Ishmael Beah’s, A Long Way Gone, is a gripping memoir of the adolescence he survived in war-torn Sierra Leone. After a year of fleeing rebels who decimated his community, Beah was picked up by the government army and manipulated into becoming a child soldier. This is a story of devastation, pushing limits, the resilient human spirit, and hope. In his novel, the author aims to shock people by telling the story of his almost unbelievable life in Sierra Leone, sharing with the world what he has learned from his experiences and making others aware of an important problem. The scope of the novel is not only the years that Beah actively participated in the war, but also the life-long recovery process he began when he was rescued by UNICEF at the age of sixteen. Ishmael Beah’s thesis is that the human spirit is indomitable. His main contention is that a person can be ‘a long way gone’, and still have a chance at recovery. Beah’s thesis could be considered biased because he was very fortunate to be rescued by UNICEF, rehabilitated, and is now living a happy life in the United States. Many of the soldiers he fought beside were not as lucky as Ishmael and might not feel the same sense of hope that he does. In the novel, Beah highlights that it takes evil people to make someone evil, and good people to bring out the goodness in someone. He describes how at the army base, he was given ‘white capsules’ before his first battle and was told by the corporal that they would “boost [his] energy” (116). Ishmael goes through serious withdrawal during his rehabilitation, after having been addicted to hardcore drugs for three years. He makes it clear that it was hope, and the goodness of the people who persevered with him, that saved his childhood. The major strength of the novel is the honest and to-the-point style with which Beah narrates his story. He does not waste time making excuses for the actions he took or the decisions he made, thus making an otherwise unbelievable story, accessible to the reader. One of the weaknesses of the text is that the author’s reflection on some major events was compromised by his desire to make the book un-self-pitying. At times it seemed that the author did not disclose his true feelings because he did not want the reader to think that he felt sorry for himself. The memoir, A Long Way Gone, stands out from other literature of its subject, due to its experience-oriented nature. Ishmael Beah’s book is a rare firsthand account of life in Sierra Leone during the civil war, and is a very valuable and worthwhile read.
Ishmael Beah’s, A Long Way Gone, is a gripping memoir of the adolescence he survived in war-torn Sierra Leone. After a year of fleeing rebels who decimated his community, Beah was picked up by the government army and manipulated into becoming a child soldier. This is a story of devastation, pushing limits, the resilient human spirit, and hope. In his novel, the author aims to shock people by telling the story of his almost unbelievable life in Sierra Leone, sharing with the world what he has learned from his experiences and making others aware of an important problem. The scope of the novel is not only the years that Beah actively participated in the war, but also the life-long recovery process he began when he was rescued by UNICEF at the age of sixteen. Ishmael Beah’s thesis is that the human spirit is indomitable. His main contention is that a person can be ‘a long way gone’, and still have a chance at recovery. Beah’s thesis could be considered biased because he was very fortunate to be rescued by UNICEF, rehabilitated, and escape to the United States. Many of the soldiers he fought beside were not as lucky as Ishmael and might not feel the same sense of hope that he portrays. In the novel, Beah highlights that it takes evil people to make someone evil, and good people to bring out the goodness in someone. He describes how at the army base, he was given ‘white capsules’ before his first battle and was told by the corporal that they would “boost [his] energy” (116). Ishmael goes through serious withdrawal during his rehabilitation, after having been addicted to these hardcore drugs for three years. He makes it clear that it was hope, and the goodness of the people who persevered with him, that saved his childhood. The major strength of the novel is the honest and to-the-point style with which Beah narrates his story. He does not waste time making excuses for the actions he took or the decisions he made, thus he makes an otherwise unbelievable story, accessible to the reader. One of the weaknesses of the text is that the author’s reflection on some major events was compromised by his desire to make the book un-self-pitying. At times it seemed that the author did not disclose his true feelings because he did not want the reader to think that he felt sorry for himself. The memoir, A Long Way Gone, stands out from other literature of its subject, due to its experience-oriented nature. Ishmael Beah’s book is a rare firsthand account of life in Sierra Leone during the civil war, and is a very valuable and worthwhile read.
