Long Way Gone

For the most part of the book, Ishmael spends his days scared of what the war might bring. The death of his family, the death of his friends, the death of him; all things he constantly worried would happen at the mercy of the war. He feared for the future and for his own safety every day up until he was rescued by the UN. This passage marks the very day the war became real to him and his great fear of it

This quote gives a glimpse of how the war affected everyone's life. Knowing that you have control over your life is a very comforting idea, however war is not comforting. What their lives had come to was constant, lingering fear and they had to inevitably adjust. This comes to show how tough the war was and how quickly young Ishmael had to change is way of living. The war flipped Ishmael's life around and he needed to adjust right away, which adds on to how demanding the war was.

There may be as many as 300,000 child soldiers, hopped-up on drugs and wielding AK-47s, in more than fifty conflicts around the world. Ishmael Beah used to be one of these child soldiers  , Ishmael Beah is a child who lived most of his childhood in the war   . He is one of the first to tell his story in his own words according to  http://www.alongwaygone.com/index.html and his memoir “A Long Way Gone”. The war had made ishmael have perseverance  in the long run , inference that he was brainwashed by the war and that ishmael was a very hopeful child always wishing for better days.

The more people Ishmael loses, the less he has to fight for- the less he has to hope for. Upon finding his family’s ashes, Ishmael is enraged- not hopeless. Ishmael’s hope is alive, but shrinking as Gasemu indicates when he says, “Your forehead used to glow naturally when you were just a child … We thought it was because you were happy all the time. Your mother said you even smiled when you slept. But when you started your troublesomeness and were angry, your forehead glowed even more…And here you are, it isn’t shining anymore,” (Beah 92). Ishmael’s forehead did not glow because he was mad or sad or embarrassed or happy. Ishmael’s forehead glowed because he was passionate and hopeful. The angrier he got when he was younger, the more his forehead glowed seeing as he believed in his anger. Despite the fact that his hope shrank when he was faced with the death of his family, the threat of the rebels, and the fear of dying, these events did not destroy Ishmael’s hope- Ismael’s hope begins its descent to nothingness when he becomes a child soldier and, consequently, a drug addict. When Ishmael no longer mourns the death of human life, his hope is lost. When Ishmael cannot care less if he lives or dies, his hope is lost. When he would rather continue killing as

Imagine being unable to trust anyone even when their best interests is to give a helping hand. In the book a long way gone, Ishmael has went through a lot of trauma because he fought in war at a young age. One of the things that he lost was his trust in people while being in the war. This also made it hard for him to communicate with people, even for people who were trying to help him after being saved after the war. Survival was another thing that Ishmael has struggled with because he wanted to survive the war and stay alive.

After some time as as a child soldier Ishmael thought he had finally found his place. He

Ishmael`s hope for a better life portrays one example of the theme “Always have hope”. The war was very traumatic for everyone in the country. In fact, Ishmael joined the army at only 12 years old. While fighting in the war, Ishmael recalled his family and the wisdom they left with him. For example, Ishmael`s father said, “If there is nothing good left in the destiny of a person he or she will die” (Beah54). Ishmael holds on to his father`s words as they comfort him and divert his attention away from the war around him. He could`ve given up many times during the journey. Instead, Ishmael does not lose hope and continues to move on because he knows that life will get better.

In the story “A long way Gone by Ishmael Beah” Ishmael first character is innocent and childlike in the beginning of the novel. His innocence and childlike character is a significant role of characterization. Ishmael’s symbol of innocence is the moon, which is constantly being brought you into the story. “Some nights I saw the head of a man in the room...it pleases me to know that part of my childhood is still embedded with me.” It made him happy that he knew he still had his innocence and childlike manner for picturing a man as the moon. In the beginning of the novel he also is a child who has a childlike manner.“We sat together on the stoop and briefly talked about our childhood pranks...we had dancing at talent shows, practicing new dances, playing soccer until we couldn't see the ball.” The quote shows that he was a young boy who liked playing with friends and having fun. In the beginning of the novel Ishmael is innocent but once war comes around him, he changes.

