Book Report On A Long Way Home By Ishmael Beah
Gianna Scoleri
Mr. Aronsen
Geography 10H
9-3-14
Thematic Essay Summer Assignment War is terrible. War recounted through a child's eyes is horrific. However, A Long Way Home: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier written by Ishmael Beah allows the reader to witness hope amidst the devastating losses of war. It serves to remind us of the resiliency of humanity and the ability to begin again. The book quickly takes the reader into the civil war torn country of Sierra Leone on the African coast. As the narrator and main character, 12 year old, Ishmael Beah is planning to attend a talent contest with his novice rap group (his older brother Junior and his two friends, Talloli and Mohamed) in the nearby town of Mattru Jong; their hometown of Mogbwemo is invaded by rebel forces. Immediately, the loss of innocence and horror is evident as the boys try to make
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However, the gruesome effects of being a soldier in a war still distort Ishmael’s reality. He feels the urge to be violent and his withdrawal from drugs compounded by awful migraine headaches hinders his rehabilitation. The kind staffs at the rehabilitation center, particularly Ester repeatedly tell Ishmael and the other boys “None of what happened was your fault. You were just a little boy, and anytime you want to tell me anything” (Quote from Ester A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah. Page 160). They always counter Ishmael’s awful behavior with kindness and forgiveness. Finally, we Scoleri Page 6 observe Ishmael’s deprogramming as he continues treatment. It is Ester who nurses his ability to trust again and he finally opens up to her about the horror of having a bullet removed from his leg with no anesthesia. Esters sadness angers Ishmael initially but he eventually begins to believe her that he is not to blame the atrocities he committed as child
Analysis Of A Long Way Gone By Ishmael Beah
464 Words | 2 PagesAs a victim of the violence, a young man who has lost his family he suffers more than simple physical pain, he feels the loss of home. The anguish of losing his family and home is compounded by the uncertainty each day brings. Although they attempt to find a safe haven, the boys know from bitter experience that no such place seems to exist in Sierra Leone.
How Does Ishmael Beah Use Literary Devices In A Long Way Gone
887 Words | 4 PagesIn A Long Way gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, Ishmael Beah explains his life and how he became a child soldier during Sierra Leone's civil war. During recounting his experiences, Beah uses literary devices which include metaphors, similes, personification, and symbolism to communicate his experiences. Before the war, Ishmael Beah was just a boy who enjoyed listening to rap music cassettes with his friends and preparing for the talent show. Ishmael Beah finally narrates the book when he is an adult, he tells us how carrying the tapes throughout the war changed his life. In his memoir, he used many associations with cassette tapes as a motif to show his psychological degradation and rehabilitation throughout his time in the civil war and return
Book Report On A Long Way Gone By Ishmael Beah
857 Words | 4 Pages(Beah 199). Ishmael had to get his revenge on a person, a family or even an entire village. Ishmael was going insane because he is going to kill another family or person just to get his revenge. Ishmael can not leave without killing someone because he has to get his revenge on someone. Ishmael is the victimizer because he wants to kill the people that are innocent to the war.
What Is The Loss Of Innocence In All Quiet On The Western Front
488 Words | 2 PagesIn comparison, a memoir written by Ismael Beah is about a boy soldier and his traumatic experiences when war breaks out in his home country Sierra Leone. The loss of innocence is apparent as Ishmael experienced his first battle as a soldier. The life-altering, painful events that both young soldiers experience are emotionally
Theme Of A Long Way Gone By Ishmael Beah
1290 Words | 6 Pages“When you tell a story, you give it out to the world and whoever listens becomes a part of that story.” Ishmael Beah, raised a war child and now a published author, is very aware of the impact that words can have. Beah published his memoir in 2007, and with it relays the power of stories to influence people. Thus, stories are significant in A Long Way Gone, as they are used to symbolize hope, introduce a new perspective for the reader, and reflect the memoir’s themes. Throughout Beah’s life as a refugee and war child, stories became an anchor for him.
