela retired from public life and went back to the village where he was born. Nevertheless, he continues to be an inspiration for many human-rights and anti-racist activists.

FICTIONAL HEROES NEVER DIE

Real heroes are only human. They live and die like the rest of us. But fictional heroes are different. They began life many years ago and they will live on in fiction in the future. Here are some favourite twentieth-century fictional heroes.

1. The spy 007 has been working for the British Secret Service since 1953 when Ian Fleming first wrote about him in Casino Royale. Fleming is now dead, but the spy still lives on. The first film was Dr No in 1962 and since then he’s appeared in over twenty films. The Cold War was finished and Bond’s enemies are not the Russians now, but there are still plenty of bad people out there! Columbia, the film producer, recently finished filming his latest adventure.

2. He first saved Gotham City from evil, with the help of Robin, in a comic book in 1939 and has been fighting crime for over fifty years. The team has made three TV series, as well as films and novels. The most popular TV series was in the 1960s, and our hero has recently appeared in films. He will live on as long as there are criminals like the Penguin, Catwoman and the Joker in Gotham City.

3. This character has been living with his pet dog Snoopy in a small American town since 1950, when he first appeared in the strip cartoon Peanuts. Over forty years later, he still experiences all the happiness and frustration of the typical boy, playing baseball with his friends and going to school. His first appearance in a TV film was in 1965, and so far he has made three cinema films. His appeal is as strong as ever.

4. The talking rabbit first asked “What’s Up Doc?” in 1937 and has been eating carrots in public ever since. He has appeared in comic books, newspaper strips and above all, hundreds of cartoon films. He will be popular for as long as people laugh at rabbits.

5. The green frog has been singing and dancing on TV since 1957, although it was only in 1967 that it became famous with the Muppets. Since then, 253 million people in 100 countries have seen hundreds of Muppet shows. There have also been three films. Success has not changed him; he remains exactly the same colour.