Edgar Snow's 'The Message Of Gandhi'

Yesenia Salmeron
Mrs. Deas 2nd
9th Grade Literature Semester 2
January 23, 2018

“The Message of Gandhi” by: Edgar Snow – Essay For many people, Mohandas Gandhi was influential and heroic. Gandhi impacted those he surrounded himself with, especially from his home country – India. Indians viewed him as a father. Everywhere he went, people would desire to speak to him or to listen to his perspective in life. Gandhi committed himself to boycott against the British Empire, provided political and spiritual advice, and inspired others to follow his teachings. In “The Message of Gandhi” by Edgar Snow, Snow interviewed Gandhi and witness his assassination. He describes how he came to understand and accept Gandhi’s philosophies through his actions and words.
Gandhi proved to the world by engaging through nonviolence civil disobedience it makes a difference. During his time in South Africa, he was beaten for refusing to remove his turban in public, attacked and nearly lynched by an angry white mob. These incidents encouraged Gandhi to return to India and

Snow interviewed Gandhi a few days before his assassination, and explains how his own philosophy differed from Gandhi’s. Snow begins by saying he is “an agnostic, and ex-Catholic, and one who chastised the Mahatma for denying the righteous battle in 1942” (Snow 2). Even Gandhi knew Snow’s values and morals, but he noticed how open he had become. He tells Snow “You are more ready to listen to me now, I know” (Snow 2). In the interview, he began to understand Gandhi’s teachings and contributions to the world. Snow mentions how Gandhi had finally “struck a spark” in him and that he came to see the Indian leader as “a giant” (Snow 2). He begins to deeply respect Gandhi, and realizes how small of a person he is than Gandhi. Gandhi inspired others to make a difference in the world and taught others of his