They had to survive Africa’s harsh environment, which has plenty of lions, poisonous snakes, and enemy soldiers. They traveled over a hundred miles to Ethiopia, back to Sudan and then to Kenya. They had to remember all of their good times they had to keep that will to live; they also had to make the journey for the friends that they made, and for the ones that they lost. These kids were not the only people that experienced this, but rather plenty of people experienced this during the ongoing Sudanese civil war. This book truly showed the horrors of this war, or any war for that matter and the amount of determination you must have just to survive. This war has displaced many Sudanese people throughout the country. Soldiers would destroy people and their homes and forcing many from the lands that they called home. They had nowhere to go or to run to, so they just ran to safety. That is the reason they are referred as “The Lost Boys.” This war is very horrific and has many casualties; many of which were innocent people just trying to live their life. It could also be said that these series of tribal wars displace the trust of the Sudanese people, let alone the Africans. These wars pit each countryman versus fellow countryman, serving…
In My Brother Sam is Dead by the Collier brothers a boy named Tim has had a normal life until war comes around the corner. When war hits Tims town, Tim and his family has to face challenges that sometimes makes them suffer. In the story the authors show me that war can divide and destroy individuals, families and communities.…
In reading “Violent Media is Good for Kids”; by Gerard Jones, he doesn’t argue against the fact that some harm has come from violence in the media. However the author does convey the fact that he has first handedly seen the positive effects of well managed use of violence in different mediums. Mr. Jones has reinforced my view and opinion on violence in the media by informing me to the efforts of him and his colleague to help children use their natural feelings in a positive manner and find an enlightening outlet.…
They were taught to endure hardship and pitted against each other in fights by their instructors. They were forced to build up their confidence and moral. Boys…
11). Many young men wanted to fight in the war and they did this same exact thing because it was their only way to get in. During this war, “Men snuck their way into the war at as young as 12 years old, when legally, you needed to be 18 years old. They would use fake identification or steal somebody else’s identification in order to get in.” (Linn, 2012). All of these young men just wanted to fight for their country and do the right thing, but they were too young and not mature enough, just like Jack. Some ended up dying, but for others, the experience was life changing. After Jack ran away, his family wanted him to return home, but they couldn’t locate him. This was the case for many families during this era that couldn’t find their loved ones that had run off to the war. Jack knew that if he went into contact with his family, they would be able to find out where he was, and he would have to face consequences, “he was so close to going overseas. He couldn’t risk giving that up.” (Mazer, 1979, pg. 52). Once these boys had ran away and gotten into the war, they couldn’t go back into contact with their families because it would give up their location and their families…
The physical effects of war overwhelm the naïve causing pain and suffering. Initially, war entangles the lives of youth, destroying the innocence that they experience as an aspect of their life. The girl "glid[ing] gracefully down the path" (1) and the boy "rid[ing] eagerly down the road" (9) have their enjoyable realities striped by the…
In the novel, A Long Way Gone, there were a lot of acts of violence that revolved around the main character, Ishmael Beah. Much of this violence was similar to the violence in chapter 11 of How To Read Literature Like a Professor. The many types of violence in this book have different functions.…
In the novel, A Long Way Gone, by Ishmael Beah, the author discusses the topic of survival. The book tells a story of a boy whose life is affected by war and forced to survive on his own. Beah is trying to send us a message that people often do crazy things in order to survive. The excerpts I provide prove this statement to be true.…
1) How did Ishmael Beah’s grandmother explain the local adage that “we must strive to be like the moon” (p16)? Why has Ishmael remembered this saying since childhood? What does it mean to him ?…
A Long Way gone is a great novel that tugs at the heartstrings. A long way gone is the story of a boy named Ishmael Beah who is a normal kid with a loving family growing up in Sierra Leone. However, one day while Beah is off with his brother and friends visiting the village of Mattru Jong to perform in a talent show, his home village, Mogbewmo, is attacked and destroyed by rebel soldiers. Because of the attack Beah’s family fled in hopes of finding him one day, but that never happens. This is a story of how Beah is able to overcome adversity and is able to survive in the mist of this civil war happening around him.…
The boys, aged 6-14, started off cooperating, working together to get food water shelter and heat, but soon turned to savages, violently killing some of their own. The survivors tell us that they begin with choosing a leader and setting priorities. Then they planned and carried out their tasks. But, it wasn’t long until tensions raised and loyalties were tested. A…
Young readers will be drawn to this story because of the vivid picture it creates of a violent, war-torn world which they know exists but which they struggle to even imagine. This book presents the stark reality of what life can be like for young people growing up in a country where extreme poverty and bloody wars make their lives into a constant struggle for survival.…
There are a few examples of young boys being compared to a military status. There is a simile “They clear their throats like generals”, this is using a military reference to help the reader think about kids as a demanding and violent personality. In the same sentence a picture is painted using the following phrase “they relax and get down to playing war, celebrating my son’s life”. This phrase is very important and ends the poem showing, “they relax and get down to playing war” suggesting that their natural and relaxed position is fighting, or at least play fighting, even on an occasion as cheerful as celebrating the authors sons life. The author's son says the following “we could easily kill a two year old”, this quote shows just how oblivious these young kids are to consequences of violence. None of these young ones actually had murder on their mind, but rather they wanted to show their dominance over another. In the early stages of life it is important for kids to feel strong,and the number one of their own world. Winning is a very important thing to children, because during this time their confidence is beginning to grow, or shrink. For example, “One says to another, How old are you? --six. --Im seven. --so? This is a perfect example of how the minds of these young kids are operating, that their age is an instant form of the dominance and that the other kid, who is one year younger was instantly opposed to the vulnerability the kid is feeling like because of a one year difference in the two kids…
Another point in A Long Way Gone where we encounter the brutal and harsh behavior of the young rebels is when they were considering cutting a five year old boy’s head off for his corn. This shows purely how much the war has had a direct effect on the way these young people behave in the types of situations where their lives are on the line.…
Soldiers took the boys from their mothers at age 7, housed them in a dormitory with other boys and trained them as soldiers. The mother's softening influence was considered detrimental to a boy's education. The boys endured harsh physical discipline and deprivation to make them strong. The marched without shoes and went without food. They learned to fight, endure pain and survive through their wits. The older boys willingly participated in beating the younger boys to toughen them. Self-denial, simplicity, the warrior code, and loyalty to the city-state governed their lives.…