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A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah

-Mallory Wilson & Veronica Amah

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Ishmael Beah is an author that is from Sierra Leone, he was born on November 23, 1980. Ishmaels life took a turn when he was eleven years old and the civil war occured. His parents and siblings were sadly killed. During this tragic time, Ishmael was recruited to fight as a child solider until the age of 13 when he was finally released. Beah has accomplished so many projects like speaking in front of the United Nations, writing a book, and finishing high school in America. Now he is a well known Sierra Leonean author and a human rights activist. He is widely recognized for is memoir A Long Way Gone which was published on February 13, 2007.

Source:https://lectures.uiowa.edu/lectures/ishmael-beah

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The book "A Long Way Gone" is an autobioigraphy about the life of a young boy named Ishmael Beah. Ishamel's country, Sierra Leone, get attacked by rebels and as a result he was forced to become a child soilder. This book supports and give a real life example of how many children and people around the world are being subjected to war and the fact that many of them they have no outside help and outsider themselves aren't aware of the wars being fought.

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Point of View and the readers interpretation perspective

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Point of View and the readers interpretation perspective

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The point of view of this book is first person. Having the book written in first person helps the readers and audience understand just how serious and real the situation is. Ishmael has primary knowledge of exactly what was going down in his country; as he was apart of the actual war. When a victim speaks it is more reliable and credible, it makes it easier for the reader to sympathize with the author.

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Junior: Junior is Ishmaels older brother, he introduced Ishmael to rap music, and cared for him when he got hurt. Junior sadly becomes distant from Ishmael and un able to communicate with him, which makes the trauma for both harder because they can't comfort each other. Unfortunately, Junior gets killed which makes Ishmael have to take on his challenges alone.

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Esther: Esther is the first person to get past Ishmael and see his true emotions. She helps him get better and gets him through the long process of rehab. She doesn't judge and she is a major part of his recovery. She is looked at like a patient, kind, and understanding person. Esther is the one that re assures Ishmael and lets him know that it wasn't his fault, which helped him heal in the long run.

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The main central message of the book "A Long Way Gone" is to never loose hope. This reflects the book because the book talks about how Ishmael had trauma and had been through a lot as a child solider. Family members and friends were dying and Ishmael started to loose hope that he would get out. Ishmael remembers what his dad says and uses it to push himself to survive. Once he reaches the UNICEF rehabilitation center, he realizes from the nurse, Esther, that there is hope and that he made it out. He continues to succeed in coming to America to finish high school and to present speech's to an audience from the united nations.

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One important event that occurred in the book was when Ismaels home town got attacked. While Ismael and his friends were in Mattru Jong, they figured out that the rebels had attacked their home village, Mogbwemo. This meant that Ismael and his friends were unable to go home and had to stay in Mattru Jong. This attack was the start of the civil war that changed Ismaels life.

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One key event in the book " A Long Way Gone" is Ishmael becoming a child soldier. After Ishmael and his group of boys fled from town to town trying to survive and escape the rebels. Him and his group stumble into a village that had excepted them. After living in Yele, the village that excepted them, for a while the village chief ask all the me of the village to help them fight the rebels. Soon enough Ishmael and the other boys were forced into the military.

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One key event in the book "A Long Way Gone" is when Ishmael was rescued by UNICEF and taken to a rehab center. It takes him a bit, but eventually, he opens up to start his recovery. Esther, a nurse that played a huge role in helping Ishmael, was patient and kind to him and reminded him that it was not his fault. Ishmael going to rehab starts his journey to freedom and success.

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One key event in "A Long Way Gone" is when Ishmael accpeted his offer to study and speak in america. After Ishmael had left the rehabilitation center and began living with is uncle. Ishmael was given a opportunity to speak about the ways of a child soldier and his experience. He was also giving the opportunity to finish high school in New York.

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One important circumstance in the book, "A Long Way Gone" is when Ishamel had finally arrived Yele he began helping around the village. In return for his help he was given a place to stay and food to eat. However, the circumstances of the town forced him into the army and that how he started his journey as a child soldier.

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An important place in Ishmael's life is New York because it is the place where he first experienced a VARIETY of different people. When Ishmael first went to New York he was able to speak on his experience as a child soldier and he was able to gain education is school. He first experienced snow and winter in New York also. The second time Ishmael went to New York was so that he could finally break free from the shambles of war and start anew.

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An important time in Ishmaels is the time he spent at the rehabilitation center. After beginning taken out of the war Ishmael struggled to regain his sense of humanity. While at the rehabilitation center he found people who didn't blame him for what had happened to him and people who cared for him and wanted him to fully recover from the nightmares of the war.

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The biggest turning point in the book " A Long Way Gone" was when Ishmael was recued by the UNICEF. This was the start to Ishmaels and other soldiers healing process, because it takes him away from the drugs and violence that he faced everyday. One nurse, Esther, truly helped him the most as she was understanding, patient, and kind to him. Esther helps Ishmael and lets him know that none of his past was his fault and it should not effect his future.

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Crapes- Sierra Leone term for sneakeres or tennis shoes. This word is a noun. Ishmael walked days and nights in his crapes unl the were busted up.

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RUF - this acronym stands for Revolutionary United Front, these people were know as the rebels that attacked the country of Sierra Leone. These words are nouns. The RUF attacked Ishmael in Mattru Jong and forced him to split from his family.

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Lorry- A large truck used to carry heavy loads. This word is a noun. Ishmael traveled in a lorry to get to the city and peform a dance with his friends and his brother.

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A rhetorical device used in the book is personification. "The sun penetrated the graveyard..." (Beah 87) this device was used to help readers understand just how hot and strong tthe sun was shinning down on him.

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A rhetorical device used in the book is a hyperbole. "Kanei streched his hands as if trying to catch the sun" (Beah 89). This device was used to portray that Kanei was stretching his arms very wide and big.

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A rhetorical device used in the book is a metaphor. "My childhood had gone by without my knowing, and it seemed as if my heart had frozen" (Beah 126). This metaphor expresses how dull Ishmael's heart felt. This shows how far war has changed him and has put him at a state that feels numb.

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A rhetorical device used in the book is personification. "Some nights the sky wept stars that quickly floated and disappeared into the darkness before our wishes could meet them. Under these stars and sky I used to hear stories, but now it seemed as if it was the sky that was telling us a story as its stars fell." (Beah 80). This shows that Ishmael is connecting his deep feelings with nature and he claims the sky was telling him a story by humanizing them.

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Music and Rap

Ishmael and his friends like rap music and love to perform and sing it. The music that they are passionate about provides comfort to them during the hard times that they are going through. The thought of music brings joy to Ishmael and highlights his childhood.

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A huge historical aspect relating to the book is the Sierra Leone Civil War. The book follows Ishmael Beah, who was a victim of being a child solider and suffering with trauma. The book shows how it heavily affected entire communities.