A Long Way Gone Essay
1398 Words | 6 Pageswe also have another memoir in the works with Beah”(Biedenharn). Ishmael continues to inspire many as they read his troubling yet inspiring books as they realize what many children go through as they fight for their lives as child soldiers. Although Ishmael had to live as a child soldier for 2 years, has managed to turn a traumatic life experience to bring
Advantages Of A Long Way Gone By Ishmael Beah
1038 Words | 5 PagesThe Damages of War “Mourning the dead wasn’t part of the business of killing and trying to stay alive.” (149) The mind of a child is a scary place, full of dangerous thoughts. There is no hope, and, in their minds, no need to hope. They get used to the environment, to the killing.
Symbols In A Long Way Gone
1118 Words | 5 PagesHow would you feel if you were forced into warfare at the young age of thirteen as a revenge to your entire family’s death? In Ishmael Beah’s novel A Long Way Gone, Beah tells the story of his life as a child soldier in the Sierra Leone Army following Sierra Leones invasion by the Revolutionary United Front, as well as his long journey of rehabilitation following the war. Ultimately, the cruelty of the war in Sierra Leone causes Beah to obtain relationships with many symbols in his life, including his cassette tapes, the moon, as well as his dreams and nightmares.
A Long Way Gone Analysis
1110 Words | 5 PagesIshmael is at the rehabilitation center with other boys who were in the war. He discovers some of the boys are fighting for the rebels side, and with partisan views, a huge fight starts. The boys are throwing punches and stabbing each other. Ishmael began kicking a boy that went after him, and then Alhaji stabs him in the back. They both “...continued kicking the boy until he stopped moving”.
Comparison Of The Holocaust And Armenian Genocide
703 Words | 3 PagesIn the book, A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah, Ishmael becomes a child soldier at the age of 12 for the governmental team the National Patriotic Front of Liberia, in order to fight the Revolutionary United Front. Ishmael goes from being a regular kid who liked to spend time with his friends
How Does Ishmael's Perspective Change In A Long Way Gone
363 Words | 2 PagesIn the memoir, “A long Way Gone” by Ishmael Beah, his initial perspective on his life and war has dramatically changed in the development of the book. “ It was a beautiful summer day, the sun wasn’t too hot, and the walk didn’t feel long either, we chatted about all kinds of things, mocked and chased each other.” (Beah 7). Ishmael 's initial point of view on the world was the same as any other kid who had never been involved in war or killings. He loved rap music and hanging out with his friends and family, just like most teenage boys.
Figurative Language In A Long Way Gone
841 Words | 4 PagesIshmael Beah’s memoir A Long Way Gone is appropriate for the Sterling High School English IV curriculum because the conflicts in Sierra Leone are still relevant in today’s society, and the figurative language and symbolism reveal the human resilience to survive. These are important ideas to an English IV student because learning from the past can assure we will not repeat these mistakes in the future, and learning about someone who went through very difficult circumstances and still prevailed helps prepare us for the harsh real world. Most importantly, the conflicts in Sierra Leone are still universal problems in today’s society. One night while Beah lays in bed and reflects on the days meeting with Esther, he begins to have flash backs of the first time he slit
Permanent Red By Ryan Caraveo Analysis
1094 Words | 5 PagesThe irony in Ishmael’s statement “I stood there holding my gun and felt special” (124) demonstrates that something like a gun can make him feel powerful and good about
The Theme Of Loss Of Innocence In Walter Dean Myers 'Fallen Angels'
110 Words | 1 PagesWar is the graveyard of innocence for boys who become men through the loss of humanity. The book “Fallen Angels,” by Walter Dean Myers, is a story about Richard Perry, a young man who mistakenly joins the Vietnam War to avoid the shame of not going to college. As the book goes on Perry discovers his mistake and in the process, not only loses his innocence, but also his humanity. Wars will always be the dark parts of our history and no war is devoid of horrors that can strip anyone of everything they are, and in war soldiers must use coping mechanisms to deal with these very apparent horrors.
Reflection On A Long Way Gone By Ishmael Beah
498 Words | 2 Pages(Conclusion) Ishmael Beah narrated his personal experience from an honest point of view. By doing so, he enabled the reader to understand everything he chose to explain head on, with no barriers. The reader was able to know what Beah went through, in his own words. “I began to cry quietly and all of a sudden felt dizzy,” (Beah 34). The readers were able to understand how he felt in certain situations.
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