madison jones answers to questions

character 3) At the being of the novel Ismael Beah is ten years old. However he gets older as the novel progresses. He is thirteen when recruited to the army. 4) Ishmael's two brothers names are Junior and Ibrahim. 6)Ishmael does not go to school because of financial issue's. His father cannot afford it. 7)Ishmael has a very distant relationship with his father. He rarely speaks with his father because he is never home and always working. 9)Laura Simms aids Ishmael by sending him money, and later adopting him. 10)The officer in charge of training the child soldiers is corporal Gadhafi under lieutenant Jabati. plot 1)The rebels next announce that they are going to select some people from among them to be recruited into their army. They split the group in half. First, they choose Khalilou and then Ishmael. Junior isn’t chosen, he can only looks down at the ground and avoids Ishmael’s eyes. Ishmael realizes that this will break their connection. However, the rebels then suddenly change their minds and announce a new selection. This time, Junior is chosen, but Ishmael is not. Since the remainder of the people are not needed, they are marched to the river where they say they are going to kill them all. 5)the Revolutionary United Front attack villages in their own country because the countries politics were corrupted, mismanagement of the country, and electoral violence that led to a weak civil society, the collapse of the education system, and, by 1991, an entire generation of dissatisfied youth, members of which were attracted to the rebellious message of the Revolutionary United Front. 10)In the end, Ishmael decides to leave Sierra Leone because there is nothing left for him (his family is gone) and because his country is not a safe place. Obstacles Ishmael must overcome in leaving his country include; escaping the rebels, lack of money, finding a way out, nightmares, migraines, leaving his friends and the guilt attached to being the only member of his family to survive.

Theme

by Adrian L.

Throughout the novel A Long Way Gone we see many themes arise and reoccur during Ishmael Beah’s ‘adventure’ of sorts. These themes play a major role in defining his emotions, thoughts and reactions towards the events that unfold around him.

Prominent Themes
The first and most prominent theme is survival. From the moment he fled the violence at Mattru Jong, the focus of Beah's life became surviving day to day. He learns quickly that in order to survive, he must suppress his true emotions. After the RUF attacks Mattru Jong, Beah lets go of his prior attachments to family and friends, joining up with boys who, like him, are on the run. Even though he welcomes the company, he remains emotionally distant from his newfound friends. When they die or become separated from one another, Beah does not have time to mourn. His goal is to live through one more day, and he can't afford to stop and think about the atrocities around him. For months, Beah stays alive by overcoming hunger, violence and isolation. When Beah becomes a soldier, he is trained to tap into his rage in order to kill rebels. The officers manipulate the boys into thinking they are exacting revenge on the people who killed their families. Beah acknowledges it is unlikely that he and his fellow soldiers confront those actually responsible for their families' deaths, but the temptation to believe is strong. They accept this as reality - fueled by drugs and violent films - and operate on the assumption that they kill or be killed.When Beah arrives at Benin Home, he finds it hard to access his true feelings about the loss and the violence he has experienced. After years of subverting his emotions, he is unable or unwilling to speak about what happened because Beah long gave up hope for a real life. Only through therapy is he able to trust others begin to tell his story. Cutting off his emotions kept him alive, but examining those feelings after the war gave him a new life.

Innocence. Obviously, since Beah became a child soldier, his tale would incorporate the resulting loss of innocence. The violence and terror is rendered through the eyes of a child and Beah writes plainly and without judgment about his experiences. Though the attacks on his village and subsequent villages he seeks haven in sever Beah from normal childhood activities, he at first maintains his innocence. He holds onto childhood memories and is able to nearly recover his sense of wonder; for example, he and his companions rejoice when they first see the ocean. Although the violent pursuit of rebels across Sierra Leone traumatized Beah, it is not until he is turned into a killer that he truly loses his innocence. To emphasize this change narratively, Beah stops utilizing flashbacks to his childhood in the memoir after he is indoctrinated into the army, citing his inability to remember anything good. Beah details the manipulative tactics used by the commanding officers to create killers, which have the cumulative effect of eradicating childlike emotions or actions. Beah's experiences in the war strip him of his humanity but the relief efforts help restore the dreams he had forsaken when he was 12.

