ISHMAEL- Ishmael is the name of the main character and it is important because the book it's about his story, without ishmael there wouldn't be "A long way gone."

SIERRA LEONE- Sierra Leone represents a lot to the main character "ishmael" and also it is where the story takes place.

FRIENDSHIP/FAMILY- In my opinion friendship and family is the most important and meaningful WORD in the book. It represents happiness, hope, and it teaches you that as life goes on you don't exaclty need diamonds or money, you just need someone who is there by your side in the good times and in the bad times. Someone who always cheers you up. Someone who don't make your problems their problems but instead they help you go through them without leaving you alone, someone who is in the dark side or dark times with you but you just have a lot of hope that they turn the into light and joyful times. Real friendship means a lot in ishamel's life, and it should mean A LOT in everyone's life.

WAR- War is not a happy WORD but unfortunately war is a part of ishamel life for good. It means SURVIVAL but also it means hope and How to move on after all the bad things you've seen in life, it showed that giving up sometimes is not an option, you have to keep fighting and to never give up.

" had my gun now, and as the corporal always said, "This gun is your source of power in these times. It will protect you and provide you all you need, if you know how to use it well."- The corporal is like manipulating children and USING them to make them become one of the rebels. He is like he is telling them that he will keep them save in change of killing.

 "Sometimes we were asked to leave for war in the middle of a movie. We would come back hours later after killing many people and continue the movie as if we had just returned from intermission. we were always either at the front lines, watching a war movie, or doing drugs. There was no time to be alone or to think."- thinking seems like the worst option. so they watch movies or do drugs instead of facing reality. It seem more easier to distract themselves than to see what they are really doing.

"These days I live in three worlds: my dreams, and the experiences of my new life, which trigger memories from the past.