Political Prisoners: A Comparative Critical Reading of Gramsci’s Prison Notebooks, Rahman’s Prison Diaries, and Mandela’s Conversations with Myself

Abstract

Political leaders who fight against the abuse of power are frequently imprisoned for their political activities. Their voices challenge the existing autocratic rulers and their experiences inside and outside prison are essentially emblematic. This article explores power, politics and the prison life of three famous politicians of three continents: Antonio Gramsci from Italy (Europe), Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from Bangladesh (Asia), and Nelson Mandela from South Africa (Africa). Prison Notebooks by Gramsci, Prison Diaries by Rahman, and Conversations with Myself by Mandela are extraordinary works, which contribute immensely to the shaping of prison literature. These authors wrote about loneliness, hegemony, state repression and their resistance against power to establish human rights. Focusing on Michel Foucault’s concept of power, domination and the systematic reformations to treat prisoners more humanely, this article undertakes a comparative critical reading of these three prison narratives about the imprisonment of the three politicians. The analysis explores their protest against power abuse and struggle for humanity, justice, equality and dignity, which make them icons of leadership in the world.