A Long Way Gone’s main purpose is hope. This narrative shows the tragic experiences Ishmael Beah had to endure during the Sierra Leone Civil War. Ishmeals reframed these events through courage, faith, and belief. A Long Way Gone the story shows that hope is an integral component of survival which is portrayed by Ishmael successfully escaping and enduring the horrific war.
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. It also talks about Ishmael's rehabilitation after his great escape. It is an intense story of the devastating events that happened to
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It examines issues like the reality of a child soldier, the importance of words, and the value of aid and support. In the story, an old man in Kabati exclaimed that “We must strive to be like a moon”. When Ishmael questioned the meaning of that quote his grandmother kindly described that it was said to tell human beings to always be on their best behavior and be kind to their peers. She said "People fuss when there is too much sun and it gets very hot and also when it pours too much or when it is freezing, however, people don’t seem to grumble when the moon shines and everyone admires the moon in their very own way that’s why we should want to be like the moon" described his grandma. In another place throughout the story Ishmael’s father said “If you are alive there is hope for a better day and something good to happen if there’s nothing good left in the destiny of a person he or she will die” (p . 54). Throughout the book these quotes are what kept Ishmael striving to