A Long Way Gone

Rescue & Rehabilitation

            Ishmael Beah suffers from guilt after the war. He feels guilty for the loss of his family, and killing the innocent people of Sierra Leone. When he was in the war he was known as the "killing machine". He couldn't see past his murderous acts and he couldn't understand how he was doing it. But it was all for survival. Everything he had done since he had arrived at his burning home was for his own survival. 

 

 If he tried to fight against the rebels he would have been killed. He would have never seen his family again and he wouldn't have been able to tell his story. If you had to take another mans life to have another day on earth is it worth it?  Even though the rebels did end up killing his family he was reunited with his friends, and the family that he made during the war with the other boy soldiers. 

Ishmael overcame his guilt when he was rescued by the UNICEF. Him and many of the other boy soldiers were rescued and brought over to America. For him it was hard at first but he found ways to take out his anger and eventually forgave himself for what he had done. Now he tries to inform others on the problems happening in 3rd world countries where kids are being treated like weapons and wants to lead a movement to stop children from being war toys. Coming to America had to be very hard for the boys because of all the significant changes in culture we have from them, ecspecially since we don't have children fighting our wars. Having conversation with others was hard because the only memories they had were of pain, anger, and filled with violence. Hopefully Ishmael's book wide spreads throughout countries across the world and everyone can help fight the war against children fighting wars.

A Long Way Gone

ABDUCTION

After traveling from town to town trying to find food and shelter Ishmael and his friends are abducted by the rebels in Sierra Leone and slowly become brainwashed into "killing machines" and are forced to kill for their survival.   Before they are captured the boys are aware that the rebels are near them and are very afraid of them. While they are traveling from town to town they are forced to steal food to fight their starvation.  I can see they don't like what they are doing, stealing food and water from innocent people to fight for their own survival. If you had nothing would you begin to steal from others for yourself? If I had to steal food to stop myself from starvation, I think I would steal like Ishmael and his friends did. I wouldn't want to give up on life without knowing what has happened to my family. I think that maybe if I knew my family was gone I wouldn't steal from people but if I knew there was a chance of seeing them again I would do it no doubt. If I had to kill to see my family again then I think has passed my line of decency where I would rather starve then kill another man to benefit in my own life.

                                            

I don't think they should feel ashamed for what they are doing. Everyone needs to survive and everyone has their own way of doing it. Sure stealing is frowned upon but its not like the young group of boys can get a well paying job for the rest of their lives, and with no family to support them how can they financially afford food? They keep having to run from village to village to keep away and stay hidden from the rebels so they have no where to settle down. No where to find their own food and shelter so they must take others. I think the boys will find their family soon but I don't think what awaits for them in the future is any good. When Ishmael and his friends are taken by the rebels they begin to have the boys do even worse things, many of the boys become addicted to drugs, kill others for food or money, and are promised a fake future where the boys will be able to see their families in the end if they do everything the rebel army asks them.

                                 

A Long Way Gone

LOSING EVERYTHING

In the beginning of A long way gone by Ishmael Beah the main character in the story speaking about the cruelty of children being abducted from their homes and brain washed into fighting a war they didn't have any part in starting. The book begins in Sierra Leone where Ishmael is a small boy hanging out with friends talking about their appreciation of rap music, when suddenly they see smoke coming from their town and find out their town has been burnt by rebel soldiers.

Town in Sierra Leone

              The story is told by an older Ishmael Beah from the city of New York after his experience of being a  child forced to fight a war. All these boys were so young when this tragedy happened having to walk home and see their town, family, and friends in flames. Everything was destroyed and the boys beginning travelling to other towns looking for help. I couldnt imagine coming home one day and having my house burnt down to the ground, losing my familywould just be to hard and I can't imagine how hard it was for these boys who were only 12 to 15 years old. Could you imagine losing your family, your home, your food, and being slowly starved to death while trying to find a safer place to stay?

                         

                          Town in Sierra Leone Burnt to Ground by Rebels