4. (1) What is Gandhi’s first public meeting about?
In the first meeting, he is still in South Africa. He is, with a partner, leading a demonstration and holding a speech against the duty of foreigners of carrying an ID (at least this is what I think it is). Therefore, he is burning his and the ones of the other people who organised the demo.
(2) He outlines his method of fighting the law. What is it?
It is the method of civil disobedience.
(3) What is the outcome of this meeting?
He invites the demonstrators to also burn their IDs and gets beaten up by policemen, who are monitoring (überwachen) the scene. They say that IDs are British possession and may thus not be burned. Gandhi goes on nonetheless, being beaten again for every newly burnt ID, until he passes out.
9. At the end of [the second] meeting, the audience stands. What is the meaning of this? What is the irony of the Englishmen standing?
The people stand up to demonstrate that their supporting Gandhi’s ideas. They literally “stand up for their rights” and that they “stand behind him”.
The Englishmen are only forced to stand up as the audience is beginning to chant the anthem. Being proper Englishmen, they have to stand up and put a hand on their hearts. Like that, they also seem to be supporting Gandhi, just the way the others do, but in fact, they are only under compulsion and can not act any other way. For an uninvolved member of audience, this would not become obvious, though.
14. […] Compare the dress of Gandhi to the other Indian officials. […]
In fact, the other Indian officials seem to have assimilated the British style, as they are wearing suits and seem thereby a bit stiff (which is a prejudice for English people - as a matter of fact also for Germans, but that is off-topic… ).
Gandhi however is dressed in traditional Indian clothes and has also been travelling all over the country, which he found “alien” at first.
This shows how much he feels connected to the Indian people themselves, while the other officials seem to dress so British because they are interested in becoming as powerful as those are.
19. What are Gandhi’s keys to a successful and independent India?
1. Muslim-Hindu unity
2. Annulment (Abschaffung) of untouchability
3. Civil disobedience without violence
Part 2
4. As a result of the salt march, […] Gandhi is requested to travel to England […]. What is the result of the trip?
There is none. The British wanted to speak about giving India its independence, but nothing happens in the end.