Ishmael wants American readers to know that war is brutal. Americans tend to romanticize war. They believe war involves people committing great acts of heroism and bravery while fighting to protect the love of their life. Ishmael knows that is not what war is like. There is no romance; and there is no heroism involved in war. It is terrible people doing terrible things. War takes humanity away from people. They turn into animals who just kill and torture people. Everyone else is running away from the war just to have the war catch up to them. Americans do not see the honest truth of war, and Ishmael wanted to change that by telling his story of war.

I know I can’t even imagine what type of problem that these kid soldiers had to overcome not just to survive but to become normal people again. Although things didn’t go as well as Ishmael Beah planned for his life. I was amazed by his courage and inspired that someone who could go through all that crazy stuff and fight through it to still be successful. I think you should read the book also it’s a good reminder that if he can go from kid soldier to a New York author then our possibilities are limitless

Throughout it all, Ishmael leads his pupil through his trials with wit and wisdom, even while leading him towards solutions for world hunger and environmental destruction. Makes one wonder how it is that Quinn, as he claims, arrived at all of the conclusions in the book by simply going to the library and doing a little research. Part parable, part myth, and totally compelling, Ishmael leaves one hungry and wondering, waiting for the next chapter of humanity's tale to play out. As any good book does, Ishmael leaves readers with more questions than answers, and demands that the reader figure out the solution for himself.

He didn’t know how to act or what to say but all his uncle could do was tear up and remember Ishmael’s resemblance of his dad. Ishmael then slowly open up to his uncle and goes home with his uncle. In conclusion, No matter how hard your past was you can overcome it with caring supporters by your side. The message in the book is really motivational to me, it make me feel like life is too precious to hold on to the past and not move on towards the future. Throughout the story Ismael had supporters who motivate him to keeping him going. Now he is a successful man who lives in New

The impact of war can have devastating effects on people and the way they live their life. A book by Ishmael Beah titled, A Long Way gone, tells a story about how war has had an impact on him and his way of life. The book takes place in Sierra Leone during the time the RUF had tried to overtake the government. The RUF and the other side of the war got their soldiers by brainwashing kids usually around ten or twelve and had them fight for their side. The RUF was ruthless and did unspeakable things to innocent people and would usually in some cases give drugs to their kids. Ishmael fits the role of both a victim and a victimizer because of what the war and the RUF soldiers had did to him and what he has done to

The rebels attacked the village before they arrived, for Ishmael fell to the bottom of the hopeless abyss with no hope to get up again. While they were hiding from two rebels who were just older than Ishmael, some one in their group moved which made some noise. Although they escaped from the bullets of rebels, Gasemu was killed on the way. At the end of Chapter 11, Ishmael sat with him when he exhaled the last breath before his death. He was wondering what it felt like for Gasemu when he was died. Compared with the previous chapter, Ishmael was getting used with death in war. In stead of being scared during the combat with rebels, they were calmed to protect themselves. It was a good change for him at the time, but it was also an negative change for him and all children who lived in wars. They felt nothing while death happened. It wasn’t their fault to be like that, but it effected their mental towards death. I was surprised by the negative affect by wars; this kind of thing was the most unfamiliar topic in my life, but reading this book made me think about the wars more than before. I was shocked how little the human is during a war. A tiny little bullet can kill a person in minutes and he despair of hopelessness can also break one down. I do not like wars, but I cared about it more than

On page 184 he says, “A memory of a town we attacked during a school dance had been triggered. I could hear the terrified cries of teachers and students, could see the blood cover the dance floor.” (184). Also on 190 he describes, “Standing next to a tree with red frozen sap on its bark would bring flashbacks of the many times we executed prisoners by tying them to the trees and shooting them. Their blood stained the trees and never washed off.” (190). While Ishmael has been rehabilitated certain parts of life now trigger his gruesome memories. Such as getting firewood with his cousins and seeing the trees with red frozen sap, and being on the dance floor with Allie. Ishmael while he does still get flashbacks is for the most part fully recovered. In this chapter the transition to the United States was frustrating for Ishmael. Many people made him aggravated by the things they said or did. On page 187 he says after his interview to go to the U.N, “I still wondered why the man who had interviewed me had smiled. I meant what I said and it was not a funny matter.” (187). 2.Why does Ishmael become so frustrated with people who are unaware and just trying to do their