Themes For A Long Way Gone By Ishmael Beah

A Long Way Gone IOP DJ Topic 13

Theme Statement: Ishmael Beah conveys the theme of memories and how in times of conflict, one oftentimes gains joy from one’s past recollections.

Literary Device: Aphorism

Quote: “That night for the first time in my life I realized that it is the physical presence of people and their spirits that gives a town life.” (p.22)

Explanation: In the memoir, A Long Way Gone Ishmael Beah describes a section of the novel in which Mattru Jong’s inhabitants fled because of the threat of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) attacking the village at age 13. Almost everyone retreats to a location shielded from harm’s way, except for Khalilou and the group of boys Ishmael befriended himself with, in his home village Mogbwemo. Ishmael vividly describes the uninhibited landscape and its eeriness after the

Gradually, the amount of people migrating from Mattru Jong steadily increases throughout the constant arrival of messengers from the RUF. When Ishmael is one of the only boys left in the entire township, he has an epiphany about the impact of memories on one’s character and the true meaning of jubilation. The epiphany leads to the creation of an aphorism because the statement Beah created in his bildungsroman allows the reader to further understand about Ishmael’s revelation about African culture and life, vindicating how people’s interaction and behavior truthfully allow for pure joy rather than physical objects. When alone, Beah realizes that the deprivation of influential people in his life creates despair. The wise and concise statement known as an aphorism enhances the quote because it provides Ishmael’s perspective on the absence of spirits and how it influences the culture and overall sensation of a society. By