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A Long Way Gone By Ismael Beah

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Reflection over A Long Way Gone A Long Way Gone is a memoir written by Ismael Beah. It describes Ismael’s time as a child soldier during the Civil War in Sierra Leone. This book explains in detail the obstacles Beah had encountered during this time. A Long Way Gone is filled with violence, tragedy, drugs, war and survival. It is a refreshing take on learning about the Civil War in Sierra Leone.
This books holds firsthand information over the events that occurred. It provides evidence of the unwillingly harsh conditions and acts these young boys had to commit over the course of the war. It also describes the severe use of drugs the boys were given as a way to give them the audacity to fight in the war and also a way to restrain their emotions. Ismael …show more content…

All in all, A Long Way Gone is wonderful through and through and should be given the recommendations it deserves.
Another example of a country in which currently uses child soldiers is Pakistan. Pakistan is a country where Islam is the main religion. It is located in South - Central Asia on the World map. The country is known for its excessive use of children as soldiers. As told by foreignpolicy.com, “Approximately two hundred and fifty thousand children under the age of eighteen are thought to be fighting in conflicts around the world. In Pakistan, a disturbing number of suicide bombers are between twelve and eighteen years old, about ninety percent.”
These children soldiers can be used as suicide bombers, sexual bait, messengers and spies. There are even reports of children under the age of ten being forced to become a child soldier. But, some children do willingly join the armed forces in order to work for their country. These child soldiers are often persuaded into harming their families to make sure that they are not capable of leaving the army and returning to a

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In the memoir, A Long Way Gone written by Ishmael Beah, Ishmael faced the tragic start of war in his home place, Mattru Jong, Sierra Leone on January of 1993. At just the age of twelve his village had been wrecked by rebels who had been going to other villages as well. It was just a normal happy day before everything had occurred. When the news spread, Ishmael, his brother, Junior, and friend, Talliou were at a rap performance. They left in search for money and any family, but everything was gone.

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503 Words | 3 Pages

The impact of war can have very harmful effects on people, especially children. In “A Long Way Gone” by Ishmael Beah, he explains the war of Sierra Leone from his point of view. The tragedy of losing his family, becoming a boy soldier, and the effects of war is said throughout the book, making it an interesting story to read. But, while Ishmael explains what he went through, it is hidden that other people were affected by the actions he took. Although Ishmael did play a victimizer, he was also a victim at the same time.

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564 Words | 3 Pages

A Long Way Gone is Ishmael Beah’s memoir. It retracts all of the tragic events Ishmeal endured while the Sierra Leone civil war occurred. Ishmael was a child who lived an ordinary life until rebels infiltrated his village which left him and others with no choice, but to flee. He was then forced to become a child soldier. This book shows the physical and mental torture Beah had to go through while has was a child soldier.

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477 Words | 2 Pages

Who is Ishmael Beah? Why is he important in Sierra Leone history? Well, Ishmael Beah is the author of A Long Way Gone, and, more importantly, former child soldier of Sierra Leone. A Long Way Gone is an autobiography of how Beah faced the violence of Sierra Leone. Today, he stands to help children avoid the vision of war; to protect children’s rights.

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956 Words | 4 Pages

In A Long Way Gone the author, Ishmael Beah, finds himself in a struggle to stay alive after the Sierra Leonean Civil War kills his family, and he is forced to become a child soldier. Throughout the memoir, music plays an integral role in Ishmael’s life. It keeps him out of trouble as a child, before he is affected by the civil war, and it saves his life, giving him hope during his quest to survive.

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235 Words | 1 Pages

The same applies to the children of Sierra Leone, where they were separated from their families—however, these children will never end up finding their families, they will never have a happy life again, and will never remember how it felt to be loved or cared for by someone. The 1991 Sierra Leonean civil war split children from their families and forced them to survive on their own—without any supervision. Many children were either captured by the rebels or were forced to join the military and fight the rebels. Nearly all “strong” children forced to endure many painful situations and commit immoral acts. All children who were not recruited were killed because they were too “weak”.

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498 Words | 2 Pages

Additional Activity 1 In the book, A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah, the reader can gather certain information about the story he told. The point of view of his story truly affects the reader’s understanding. Also, Beah included details that defined his experience and changed his life. He also wrote his memoir with an emotion that drove the story.

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868 Words | 4 Pages

In the article Should Child Soldiers be Prosecuted For Their Crimes it says,“if a child is under the age of 15 is considered too young to fight then he or she must be considered too young to be held criminally responsible for serious violations.” This explains how that they are easily manipulated and targeted because they aren't legally responsible to take responsibility for their actions. Each child were held in hostilities and couldn't have to opportunity to not fight. Also in Should Child Soldiers be Prosecuted For Their Crimes a report within the article it says, “ The report says child soldiers should not be prosecuted simply for the association with an armed group of having participation in hostilities.” Children are targeted to be recruited to war because nobody can take responsibility for the

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630 Words | 3 Pages

Some other groups might say that the children wanted to join the militant groups. To be fair these children wanted to join because the commanders offered them

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450 Words | 2 Pages

Although some claims may lead to the opposite, most child soldiers are not completely evil and won’t kill on sight. Some people will attempt to lead others to believe that these innocent children deserve to spend the

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1646 Words | 7 Pages

An unhealthy obsession with guns, being drugged to make killings seem normal, and being undoubtedly loyal to commanders is only part of what a child soldier is. Child soldiers can be dangerous and make up many armies in war-torn countries. In much of the world, usually in unstable countries, when conflict breaks out, children can quickly be swept up and put on the front lines to fight. Children may carry ten-pound guns and use bullets twice the size of their fingers. Some children are old enough to understand what they are doing, and others have no idea.

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284 Words | 2 Pages

”At a young age, it is often easy to become intimidated and children often don’t think of the bigger picture, in other words the consequences of their actions”(Child Soldiers-Victims or Perpetrators). It is bad and sad to use young children to fight and kill people.

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1476 Words | 6 Pages

Children are easy to influence and are susceptible to numerous proposals and notions at their age. As Jézéquel and Singh stated, "With child soldiers, their lack of awareness and reduced insight into the consequences of their behavior make them less responsible and more fearless than adults" (qtd. in Brits and Nel 467). Children who are recruited and forced into fighting at a young age usually are under control of adults or their superiors. They, at that time have very little to no free will, and are often times threatened or drugged in order to comply too heinous acts they would not usually

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946 Words | 4 Pages

The major theme in the story A Long Way Gone is that with family and love a person can make it through anything. Overall Ishmael’s story is a very powerful, eye opening read; it informs people on a subject that some know little to nothing about, the civil war in Sierra Leone. Beah uses the theme of family and love, along with the use of symbolism and other literary devices, to inform a larger audience of the issues that he and others had to face while trying to survive in a war zone. A Long Way Gone, an autobiographical memoir, written by Ishmael Beah, takes place in Sierra Leone during the time of their civil war.

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1422 Words | 6 Pages

Assignment page Video Where many children all over the world merrily and freely live under the protection of the law, for others, this is a distant reality, they live in a world where they’re battling poverty, stripped of their childhood and basic human rights are expunged, they’re the innocent victims of conflict, and war is made to seem their one and only duty, not to mention that these are children no more than 10 years of age. They are put into a situation where it’s to kill or be killed. The United Nations defines a child soldier as, “Any person under 18 years of age who is part of any kind of regular or irregular armed force or armed group in any capacity.” Since the past 15 years, child soldiers are being used in almost every region of the world. Unlike most children, who go to school, they’re abducted from their families and forced into becoming a child soldier, where living conditions are beyond imaginable.

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