...The book “A Long Way Gone” by Ishmael Beah is a book that has many themes and lessons. It is a true story about a boy soldier. One of the themes in this book is survival. When war hit Ishmael Beah, it was all about survival until the end. From the moment Ishmael fled the violence at Mattru Jong, the focus of his life became surviving. For months, Beah had to survive by overcoming hunger and violence. Survival was the most important theme in the book. Ishmael had to survive the war and in the forest all alone. He lost his family and friends. To stay alive during war, he had to join the army. He had to overcome his hunger, the violation, and the isolation. The book states “Things changed rapidly in a matter of seconds and no one had any control...
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...A Long Way Gone Essay Matthew Morgan Prof. Carey “On Democracy” Due: 02/27/08 For the “Everybody Reads” assignment I choose to attend the Central library book group discussion. When I first got there I was really surprised because I thought it was going to be a bigger event than what it was. There was only about 10 people total, and 5 of us were students who were there for this exact assignment. It was a really interesting discussion because half of the people that attended were my age and the other half was about two generations older, so there was a very diverse pool of perspectives and opinions. But because there was a large generation gap it was a bit more difficult for me to share my views, so I mainly listened and observed other people’s thoughts. The discussion itself was very helpful because of the different views people had about the memoir. One of the themes of A Long Way Gone that we discussed was the importance of hope. We mainly talked about how this theme was not constant throughout the memoir and that it changed with time. For example one person brought up how at first Ishmael’s only motivator was the hope of his parents being alive, then when he realized that he would never be reunited with them he had lost his hope. It was only when he remembered what his father had said about a person only lives if they have something to live for which gave him his hope back. As far as themes that’s really the only one that we discussed, but we did discuss a lot...
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...The piece of literature that grabbed my attention and had a great effect on me is A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, which was written by Ishmael Beah. The book is about Ishmael and his older brother and how they survived during the war in Sierra Leone. The boys live in horrific conditions and under a constant risk for their lives. The only thing that keeps them going is their hope, faith, love and memories about their family since they were told that there family was alive. However, due to the heartbreaking circumstances, the boys do not meet their family. As a consequence of such a cruel surviving, Ishmael and his friends are forced to become fearless child soldiers. However, Ishmael is eventually rescued by the United nations where he undergoes complete rehabilitation in the United States. Ishmael’s book inspires me to fight against injustice and crimes. I was born in Nepal, where we moved from, to the current residence in the US. Nepal is also under great political instability and social differences. Hence this book inspired me to fight against injustice and crimes. As a consequence, I am trying to make people aware by encouraging my friends and family to educate the Nepalese citizens. The book also provides a unique perspective of the dark sides of civil wars. I have learnt not to judge people instantly because their upbringing may have been completely different. Here, at the community college, I have met friends from different cultures and backgrounds. I have...
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...2017 The Cask of the Amontillado Theme Essay The Cask of the Amontillado is a short story written by Edgar Allen Poe. The story has two main characters, Fortunado and Montresor. It all starts when Fortunado dishonors the Montresor name. Montresor hears of this and is furious. Montresor decides he must have revenge. Since there is a town party, he tells the house staff he will be gone all evening, and he wishes for them to stay and work. This would ensure they would all be gone as soon as Montresor turned his back. Montresor purchased amontillado to lure Fortunado to the basement/ wine cellar. He was smart and was sure to get Fortunado after he was already a little drunk, and while the whole town was gone at the party. He then dangles the amontillado in front of Fortunado, and gets him even more drunken then he already was. After this he lures Fortunado in a very small, closet-like, room made of cement blocks. This compact room had a door with only a very small hole in it. Montresor decides to chain Fortunado to the wall and seal the door with cement blocks, so Fortunado was basically buried alive....
