A Long Way Gone, By Ishmael Beah

Nobody fully understands what drives people to undertake a mission, but it often causes people to take many risks. For example, Farah Ahmedi climbed a mountain on a prosthetic leg with a sick mother just to reach freedom. Rikki-Tikki fought for his life to save his family. John Steinbeck eavesdropped on people's conversations just to get material for his book. These stories show different people who had each set a goal for themselves. Ahmedi and Rikki-Tikki fought for their lives to survive and save their loved ones. While Steinbeck traveled to great lengths to write his book. Their goals may be different but they all had set a goal and they all eventually accomplished their goal.

In the memoir A long Way Gone Ishmael Beah states “When I was young, my father used to say, “If you are alive, there is hope for a better day and something good to happen. If there is nothing good left in the destiny of a person, he or she will die” (Beah 54). Throughout the war Ismael Beah survives many difficult situations, that make him think is it worth it to keep running. Ishmael Beah, always remembers what his dad said to motivate him to try and keep surviving the war. Ishmael Beah used adaptability, the kindness of others and bravery to overcome the adversities of the war in Sierra Leone.

During Mr. Rosenberg’s leave we learned different dramatic elements such as script analysis, stasis and intrusion, dramatic conflict, etc. This helps us to understand the different elements so one day when we have to apply the elements we will already be mindful of them. Additionally, we also learned about the beginning of theater dating back to ancient Greece and their different ways of displaying theater.

No one is prepared for war and the most challenging decisions you will have to make to survive. Although each character in Refugee, by Alan Gratz, is from a different time and place, they each share similar hardships and challenges in their experiences, such as they were all forced from their homes, they all lose a family member, and their problems begin in their own country.

Throughout the course of the book, A Long Way Home, Saroo Brierley, the author, encounters a series of traumatic experiences that lead to bittersweet moments. Unlike a normal child’s infancy, Saroo was physically and mentally consuming. Through his experience, we are able to get a glimpse of the many struggles and hardships young children live in India daily. His petrifying experiences of living on the streets, Liluah, and Nava Jeevan finally lead to his safe haven of being taken by the Brierley’s.

“Passing,” by Nella Larsen is a novel all about pretending to be something that you are not. It is about giving everyone the impression that everything is in order when in reality everything is falling apart. Passing in this novel refers to the ability of a person to be classified as one thing, normally a social group, while belonging to a different group. Passing is usually done to gain class or acceptance by groups other than one’s own. The primary focus of the novel is on racial passing which is the ability to look white and belong to a white group when in reality the person is an African-American in order to gain privileges that were unavailable to them. Although racial passing is the main focus, another major theme in this novel is sexual passing and identity.

In the memoir A Long Way Gone, author Ishmael Beah describes his survival journey as a lost child in his country, because of the civil war in Sierra Leone, then becoming a child soldier facing war daily, afterward the process that Beah went through during rehabilitation and finally in fear escaping the civil war. Ishmael Beah emotional journey has three stages of development in which Beah utilized music. In the first stage, Beah uses music as a survival mechanism to keep sane and safe. In the second stage, begins when he loses his brother and friends, Beah reaches the lowest point with the loss of his entire family again, some friends, music, and being forced to join the war. In the final stage, is the process of rehabilitation where Beah connects with music once again. Ishmael Beah exposure to music at a young age stayed with him throughout his life. (Beah, 2007, p. 5-218)

In the introduction of A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah, he writes, “There were all kinds of stories told about the war that made it sound as if it was happening in a faraway and different land. It wasn’t until refugees started passing through our town that we began to see that it was actually taking place in our country” (Beah 1). During this statement Beah says that he is completely oblivious to the war around him. These people living in Sierra Leone had adapted to the war to the point where their perception had been altered. With this memoir he shares his experiences and obstacles he faces throughout the war to become a beckon of hope in this despairing country. Ishmael uses his social skills, timely luck, and emotional strength, to find the courage to overcome these adversities and survive in and out of the war.

A book that will be read should not be judged by its cover because the importance is the word that is being written and the meaning that is being express by the writer experience. A Long Way Gone, an autobiography, written by Ishmael Bech need to be read. This book can lead to many connections that will bring back memories of many people. Including its wonderful description that is very understanding. However, one may disagree because this book contains much confusion due to the flashback. But because of the flashback it leads to having a better understanding for the reader to know more about Ishmael Bech.

