Themes Of A Long Way Gone By Ishmael Beah

Ishmael Beah, recalls his time as an orphaned child soldier, in Sierra leone, in his memoir A long way gone. Amongst those who were moved by the memorable piece of literature, there are those who quarrel with the idea that it is a completely factual account of the events that took place in Sierra Leone and the details regarding the physical wounds he obtained. While some of the claims made against its accuracy made are valid, It does not diminish the merit of the memoir. Beah’s escapade as a child soldier, his rehabilitation and the universal themes contribute to the immense worth of the novel, and allow the reader to walk away enlightened. It has been proven that Beah is a former child soldier, and because of this has acquired first hand experience of the civil war in Sierra Leone. From this experience Beah has lived with brutal memories--memories he revisits in his memoir. In The Australian, writer Peter Wilson cites Beah in his article, ‘Beah’s

Although one can see how Beah’s hope falters and is challenged, it prevails and carries him through his ordeal as a child surviving the war. Memories aid him in his fight for survival. Beah is able to keep himself going with memories of his life, while running from RUF. His father's saying, "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,” is one of the best demonstrations of hope in the novel. He expresses that being alive one more day is proof that hope for a better tomorrow is not yet lost. Hope is tested again in the haze of drugs and violence while caught up as a child soldier. However, his father's adage proves true once rehabilitation begins. While this is only one theme that is present in Beah’s memoir, this is one of the most valuable a reader can take after