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...well over 1000 pounds. Unfortunately, after winning the fiercest fishing battle in his career, this poor Cuban fisherman loses marketable parts of the fish to hungry sharks on his way back to shore. Three major themes in this novel are determination, pride, and friendship. There are many themes or lessons one can learn throughout the novel The Old Man and the Sea. Determination is one of the most important character traits Santiago portrays in this novel. It has been 84 days, and the protagonist has not caught a marketable fish that he can sell. Santiago depends on this because he is a poor man who does not have much. Despite the fact people in the town are now starting to lose hope in Santiago he does not give up. Santiago is determined to catch a fish no matter what it may take. Since Santiago has went to fish near shore he begins to think he will have more luck if he goes out further. As he takes a new route Santiago finally finds a fish but it is very hard to catch so he is struggling to kill it. As he waits for a perfect time to launch an attack to kill it he says “I’ll stay with you until I am dead” (Hemingway 52). This shows that Santiago would give up his life for a fish to prove everyone who thought he had bad luck wrong. If it weren’t for Santiago’s determination he would have never gone out further to actually catch a marketable fish. Now that people see he has succeeded on his trip they have more respect for him as a fisherman and honor his hard work....
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...David Domiczek December 11, 2011 Ms. Wagner A Long Way Gone In the memoir A Long Way Gone written by Ishmael Beah, it is clear that American culture is a pervasive theme in the author’s life. There are many examples in the memoir that show how Ishmael us influenced by Western culture such as the movies and music. There are also many parts in the memoir in which Ishmael’s life is saved by the American culture. An example of this can be seen in chapter 6, when Ishmael is captured by some village guards. As the village people shouted for Ishmael and his friends to be drowned in the river, one of the guards found a rap cassette in Ishmael’s pocket. The chief of the village questioned where Ishmael had gotten that kind of foreign music. He responded by saying he and his friends rapped and were also in a dancing group (p. 38). This is one example of how music and American culture was a theme and how it saved Ishmaels life. There is also another time in which Ishmael is captured by village leaders and was stuck between life and death. Luckily they found his rap cassette and the chief watched as he made Ishmael dance and mime the songs “O.P.P” and “I Need Love.” The chief of the village explained to everyone that is was all a misunderstanding and that Ishmael and his friends were just children looking for safety (p. 68). Western American culture also helped Ishmael and his friends cope with the war and survive as a child soldier...
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...Ishmael Beah's memoirs regarding their experience with the Sierra Leone Civil War, it's evident that the authors endured similar suffering and hardships. The Bite of the Mango by Mariatu Kamara with Susan McClellan and A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah have many similarities in regards to the two themes; loss of innocence and survival despite great suffering. Mariatu and Ishmael thoroughly demonstrated resilience all while experiencing the struggles of being a child during war. To start, both characters recalled memories of family members saying important things to them in order to give themselves hope for survival. On page 45 of The Bite of the Mango, Mariatu recalls her grandmother saying, “...every person has a spirit watching over him or her. Some people, if they’re really good, have two or three spirits. These spirits are often relatives who have died, like a grandfather, like Santigie, and sometimes they come to you in the guise of an animal, a bird or a reptile.” This helped Mariatu continue on her journey to safety, feeling like she had a guardian angel. As for Ishmael, page...
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...stories they both long to be together, even when tempted to be unfaithful. In The Odyssey, Homer reveals the theme of loyalty using character’s actions and emotions; this becomes clear when Odysseus is determined to get home to his family. First of all, for twenty years Odysseus is away from his wife, Penelope, but throughout that time he is dedicated to her. When he is tempted with a beautiful woman, all he wants is to go home, “Though you wanted her forever,...
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...Mrs. Foster 10th Honors Lit/Comp Summer Reading A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by: Ishmael Beah Chapters 1-4 Quote Selection and Theme Analysis Theme: The Horrors of War “The sound of the guns was so terrifying it confused everyone. No one was able to think clearly. In a matter of seconds, people started screaming and running in different directions, pushing and trampling on whoever had fallen on the ground. No one had the time to take anything with them. Everyone just ran to save his or her life. Mothers lost their children, whose confused, sad cries coincided with the gunshots. Families were separated and left behind everything they had worked for their whole lives”(p. 23). This quotation...
