The Concept Of Family In A Long Way Gone By Ishmael Beah

273 Words2 Pages
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. When the war had just begun, Ishmael was driven to continue by his biological family, “I wanted to see my family, even if it meant dying for them” (Beah 96). As the war continues his biological family drives him in a different way, “I got angrier, because they looked