Examples Of A Long Way Gone By Ishmael Beah

War exists everywhere in the world we live in today. Although it’s not always about why the war is happening that we should specifically focus on, but rather who is involved or taking part in the war that should be the main focus. For example, in the story called “A Long Way Gone” a boy named Ishmael Beah is born in Sierra Leone during a rough period of war between two violent groups, which were the rebels and the government's military. In this war, both sides used children of all ages as soldiers. And unfortunately for Beah, he joined the military and was turned into a child soldier at a very young age because he had no other choice if he wanted survive. All of this had a great impact on Beah, particularly his values. In “ A Long Way Gone”

This all began when Beah, his older brother, and a couple of friends decided to leave their hometown of Mogbwemo to go to Mattru Jong to participate in talent show, in which they were going to rap. However, not long after they get there, they receive news that their hometown was invaded by the rebels. Immediately, they decide to go back because their families were there, but are stopped after they encounter many dead and seriously injured people on their way back home. So it is at this point where they come to an agreement that they needed to run away and hope that their family survived. Although this proves to be unsuccessful because Ishmael ends up being separated by his friends and older brother and meets a group kids where they are persuaded into joining the military and become child soldiers. But in the end, Ishmael and some of his new friends were able to escape this violent life after they were rehabilitated into normal young men, where Ismael ends up leaving Sierra Leone for the United States to officially escape the ongoing war and never go back to living a life as a child soldier

For example, Beah’s mother was one of the most important person in Beah’s life. She meant a lot to him and so was Beah to her. This can been seen in the story when it said, “ She held our hands as we walked, every so often she would turn around as if to see whether we were still with her” (Beah 10). It’s the little things that can represent a whole bigger meaning. That is why by the holding of hands and Beah’s mother constantly turning around, we can see the special and loving type of relationship that Beah and his mother had. Another person who was really important to Beah was his older brother Junior. Growing up together, Beah and Junior had a special bond, such is that they were best friends. Junior was also the person responsible for Beah’s dream in wanting to becoming a rapper because Junior introduced him to music. Beah said, “During holidays, he brought me cassettes and taught my friends and me how to dance to what we came to know as hip-hop” (Beah 6). Because of this, Beah absolutely admired and loved his brother. He was a role model to him and also thanks to him he was able to have a