Symbolism In A Long Way Gone By Ishmael Beah
When he was twelve, Beah was separated from his family when the rebels attacked his village. Beah’s journey to escape the rebel forces led him through areas where he witnessed the horrors of war and it led him to war as a child soldier. Life as a child soldier left a deep impact on Ishmael Beah. Although, he recovered physically and mentally as children often do, Beah’s writing shows his difficulty in expressing his emotions.
A long way gone is a memoir about a young boy named Ishmael Beah whose village was overturned by refugees and had to experience the civil war first hand. A statement that caught my attention on an opininair was “Children have the right to a carefree childhood”. This statement is true because growing up in the United States, most children have fairly common childhoods, school, sports, maybe work but nothing to major. Beah and his friends went through many obstacles to try and avoid the refugees without any lessons or training on how to do so alone. They overcame things that many adults aren’t physically or mentally prepared for.
In Ishmael Beah's enthralling memoir "A Long Way Gone," the intricacies and conflicting viewpoints of war and terrorism, along with their profound impacts on Sierra Leone, are effectively conveyed through various literary devices, including vivid imagery, syntax, and diction. Ishmael's arrival at the village of Kamator after receiving news of his aunt's well-being from villagers is a particularly striking example of his use of sensory imagery. The evocative descriptions of "dew coming down every morning" and "the odor of soaked soil" encapsulate his longing to relish the captivating landscape and the transient moments of hopefulness and normalcy amidst the chaos of warfare (Beah 40). Nevertheless, Ishmael's use of short, fragmented sentences
In the memoir, “A long Way Gone” by Ishmael Beah, his initial perspective on his life and war has dramatically changed in the development of the book. “ It was a beautiful summer day, the sun wasn’t too hot, and the walk didn’t feel long either, we chatted about all kinds of things, mocked and chased each other.” (Beah 7). Ishmael 's initial point of view on the world was the same as any other kid who had never been involved in war or killings. He loved rap music and hanging out with his friends and family, just like most teenage boys.
In Ishmael Beah’s novel, A Long Way Gone numerous motifs work together to craft a story of sorrow and redemption. Although each motif is an important part of Ishmael, the most important motif is the concept of family. In traditional culture, family is viewed as a set group of people who do not change. The author, Ishmael Beah challenges this idea by showing that family comes in many forms and circumstances. Throughout the memoir, Ishmael’s definition of family drastically changes.
Change Comes When It Is Least Expected In his memoir “A Long Way Gone,” Ishmael Beah describes both his indirect and direct experiences with war. He first explains that the war seemed as though it had been some place far off, and that it was when refugee began passing through was what it apparent that it was happening in their own country. The author describes the condition of the refugees as, “Apart from their fatigue and malnourishment, it was evident they had seen something … that we would refuse to accept if they told us all of it” (Beah, 2007, p. 1).
Thousands and thousands, of children in the Middle East and Africa, are being used as soldiers where it is needed. These children kill others and do things that no other child should have to do. People wonder if child soldiers should be given amnesty or not. The issue of child soldiers came to worldwide attention when Ishmael Beah published his book A Long Way Gone, which was based on what happened while he was a child soldier. A child soldier is someone under the age of eighteen and who is used in wars.
As Ishmael Beah becomes accustomed to the cruel life during war in Sierra Leone, Ishmael learns that ensuring trust within the companions he meets on the battlefield keeps him “human” throughout the duration of the war against the rebels, as is displayed in A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah. After Ishmael and his brother, Junior escape from a village Junior whispers quietly, “I do not think that this madness will last ... he looked at me as if to assure me that we would soon go home” (Beah 15).
What is the meaning of adversity? Adversity is the difficulties, misfortunes, and sometimes even trials one must face in order to jump over an obstacle. WWll, holocaust, Racism are all adversities that pertain to individuals and events in the past and the present. One of the events that happened was in Sierra Leone and it was a Civil war between different African tribes. This event is explained through the eyes of the main character in the book “A Long Way Gone”, and his name is Ishmael Beah.
The Hardship of a Child Soldier Bang! Bang! “At that instant several gunshots, which sounded like thunder striking the tin-roofed houses, took over town. The sound of guns was so terrifying it confused everyone” (Beah 23).
A Long Way Gone Forest fires engulf tall rows of trees, turning green leaves and the homes of animals into ashes. Although fires leave a destructive trail of darkened groves, they create a chance for new life to develop. Nutrients find their way through the ashes into new soil, a new life begins to flourish, and old wreckages create new homes. Ishmael Beah, the author of ‘A Long Way Gone’, tells his readers his story that one man could never forget; new opportunities and chances for a better life often flourish in the ashes created from past challenges. The book ‘a long way gone’ is based on true events experienced by the author.
A Long Way Gone: War and Rehabilitation Following the life of Ishmael Beah in his autobiography, A Long Way Gone, readers experience how a young boy adjusted to drastic changes in lifestyles. The first- and perhaps more marked- change in lifestyle was when he became a child soldier in the Sierra Leone Army. The second was when he was taken away to be rehabilitated by UNICEF. Although there are several important components in both Ishmael’s life at war and his life during rehabilitation, it is his relationship with fear, how he deals with trauma, and his character in general which significantly share resemblances in each of the two mentioned lifestyles.
The Loss of Innocence When one thinks of childhood, images of little league baseball games, soccer and carefree days spent with family come to mind with the only worries are whether their room is cleaned and their homework is done, not knowing whether they will make it through the night should be the last thing a child has to worry about. Ishmael Beah was a former child soldier forced to fight in Sierra Leone’s civil war that consumed his home country in the 1990’s. Beah explains his hardships as “ I am from Sierra Leone, and the problem that is affecting our children is the war that forces us to run away from our homes, lose our families, and aimlessly roam the forests (Beah 199)”. Ishmael Beah’s autobiography,
The human condition is full of paradoxes and double meanings. We can commit the most shocking and terrible acts, but we can complete the most virtuous and honorable feats. Ishmael Beah describes the appalling and violent behavior he and other children exhibited toward the human life during his time in the Sierra Leonean civil war in his memoir, A Long Way Gone. Beah also details the forgiveness and kindness of complete strangers that helped him become the man that fate meant him to be. Homo sapiens are complex creatures brimming with irony and surprises.
Work: A Long Way Gone Thematic Subject: Survival In A Long Way Gone, Ishmael Beah presents the idea that the way to survival can be a long and rigorous journey of living each day to the next. Ishmael’s only way of getting through the war was to keep that mind set at such a desperate time. This is shown when Ishmael leaves Kaloko along with the others because he became “frustrated with living in fear” (Beah, 46). He leaves them, taking as many oranges as possible; like it’s his last.
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