Summary Of A Long Way Gone By Ishmael Beah A Survivor Of War

Beah survived, but did you know in the last ten years, two million children have been killed in conflict and over ten million have been left with serious psychological trauma? (child-soldiers.org) Though the books pages are covered in vital details about Beah’s life, the scene in the beginning of the book

Ishmael Beah gives a first-hand account of life as a boy soldier in Sierra Leone in his memoir, A Long Way Gone. He tells his story, one of thousands, of boys being driven from their homes in countries overrun with war. The unique life that Beah leads is much different than that of a child living in the United States or any country not in wartime, as he was forced to leave his family, kill countless rebels, and use dangerous drugs. This resulted in PTSD and a desire to inflict harm on others and himself. By telling his story, one soldier is able to open the eyes of people across the world to the devastating reality of the life of boys forced into the army.

In the book “A Long Way Gone”, by Ishmael Beah, a story of his childhood experiences growing up in Sierra Leone is told. When Beah was only 12 years old, his entire village was destroyed by rebel soldiers. He was separated from his mother and father during this attack. His brother Junior, some friends, and himself had to run away and try to get away from the rebel soldiers. Later in the book, the rebels keep attacking places where the kids are hiding, and he gets separated from Junior, the last family member he knew was alive. Beah has to continue on but continues to struggle living on his own. Even later in the book, Beah is recruited by the military of Sierra Leone to help fight the rebel soldiers at the age of just 13. Beah chooses to share

During a long period of traumatic dreams, the civil war kept appearing in Ishmael Beah’s mind, and Ishmael Beah had no power for the war to end. Ishmael Beah joined the army as a child-soldier; but, he had no way to regain his freedom back from the past. He was

Imagine at twelve years old being forced into war and having no way out. Then, quickly being dragged out and pushed back into society. Life was not easy and “normal” did not exist for Ishmael and his friends. In The Making and Unmaking of a Child Solider he shows the readers that he faced mental, physical, and emotional abuse before/after the war. Beah wants the readers to understand that life was not easy in Sierra Leone and not everybody made it out alive or sane.

On March 23rd, 1991, a civil war started between the Sierra Leonean Government and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF). This war had an enormous impact on everyone in and around the country, especially young civilian boys who were taken from their families and homes to become child soldiers. One of these former government soldiers is Ishmael Beah, who was brought into this battle between powers at only 13 years old. Throughout his lifetime, he has had to confront many challenges and conflicts, most of which can be found in his memoir, “A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier.” After reading his memoir, I have gained much knowledge on the topic of both the Sierra Leone Civil War and the issue of children becoming soldiers. The themes of this

In the memoir A long Way Gone Ishmael Beah states “When I was young, my father used to say, “If you are alive, there is hope for a better day and something good to happen. If there is nothing good left in the destiny of a person, he or she will die” (Beah 54). Throughout the war Ismael Beah survives many difficult situations, that make him think is it worth it to keep running. Ishmael Beah, always remembers what his dad said to motivate him to try and keep surviving the war. Ishmael Beah used adaptability, the kindness of others and bravery to overcome the adversities of the war in Sierra Leone.

Like the fictional character of Katniss, Ishmael Beah also became a child soldier.< Beah’s childhood in Sierra Leone evaporated when his village and home were destroyed because of civil war and he became an orphan living on the run leaving him vulnerable to grave dangers at the age of 12. As the “tide of civil war takes over people’s lives and homes, young people may be forcibly conscripted and abducted into armed groups” (Berry 93). During this time he ”became afraid, since [he] could no longer tell the difference between dream and reality” as his nightmares and reality blurred together (Beah 15). Being in day-to-day survival mentality and having childhood joys stripped away was a major physiological scar and a daunting wound to heal. This

In the memoir, “A Long Way Gone”, Ishmael Beah’s personification and imagery is used to embody the connection between the state of Sierra Leone and how Baeh feels after having to migrate. For instance, When Beah and Kaloko are forced to flee Kamator because of a rebel evasion they decide to return to Kamator the next day only to find the imam being eaten by a pack of wild dogs. As they examine the village from afar, Baeh is paralyzed with memories as he mutters; “I became frustrated with living in fear. I felt as if I was always waiting for death to come to me, so I decided to go somewhere where at least there was some peace”(46). This is the sad truth for not only Baeh but for the entire state of Sierra Leone. Beah’s personification