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...Themes, Themes, Themes So what is it with all these themes coming and going throughout the story, or what is the most important theme of The Odyssey? The title of the book is The Odyssey. The book is translated by Robert Fitzgerald. The book itself is bunched up into a book with fifteen sub-stories, books, or chapters; whatever you want to call them. This essay will be about; what is the main theme of this story? The lesson that should be learned with reading this essay is, “Stay true to your dreams, stay true to yourself (Persevere yourself).” The first example shown in the text when it shows symptoms of perseverance is somewhere towards the end. It is when Odysseus finally arrives home after being at least gone for twenty years from a ten year war, and also a ten year journey to getting back home. For instance, in book 23, page 573, lines 97-103, Telemachus states, “Mother, cruel mother, do you feel nothing, drawing yourself apart this way from Father? Will you not sit with him and talk and question him? What other woman could remain so cold? Who shuns her lord, and he come back to her from wars and...
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...In the novel Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls, there was a conflict that has been going on throughout the novel. The conflict is about Billy and his family not having enough money. Billy has begged his parents for a coonhound and never had the chance to get one because of his money problems. Billy hadn’t had candy in a while, as it states in the book, because he hadn’t had the money to get the candy. This ties into the theme of the book. The theme in this book is puppy love. The theme is puppy love because throughout the first few chapters Billy does a lot for his puppys. In chapter three, Billy needed fifty dollars to pay for the two coonhounds. His grandfather asked how long he had been saving the money and he replied, “Two years.”...
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...Many authors use symbolism to heighten the meaning of their themes and ideas by connecting their symbols to commonly known sources or objects. For instance, within Edgar Allen Poe’s “Masque of the Red Death” symbolism is used heavily throughout this short story and are linked to some commonly known material. The “Masque of the Red Death” focuses on a chaotic theme of death and chaos. Poe uses symbolism to portray his theme through the seven chambers in the prince’s home and these rooms together are linked by colors and Biblical references. In “Masque of the Red Death”, Edgar Allen Poe uses symbolism to establish the chaotic theme represented through the seven chambers. First Poe had used symbolism within this short story to establish...
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...pair of airman's boots. They are fine english boots of soft, yellow leather which reach to the knees and lace up all the way-they are things to be coveted.” - “We all three have the same thought; even if he should get better, he would be able to use only one-they are no use to him. But as things are not it is a pity that they should stay here; the orderlies will of course grab them as soon as he is dead. Theme: Comradeship “Had we gone into the trenches without this period of training most of us would certainly have gone mad. Only thus were we prepared for what awaited us. We did not break down, but adapted ourselves; our twenty years, which made many another thing so...
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...Violence in A Long Way Gone 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. The second book explains the functions, symbolical meaning, and types of violence. Violence can have a symbolic or thematic function. It shows us that violence lurks in everyday tasks and that violence is always metaphorical. There are two types of violence: injury and narrative. Injury violence is when authors cause characters to harm others. Narrative violence is the general harm of characters. The characters do nothing to cause this violence. Injury violence occurs throughout the entirety of the novel. The rebel forces attacked Ishmael's town and killed most of the civilians. An example of narrative violence is when Ishmael's uncle died from a disease. The author includes this violence to spur action, cause plot complications, and trigger stress in other characters. When the rebels attacked Ishmael's village he was separated from the rest of his family. It was up to Ishmael to decide whether he wanted to risk his life to search for his family or if he wanted to flee for safety. Later in the novel Ishmael and his group of stay in a village. The village is attacked, but Ishmael is able to escape just in time. However he has also lost his friends...
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...What would you do if you were away from home for a long period of time just to come home to other men trying to steal your wife. This is what both of our main characters, Odysseus and Everett, had gone through. Both of these classic pieces of art have so much in common but yet are so different in the audience's point of view. Even though they are so different, they still share the same theme. In this paper you will learn; the similarities within the themes and characters, differences in settings and historical view, and a short glimpse of what the Odyssey and O Brother Where Art Thou are all about. The Odyssey is a story about a man named Odysseus and his journey home. His journey begins after a dark time called the Trojan War. He endures many hardships along the way. During his journey, several suitors attempt to take his family and everything he owned. His wife, believed he was deceased and was never going to return. In O Brother Where Art Thou, the story is about a man called “Everett”. In this story, he travels home to get to his wife and children. During the whole story, he is with his buds Pete and Delmar. Along the way, they meet a man named Tommy and continue on their wild adventure. This is very similar to that of The Odyssey....
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