A Long Way Gone, by Ishmael Beah is an inspirational memoir of a young boy’s journey through war-torn Sierra Leone. Throughout it we learn of the complexities of war and the impact it had on Ishmael. By sharing his journey, Ishmael allows readers to get a better insight on the war and instills awareness within them. We learn that after a year of running from the war, being faced with death countless times, and being separated from his brother, Ishmael is taken in by the government army and becomes a child soldier through manipulation. Ishmael’s memoir is filled with emotion that transports the reader into the journey he faced. This novel shows Ishmael’s character, his resilience, and his ability to redeem himself. It shows us how a young boy lost his childhood to the war and was able to get it back through hard work, forgiveness, and support. Ishmael’s main idea throughout the memoir is to emphasize the affect of war on children, and more importantly child soldiers. He contends that the war caused a loss of childhood and innocence within many citizens of Sierra Leone. His writing demonstrates that humans are resilient and how people, such as him, who are considered as ‘a long way gone’ can still have a chance at redemption and a future. Ishmael experienced challenges and a loss of innocence and speaks for those who were saved. Unfortunately, not everyone was as lucky as Ishmael was. Many people were not saved and couldn’t have a future such as the one Ishmael has. This means that not everyone would have the same outlook such as the one Ishmael possesses regarding redemption. Throughout this memoir we are exposed to many events that caused a loss of innocence within children. A young boy traveling with Ishmael said something that resonated deep within me. He said, “every time people come at us with the intention of killing us I close my eyes and wait for death. Even though I am still alive, I feel like each time I accept death, a part of me dies. Very soon I will completely die and all that will be left is my empty body walking with you.” (70) These words describe how children grew up quickly and had to deal with so many challenges that slowly caused them to die inside. Every time these children had to witness death and corruption they lost innocence, and Beah highlights this throughout his book. Furthermore, Beah outlines how he was able to redeem himself through rehabilitation. If it were not for UNICEF and people who cared, Ishmael wouldn’t be where he is today. This indicates that someone who was a long way gone, was able to find his way back. The major strength of this memoir is how honest and elaborate the author is. Beah holds nothing back, and tells us of the good and evil that possessed him throughout these times. This allowed the reader to see first hand how greatly the war impacts children. Throughout the memoir Ishmael often uses a style of writing that comes out choppy and hard to follow, but regardless Beah conveyed his message beautifully. This memoir is a disturbing, eye-opening, and heart-wrenching novel. It describes the horrors of war unflinchingly and in vivid detail, but ends with a message of hope and rehabilitation for those thought to be hopeless. The raw power and the pain held within his words convey real emotion to the reader, causing it to stand out from literature of its subject.
Ishmael Beah’s, A Long Way Gone, is a gripping memoir of the adolescence he survived in war-torn Sierra Leone. After a year of fleeing rebels who decimated his community, Beah was picked up by the government army and manipulated into becoming a child soldier. This is a story of devastation, pushing limits, the resilient human spirit, and hope. In his novel, the author aims to shock people by telling the story of his almost unbelievable life in Sierra Leone, sharing with the world what he has learned from his experiences and making others aware of an important problem. The scope of the novel is not only the years that Beah actively participated in the war, but also the life-long recovery process he began when he was rescued by UNICEF at the age of sixteen.
ReplyDeleteIshmael Beah’s thesis is that the human spirit is indomitable. His main contention is that a person can be ‘a long way gone’, and still have a chance at recovery. Beah’s thesis could be considered biased because he was very fortunate to be rescued by UNICEF, rehabilitated, and is now living a happy life in the United States. Many of the soldiers he fought beside were not as lucky as Ishmael and might not feel the same sense of hope that he does. In the novel, Beah highlights that it takes evil people to make someone evil, and good people to bring out the goodness in someone. He describes how at the army base, he was given ‘white capsules’ before his first battle and was told by the corporal that they would “boost [his] energy” (116). Ishmael goes through serious withdrawal during his rehabilitation, after having been addicted to hardcore drugs for three years. He makes it clear that it was hope, and the goodness of the people who persevered with him, that saved his childhood.
The major strength of the novel is the honest and to-the-point style with which Beah narrates his story. He does not waste time making excuses for the actions he took or the decisions he made, thus making an otherwise unbelievable story, accessible to the reader. One of the weaknesses of the text is that the author’s reflection on some major events was compromised by his desire to make the book un-self-pitying. At times it seemed that the author did not disclose his true feelings because he did not want the reader to think that he felt sorry for himself.
The memoir, A Long Way Gone, stands out from other literature of its subject, due to its experience-oriented nature. Ishmael Beah’s book is a rare firsthand account of life in Sierra Leone during the civil war, and is a very valuable and worthwhile read.
