A Long Way Gone Analysis

“If you are alive, there is hope for a better day and something good to happen...” (pg. 54). Throughout the course of A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah, we familiarize ourselves with the exceptional hardships that Ishmael has experienced as a child soldier, in Sierra Leone, and what actions he takes to overcome them. Despite the fact that Ishmael has been through these devastating hardships and that he became the fear that he himself feared, Ishmael is able to instill hope and keep the reader going through the themes of powerful memories, nature and redemption. He does this through the use of powerful memories that contrast the fear and danger of the war with the remembrance of the beauty of life. Furthermore, nature leaves the reader striving

The novel A Long Way Gone was written by Ishmael Beah, a now thirty-six year old from Sierra Leone. This novel dives into the complicated childhood of the author, as well as many of his childhood friends. Published by Sarah Crichton Books, it was released in 2007 in New York City. The story takes place in the early nineteen nineties, when Ishmael is entering adolescence. This book predominantly takes place in Sierra Leone, a small country in Western Africa. As the book advances, it tells the story of Ishmael and his traumatic years as a boy soldier, as well as his rehabilitation years. A Long Way Gone also addresses the hardships families face during war including famine and poverty, in conjunction with the destruction of families. This book clearly demonstrates the oppression young men at this time faced, as they were forced to commit mass murder, as well as how their lives after were affected by their burdensome pre adulthood. This book aims to educate its readers about the struggles facing enslaved children that are forced to become soldiers. I think the novel vividly informs the reader of the issues covered and connects to its readers We were all at one time the same age as Ishmael; and in my case, I am the same age as he is in the book. It greatly shows how my life differs from his, and how I could potentially want to do more for this cause or rethink how I appreciate my own life more.

We all have a story, we all go through tough things in life. We can relate to a lot of things and we find out that were not so different from other people. The memoir A Long Way Gone and the film The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete have a lot of similarities and differences. Even though they live in two different places, they are very similar. One similarity would be that they are both struggling alone. They both have their parents but the boys are going to learn how to survive alone without them. They are two young black boys ages 12 and 13 that live in poverty. They become independent throughout their stories. Another thing that both Ishmael and Mister can relate to is drugs. When Ishmael was brought into the army, he started adapting to the other

A multitude of people nowadays choose their favorite songs because of how they sound and the attractiveness of the singer. However, some people select their favorite songs because of its appeal by relating to their personalities and feelings. Just as songs can relate to people, they can express countless similarities with stories as well. When it comes to the story, The Diary of Anne Frank, there are a variety of characters and events that songs can relate to. The songs “Chocolate Rain”, “The Last Goodbye”, and “Lost Cities”, verbalize numerous commonalities with The Diary of Anne Frank.

In Ishmael Beah’s memoir, A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, Beah encourages the opinion that everyone is responsible for his/her own actions in all cases. Beah proves this opinion to be true through death, thievery, and violence.

11) Q: Is it surprising that Beah spends a relatively small portion of the book describing his time as a soldier in the war? Why might he have decided to devote much more time to his life before and after his time in the army?

A Long Way gone is a memoir about Ishmael Beah’s life before and after he was a child soldier. It took a toll on his life when his village was invaded by the rebel soldiers. His family was taken his mom and his little brother everything he had and known was ripped from his reach. Ishmael was a good kid and was kind because of the people around him his community shaped into the person he was when he lived there. He had a good place and had been surround by good people all of his life so it was easy for him to be happy just like the people around him.

Music is a universal way in which people connect, and it does this through its use of literary devices to make the songs meaningful while still appealing. The song, “Wait and See,” uses literary devices like similes and metaphors to contribute to the theme of society’s mistakes and their impacts on the

Music used to be about connections between listeners and the song lyrics. Now it is not much about the connection, but rather people just trying to keep up with the in-crowd. This often leads people into listening to music they dislike only to gain popularity or to feel like they fit in. In Joyce Carol Oates’ “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?,” the role of music is considerably more than first appeared within the story. It is much more than just background noise and should not be overlooked. Music influences people’s characters from the way they act, to what they think, and even what they want. It is not as innocent as first thought.

In the novel A Long Way Gone, there are many examples throughout that emphasize the theme by using symbols. The hip hop cassettes that Ishmael carries around with him are an important symbol as without them he would not have been able to survive. It also provides the image of his lost childhood. The music was able to assist him in many ways of survival. On his journey Ishmael uses them to show his talent and passion, and to prove to other’s that he is just a teenage boy trying to escape from the war. “I ran toward the fire, but the cassettes had already started to melt. Tears formed in my eyes, and my lips shook as I turned away." (Beah 110). Once the cassettes were gone, he lost all hope. Beah created a clear and evident meaning behind the

Throughout the memoir A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah, Ishmael faces a plentiful amount of challenges and conflicts. In the book there are four main conflicts that Ishmael faces and overcomes. These conflicts include Ishmael running away from the war, his family, and his friends, Ishmael's entire family dying and him becoming a soldier at the age of 13, Ishmael going through rehabilitation, and Ishmael trying to move to a safer area when war meets Freetown.

Ishmael Beah had a really tough life throughout his childhood and teenage years. In his literary work, A Long Way

Here we go I have many things I noticed but I don’t think I’ll be able to mention them all now that I think about it so I will name the things I find most important. One of these is the cave scene where Tom and Becky get lost. In the book Tom and Becky get lost while running from some bats which is shown in this quote, “The bats chased the children a good distance.”

Another way the theme, “Always have hope” is shown in A Long Way Gone is through Ishmael`s hope to find his family by keeping his will to live and the memories at the forefront. In Ishmael`s first account of war, his village was overturned by the rebels and his family was split up. Therefore, Ishmael and his friends were left to survive

Music is deeply integrated into human history, aging millenniums back. Countless people have been able to find a rich connection with it. Be it the song that played during one’s wedding, or the song that pulled one through the most difficult of times, music has always been a way for people to express themselves. Due to this, many find themselves having a song that is cherished at heart. This song may not be the same for everyone, but it is certain that it is dear to them for a reason. “Sweater Weather” by the Neighbourhood is that song for me. It allowed me to develop a close bond with my friends, Eunice and Ruchi.