“Things changed rapidly in a matter of seconds and no one had any control over anything. We had yet to learn these things and implement survival tactics, which was what it came down to” (Ishmael Beah, 29). At the age of twelve, Ishmael Beah’s world was turned upside-down, in the shock of the first few months’ experience with the civil war, he was not yet ready to change with the mercurial situations he finds himself in. The civilization he once knew as “home” was being rendered by attacking rebels, the land was unrecognizable by complete and utter violence. Former priorities were set aside in favor of mere survival. This specific quote captivates and sheds light on the multifaceted damage done by civil war and terrorism. As a victim of the violence, he was a young man who had lost his family and his way of life and was in turn considered dangerous by most civilians he encountered. Beah suffered from more than just simple physical pain. The anguish of losing his family and friends was compounded by the uncertainty each day brought. Beah explains, “One of the unsettling things about my journey, mentally, physically, and emotionally, was that I wasn’t sure when or where it was going to end. I didn’t know what I …show more content…
The only thing he cared about was killing the enemies and pleasing the commanding officers. He channeled his pain at the loss of his family into a raging hatred of the rebels who killed his loved ones, and he let the fire of this anger burn through his gunfire. As he used this method to dehumanize his enemies, he realized that killing an infinite amount of rebels would not restore his soul to peace, nor will it reclaim his lost childhood. Beah’s experiences in the war stripped him of his humanity. While being a soldier, Beah forfeits a connection to his life. Hope dims in the haze of drugs and violence. He gave up any dream of a future beyond simply