Reconstruction In A Long Way Gone

Throughout Ishmael Beah’s A Long Way Gone, themes of reconstruction of a lifestyle are explored as Beah learns to adapt to his current situations. The importance of reconstruction is displayed through Beah’s ability to rebuild his mindset and mannerisms over and over again after being placed into a new environment. This talent for being able to let go of the past and redefine himself is one of the key factors in Beah’s miraculous survival as those around him pass away. To start, one of Beah’s first major moments of adaptation to his surroundings presents itself when he first joins the Sierra Leone army. When he first arrives, Beah is nervous and finds himself unable to kill the rebels, despite his utter hatred for them. However, Beah’s fear of killing others is replaced by violence as his friends in the army are killed by rebels, and he

This moment and line showcase Beah’s quick thinking process that allows him to reconstruct his mindset to one that can kill with ease. If Beah was unable to shoot and morph into the standards of his new environment, he would without a doubt be killed by rebels as he stands still unable to defend himself. Before joining the army, Beah wandered from village to village alone, only fighting when he felt he needed to for survival, and despite the army demanding an entirely different mental state where killing is normal, Beah adjusts accordingly when he needs to survive. Later on in the book, Beah is forced to reconstruct himself once again as he is placed in the rehabilitation center. Opposite to the front lines, the rehabilitation center demands that Beah avoids violence and focuses on embracing his youth. After successfully undergoing his rehab, unlike most boys he came to the center with, Beah reflects on his rehabilitation by saying, “I am not a soldier anymore; I am a child” (Beah,