Ishmael's Loss In 'A Long Way Gone'

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Gianna Caruso Mrs. Wegwerth Honors Language Arts, Period 6 3-23-23 Losses in A Long Way Gone Boy soldiers' ages are getting younger and younger, some ranging from 6 years old. (WVI.org) This statistic is shocking, much like the things that happened in the book A Long Way Gone. In the text, Ishmael is faced with having to fight in the war starting at only 12 years old. Along the way, he finds other boys the same age as him or even younger. Ishmael faces the struggle of losing his family and his sense of safety in the war. Ishmael lost many things whilst being in a war, one of which being his family. One example of Ishmael losing his family is when he had been working on a farm in Kamator. Some rebels unexpectedly attacked and Ishmael and …show more content…

I was sitting on the ground with my legs spread in the dirt. I was filled up with anger. I hissed and boiled, and my heart felt like it was going to explode” (Beah 95). In this example, Ishmael’s loss is demonstrated by the loss of the opportunity to see them. He was so close to finally seeing them again that when he lost that opportunity, it was like losing them all over again. This impacted him emotionally. Losing his family again made him angry and sad at the same time. He is filled with frustration and anger, and he later took his frustration out on Gasemu with violence. Ishmael lost many things during the war, the most impactful on his path was his family being lost. Ishmael also loses his sense of safety while at war. One example of how Ishmael loses his sense of safety during war was when Ishamel decided to leave a village he had been staying at with his only friend. As Ishmael began walking away from his only friend, he was completely alone. He felt more unsafe than ever. He was constantly in fear, and checking behind him on his long journey to find a new village. This quote demonstrates how his mind raced and tormented him

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