What are some themes in A Long Way Gone?
A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah takes us into the depths of the Sierra Leone Civil War, which began in 1991. We will look at themes centered around loss of innocence, loss of family, the all pervasive damages of war, and the search for hope.
What are the boys taught to visualize in A Long Way Gone?
The lieutenant who leads Beah’s squad is straightforward in his manipulation, advising Beah and the other boys to “visualize the enemy, the rebels who killed your parents, your family, and those who are responsible for everything that has happened to you.” The boys remain boys, and even in war, there is an element of …
What does A Long Way Gone teach us?
To remind people how to cope. By the end of the book, Beah himself has managed to flee his home country and work toward starting a new life in the United States. He said that while living around violence, he had to find his own ways to cope – as everyone must.
How was Ishmael manipulated?
When Ishmael first joins the army in A Long Way Gone, he doesn’t seem to suspect that he’s being played. His commanding officers tell him to kill to avenge his family. Then, they give him a whole bunch of drugs and turn on some war movies. Pretty soon, Ishmael’s a killing machine.
Why should we read A Long Way Gone?
This is a beautifully written book about a shocking war and the children who were forced to fight it. Ishmael Beah describes the unthinkable in calm, unforgettable language; his memoir is an important testament to the children elsewhere who continue to be conscripted into armies and militias.
What is ironic about the boys time in the village of Yele?
It is ironic that the very village where life seems normal and safe becomes the place where their futures as child soldiers are determined. The theme of the horror of war is prevalent throughout this chapter as Ishmael and the other boys face an impossible decision.
Why did Ishmael finally have to go to the hospital?
With anger because they wanted the civilians to see them as harmful soldiers. Why did Ishmael finally have to go to the hospital? He punched the windows and it finally stuck.
Why should you read A Long Way Gone?
What are the themes in a Long Way Gone?
Everyone becomes happy and appreciates the moon in their own special way.” In the narrative present, the… Grillon, Evan. “A Long Way Gone Themes.” LitCharts.
What are some quotes from a Long Way Gone?
There was nothing we could do about it. Sometimes we ran after people shouting that we were not what they thought, but this made them more scared. One of the unsettling things about my journey, mentally, physically, and emotionally, was that I wasn’t sure when or where it was going to end.
What happens to Beah’s memories in a Long Way Gone?
Memory is an aid. When he becomes a soldier, however, Beah no longer indulges in memories of his childhood. After he kills his first man, the memories become a burden as he believes his life will never be the same.
Who is Ishmael Beah in a Long Way Gone?
A Long Way Gone is the autobiography of a boy soldier, Ishmael Beah, who as a boy was afflicted by and then coerced to participate in the Sierra Leone Civil War as a boy soldier.