People look through the eyes of the beholder when they regard others on this planet. It is no small thing to forget everything that you have learned when meeting neighbors. Humans form preconceived notions and in that, make choices and judgments on others. This is human nature, trying to figure out, understand, what others are like so we can figure out how to relate to them. David Lamb’s book The Arabs is a learned look at the Arab culture through his eyes. David was a correspondent and has been all over the world. As a reporter he has used his ability to merge with the cultures he reports on, to get an overall picture that he presents. The Arabs, by David Lamb seems to try and give an accurate presentation of the current world of the Arabs, but does reinforce some of the Western stereotypes in his book.

Foday Sankoh and his Revolutionary United Front (RUF) began to campaign against President Momoh and captured towns on the border with Liberia. Iryna Marchuk claims that “rich diamond mining areas fueled the conflict between various groups and individuals. The exploitation of diamond resources escalated to such extent that the diamonds became known as 'blood diamonds'.” In 1992, President Momoh was overthrown by a military coup led by Captain Valentine Strasser. In 1996, Strasser was then overthrown by a military coup. Ahmad Tejan Kabbah was then elected president and signed a peace accord with Sankoh’s rebels. In 1997, President Kabbah was overthrown by the army. Maj Johnny Paul Koroma lead the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) and Kabbah fled to Guinea. In 1997, the UN Security Council imposed sanctions on Sierra Leone. In 1998, Nigerian-led West African intervention force, ECOMOG, drove rebels out. In 1999, RUF rebels seized parts of Freetown from ECOMOG and after weeks of fighting, 5,000 were dead and the city was in ruins. In 1999, a ceasefire occurred which resulted in the Lomé Peace Agreement which granted amnesty to persons who committed crimes under Sierra Leonean law prior to July 7, 1999. However, numerous attacks occurred after this. In 2002, the war was declared to be over and the UN and the Government of Sierra Leone agreed to set up a war crimes court. Shortly after, Kabbah’s Sierra Leone

The civil wars in these African countries creating an outcry from civilians after experiencing injustices and corruption throughout decades. Whilst leading to civilians fleeing Sudan and Sierra Leone to start new lives. The histories behind both wars are quite similar as both were solely motivated by natural resources and power imbalance. As The Revolutionary United Front had established in 1991 as rebel army that shared one goal, which was to overthrow Sierra Leone's government. Often referred to as the “Blood Diamond” conflict. Although diamonds and natural resources were a significant motivating factor, there were other causes to the Sierra Leone Civil War. Such as the pre-war frustrations and injustices that had transpired for decades.

The Sierra Leone civil war began in 1991 with the attacks of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), led by former army corporal Foday Sankoh, on government military and civilian targets. As a response to the corrupt government of President Joseph Saidu Momoh, the RUF quickly turned to acts of terror and violence with little regard to its apparent political agenda . The RUF is fighting the government for control of the diamond fields so they can purchase arms for war. They terrorise the local tribes, capturing men to work in the diamond mines and forcing innocent boys to learn to kill for the RUF cause. The Civil war has claimed over 10,000 lives and forced as many as two million people to flee the conflict zones, producing a long-term refugee

He is caught between two countries, Ethiopia where his father was from and Eritreawhere her mother was from are at war with each other. Alem who is a mix child between two of this country is not accepted anywhere wheter it is at Eritrea nor Ethiopia. He goes to England with his father as the situation in his homeland dies down, but things didn’t go as planned. A lot of refugees in the world have the same conditions as Alem. Refugees face losing friends and family and being forced out of their home country. they are not accepted in their own contry. The story of Refugee Boy is a story about how a family that was once connected, broke and became disconnected. Once they leave their home-country, these refugees are lost, just like Alem in London. His father left him by himself in a strange place Alem has never been to. He has no family in England and no one that cares for him. Alem’s feelings were clear. He was emotional, isolated, alone and trapped in this mysterious place. and more importantly, they do not feel accepted anywhere they go. just like alem, they also take

The boys were stripped of their innocence as children, grown to be familiar with an empty stomach, separated from their family, and above all had no place to truly call home. Through each experience they faced they lost all ties to their innocence and were forced to mature in a world of corruption, and isolationism.