Ishmael Beah’s, A Long Way Gone, is a gripping memoir of the adolescence he survived in war-torn Sierra Leone. After a year of fleeing rebels who decimated his community, Beah was picked up by the government army and manipulated into becoming a child soldier. This is a story of devastation, pushing limits, the resilient human spirit, and hope. In his novel, the author aims to shock people by telling the story of his almost unbelievable life in Sierra Leone, sharing with the world what he has learned from his experiences and making others aware of an important problem. The scope of the novel is not only the years that Beah actively participated in the war, but also the life-long recovery process he began when he was rescued by UNICEF at the age of sixteen.
ReplyDeleteIshmael Beah’s thesis is that the human spirit is indomitable. His main contention is that a person can be ‘a long way gone’, and still have a chance at recovery. Beah’s thesis could be considered biased because he was very fortunate to be rescued by UNICEF, rehabilitated, and escape to the United States. Many of the soldiers he fought beside were not as lucky as Ishmael and might not feel the same sense of hope that he portrays. In the novel, Beah highlights that it takes evil people to make someone evil, and good people to bring out the goodness in someone. He describes how at the army base, he was given ‘white capsules’ before his first battle and was told by the corporal that they would “boost [his] energy” (116). Ishmael goes through serious withdrawal during his rehabilitation, after having been addicted to these hardcore drugs for three years. He makes it clear that it was hope, and the goodness of the people who persevered with him, that saved his childhood.
The major strength of the novel is the honest and to-the-point style with which Beah narrates his story. He does not waste time making excuses for the actions he took or the decisions he made, thus he makes an otherwise unbelievable story, accessible to the reader. One of the weaknesses of the text is that the author’s reflection on some major events was compromised by his desire to make the book un-self-pitying. At times it seemed that the author did not disclose his true feelings because he did not want the reader to think that he felt sorry for himself.
The memoir, A Long Way Gone, stands out from other literature of its subject, due to its experience-oriented nature. Ishmael Beah’s book is a rare firsthand account of life in Sierra Leone during the civil war, and is a very valuable and worthwhile read.
A Long Way Gone, by Ishmael Beah is an inspirational memoir of a young boy’s journey through war-torn Sierra Leone. Throughout it we learn of the complexities of war and the impact it had on Ishmael. By sharing his journey, Ishmael allows readers to get a better insight on the war and instills awareness within them. We learn that after a year of running from the war, being faced with death countless times, and being separated from his brother, Ishmael is taken in by the government army and becomes a child soldier through manipulation. Ishmael’s memoir is filled with emotion that transports the reader into the journey he faced. This novel shows Ishmael’s character, his resilience, and his ability to redeem himself. It shows us how a young boy lost his childhood to the war and was able to get it back through hard work, forgiveness, and support.
ReplyDeleteIshmael’s main idea throughout the memoir is to emphasize the affect of war on children, and more importantly child soldiers. He contends that the war caused a loss of childhood and innocence within many citizens of Sierra Leone. His writing demonstrates that humans are resilient and how people, such as him, who are considered as ‘a long way gone’ can still have a chance at redemption and a future. Ishmael experienced challenges and a loss of innocence and speaks for those who were saved. Unfortunately, not everyone was as lucky as Ishmael was. Many people were not saved and couldn’t have a future such as the one Ishmael has. This means that not everyone would have the same outlook such as the one Ishmael possesses regarding redemption.
Throughout this memoir we are exposed to many events that caused a loss of innocence within children. A young boy traveling with Ishmael said something that resonated deep within me. He said, “every time people come at us with the intention of killing us I close my eyes and wait for death. Even though I am still alive, I feel like each time I accept death, a part of me dies. Very soon I will completely die and all that will be left is my empty body walking with you.” (70) These words describe how children grew up quickly and had to deal with so many challenges that slowly caused them to die inside. Every time these children had to witness death and corruption they lost innocence, and Beah highlights this throughout his book. Furthermore, Beah outlines how he was able to redeem himself through rehabilitation. If it were not for UNICEF and people who cared, Ishmael wouldn’t be where he is today. This indicates that someone who was a long way gone, was able to find his way back.
The major strength of this memoir is how honest and elaborate the author is. Beah holds nothing back, and tells us of the good and evil that possessed him throughout these times. This allowed the reader to see first hand how greatly the war impacts children. Throughout the memoir Ishmael often uses a style of writing that comes out choppy and hard to follow, but regardless Beah conveyed his message beautifully.
This memoir is a disturbing, eye-opening, and heart-wrenching novel. It describes the horrors of war unflinchingly and in vivid detail, but ends with a message of hope and rehabilitation for those thought to be hopeless. The raw power and the pain held within his words convey real emotion to the reader, causing it to stand out from literature of its subject.