Ishmael Beah was born in 1980 in Sierra Leone, located in West Africa. As a young boy Ishmael lived with his father, stepmother and older brother in the small village of Mogbwemo. Growing up, stories were told of the war, but as Beah phrases it in his novel “It sounded as if it was happening in a faraway and different land.” It wasn't until Ishmael was ten years of age that the war personally affected him when refugees from other villages were forced into his own. When Ishmael left Mogbwemo to go perform in a talent show in Mattru Jong, a village a couple of miles away, with a few friends of his, rebels invaded neighboring villages sending everyone fleeing.

We know this when Beah says “It was clear from the tone of his voice that he didn’t want me around and didn’t trust me. I looked at the curious and skeptical faces of the children and the woman. I was glad to see other faces and at the same time disappointed that the war had destroyed the enjoyment of the very experience of meeting people. Even a twelve-year-old couldn 't be trusted anymore,” (48). Ishmael Beah’s goal it to reach a city named Bonthe, where safety awaits him. On his journey, he runs into non rebels. Because the country’s military is so small, they need help in eliminating the rebellion. They have no choice but to forcefully recruit children and minors for help. Unfortunately for Beah, he is picked up by these non rebels and is forced to fight against the rebellion. It is at this time that Beah realizes that he has the ability to carry out vicious and horrible acts. However, this was not his fate. Luckily, UNICEF was able to contact him and remove him from the violence. He eventually learns to forgive himself of what he has done and transforms into a caring, loving human being. Beah, now twenty-six years old, is happily married and living in the United States. Even with a hopeful future ahead of him, his past will stay with him forever. I believe that Ishmael Beah wrote A Long Way

The trait that Ishmael has is loss and he possesses that because he lost his family in the war. “Whenever I looked at rebels during raids, I got angrier, because they looked like the rebels who played cards in the ruins of the village where I had lost my family. So when the lieutenant gave orders, I shot as many as I could, but I didn't feel any better. (PG 122)” Beah sums up his motivation for becoming an effective killer in the Sierra Leone civil war. He expresses his pain in a raging hatred way against the rebels due to the loss of his loved ones. “I feel as if there is nothing left for me to be alive for. I have no family, it is just me. No one will be able to tell me stories about my childhood (PG 167)”. Ishmael reveals this to Esther as he slowly begins to cope with his

Ishmael Beah was only twelve-years old when he witnessed violence. When he was forced to be violent, forced to pull the trigger, forced to listen to the harsh cold toned commanders. Ishmael Beah was only thirteen years old when he was separated from his family, and they were later killed in the country’s civil war. He was wandering the countryside with a group of children, when they found a rural camp, they believed to be an army base. It was too late before they realised that these were a large body of Sierra Leonean Soldiers. “Somebody being shot in front of you, or you yourself shooting somebody became just like drinking a glass of water. Children who refused to fight, kill or showed any weakness were ruthlessly dealt with”, Beah stated. Ishmael Beah also remembered when “ . . . a nine-year-old boy cried because they missed their mother and they were shot”. Child soldiers come looking for safety in these camps, and are forced to kill. The commanders destroyed what Beah new, family, life,

Ishmael Beah, an African American boy, a human being, has been a victim of circumstance. More specifically, a victim of war and crimes against humanity. It is during this civil war, that he had to flee from his home village, Mogbwemo, and his family, due to a rebel attack. Though this was just the beginning as he traveled across the country, Sierra Leone, in order to escape the war. Eventually, he was caught in the village of Yele when the army or UNICEF forced him to become a boy soldier.

Ishmael Beah was an ordinary twelve year old boy from Sierra Leone, until one night changed his entire life. The author of A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy soldier is Ishmael Beah himself because he wanted to portray his life journey for readers to understand what life is like for children fighting to survive during warfare. Also, going through trauma is never easy, but however it's one of the only ways people can learn from their mistakes and prevent them from happening in future generations. It's best for people to speak up about their experiences like Elie Wiesel did in writing Night so no one ever doubts anything that actually happen. This young teenage boy converts into this cold blooded killer into a person committing himself to the survival of others Ishmael Beah transformed from an ordinary twelve year old boy, into an enraged killing soldier and then to a man that speaks up for children affected by these wars.