The final theme that plays a major role is family, Beah loses his mother, father, brothers and grandparents in the war. Family is the most important thing for Beah, and he struggles to keep his family alive any way he can. At first, he is stranded along with his brother Junior in Mattru Jong. Their bond deepens despite the tragedy that has befallen them. Ishmael and Junior try to protect each other as best they can, as they had when they were "misfits" at school. However, when they become separated, Beah is unable to mourn for him as he must focus on staying alive.Each pack of boys Beah ends up with during his travels becomes an ad hoc family; family becomes situational rather than genetic. But each boy realizes that something irreplaceable has been lost. When Saidu dies, Kanei must represent his family at the funeral. The villager who accompanies them say that they will always know where their friend is buried and can return; but each boy knows they will never return. Later, Beah's squad becomes his family. Even at Benin Home, the ex-RUF boys clash with the rescued army boys. Likely orphaned, each boy desperately clings to one another. Family is something to fight for.At Benin Home, Esther offers to be Beah's sister but he can only grant her familial status on a temporary basis. He has been jaded by war, but he still seeks connection. Beah eventually finds a home with Uncle Tommy - who, like Beah during the war, takes care of children other than his own despite not being blood - but he is wary of opening up about his wartime experiences. Beah does not want to alienate his cousins. Beah has learned that family is precious but can be fleeting.

As you can see many themes play a part in the development of Beah’s story, whether it was symbolizing something lost or explaining his emotions, these themes became essential to the book, in demonstrating the horrific tragedy Ishmael endured.

Plot

by Stephen H.

A Long Way Gone follows Ishmael Beah, a young boy turned fugitive turned soldier, on his journey through war-torn Sierra Leone as he attempts to outrun the death and destruction wrought by both rebel and government forces alike during his country’s civil war.

More, including a full plot summary and 10 related questions, after the break.

Character

by Nicky D.

Summary of the characters
Ishmael Beah, born in Sierra Leone had told his own story of his memories as a boy solider. Many Tragedies had taken place in the life of Ishmael and his brother Junior. The two brothers had gone away to perform in a rap group with friends, when a civil war had broken out in Sierra Leone and they were unable to return home. Leaving their families behind had been their only choice. Though it was difficult for Ishmael to handle with constant flashbacks of his family, Ishmael had been very understanding and strong. Throughout the novel Ishmael had also been very caring, selfless, hopeful, courageous, passionate, pliable and outgoing. Later on in the novel after Ishmael had lost his family, he had been put into the government army and the army had slowly become his family. Ishmael had become easily influenced and had followed and believed what they had taught him to, Ishmael had begun to commit terrible acts, acts many would not have thought of.
Junior, Ishmael’s brother had demonstrated many different characteristics throughout the novel, junior had been very protective towards Ishmael, much like a father figure. Junior had also been very caring, sensitive, and had his moments of being very quiet, though junior had tried being very strong for his little brother. Many tragedies had a large impact on the lives of the young boys though the relationship between the boys was inseparable.

Questions related to the characters
1. “Blood was running down her dress and dripping behind her, making a trail. Her child had been shot dead...” “Junior, Talloi and I looked at each other and knew that we must return to Mattru Jong, because we had seen the Mogbwemo was no longer a place to call home and that our parents could possibly be there anymore...” What does this quote tell you about Ishmael Beah?
2. “Junior gave me his bucket, took my empty one, and returned to the river.” What does this quote tell you about the relationship between Ishmael and Junior?
3. How old is Ishmael Beah?
4. How many brothers does Ishmael have? What are their names?
5. How old is Ishmael?
6. Why does Ishmael not go to school?
7. Why does Ishmael not speak to his father?
8. What did Ishmael do to kill time when he was alone for over a month? Who became his new "friend."?
9. How does Laura Simms help Ishmael?
10. Who is the officer in charge of training the boy soldiers under Lieutenant Jabati?

Setting

by Madison J.

Summary of the setting

The story “A long way gone” by Ishmael Beah takes place in 1993 Sierra Leone. A civil war has broken out across the country. The once peaceful scenic land has melted into a rebel infested battle ground. Corps', blood and filth cover the streets. With the absence its of people in the streets of towns, life seems to to have turned on itself; night become darker, the world becomes scary and the silence is agitating.

Questions related to the setting

1)Name at least two neighboring towns to Ishmael's town?

2)What's the name of of Isameal's grand mother's village?

3)What's located on the east side of Isameals grand mothers village? The west?

4)Briefly describe what Ishmael sees when he's carrying a dead corps to the cemetery?

5)How does the absence of people and the threat of attach effect the tone of life in Mattru Jong?

6)How does the tone change after ten days in Mattru Jong with no attach?

7)What's the only escape route from the town of Mattru Jong?

8)when the six boys return to Mattru Jong after the first attach to get money, why does Ishmael describe it as unfamiliar?

First Post

by Stephen H.

Hello, world!

Welcome to A Long Way Gone, a blog studying the novel of the same name by Ishmael Beah. Over the next 4 weeks, we will be posting updates focusing on 4 elements of the novel:

• Setting
• Character
• Plot
and
• Theme

Until the next time!