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A Long Way Gone Themes Essay

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Themes and Symbols When we first started reading this book and talking about it in class the fact that it was a memoir made me question if there really would be themes and symbols in it. I was interested to find that rather than making it harder to find themes and symbols, the fact that the book was a memoir made them more prominent. Themes Family One of the most important themes in the book was family. Ishmael went from having a normal family to being stranded alone in the forrest with no one, and everything in between. After his village is taken over by the rebels he is alone for a long time. His solitary life takes a tole on him. "The most difficult part of being in the forest was the loneliness. It became unbearable each day. One things …show more content…

This is one of the best examples of the family theme because it shows that you don't have to be blood related to be a family. As Ishmael continues his journey he finds that this is true in many other situations. Even after the boys were separated and Ishmael became a soldier, family was still important. He grew close to the other soldiers that he was fighting with; they became his family. Overall, the theme of family was a big part of the book. The importance of family and the idea that anyone one can be family whether they are really related or not was something that really made an impact on me. Childhood The other theme that really made an impact on me was the idea of childhood and how important it is. Throughout this book you see Ishmael's childhood taken away from him. He goes from being a carefree boy to a man before he even has time to realize what is happening. The responsibility of war takes such a tole on him that he gets migraines and suffers with insomnia for a long time after he is taken out of the war. He is forced to grow up so fast that his mind and even his body is affected. This theme is really important because I think it is a message for the world.

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