A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah

   The book A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah is about a boy who gets separated from his parents because of the civil war that was taking place in Sierra Leone. At the age of 12 Ishmael, his brother Junior, and his friend Talloi decided to go to another city in Sierra Leone without permission from their parents not knowing that they might never see their parents again. When they arrived in Mattru Jong people they were quickly informed that there was a war occurring in that city. Since there wasn’t enough time to go back to their families they decided to stay at a friend’s house for the night. The next day, Ishmael, Talloi, and Junior were told that their families had run away to another village because the rebels had attacked it. Hoping they will find their families, the boys decided to leave Mattru Jong after a few days because they knew at some point the rebels would come. On the day that they were about to leave the rebels attacked Mattru Jong. Ishmael, Junior, and all their other friends were running for their lives, looking for a good place to hide. Ever since then they have been walking, and walking. Unfortunately Junior and Ishmael separate when they were running for their lives. Ishmael spends a while with himself and he frequently mentioned how he hated being alone. About a month later, Ishmael finds his elementary school friends. He becomes very elated but stays very quiet for a long time. Throughout the journey Ishmael and his friends get caught by the rebels and they were asked where they were going. The boys simply answered that they were trying to find their parents and when the rebels understand that their only kids, they let them go. Ishmael’s friend, Kanei, dies during the journey. Ishmael was about to see his family after a long time but, the rebels arrived before him and killed them all. He and his friends entered a camp that makes them become soldiers to fight the rebels. Ishmael describes this camp as a peace and fun place.  The lieutenant is a young man who is interested in reading especially Julius Creaser. As Ishmael grows up he stars to experiments with drugs and alcohol. When Ishmael receives his gun, he becomes very revengeful about everything that his country took away from him. Ishmael and his friends have trouble getting used to the rehab center. Ishmael faints from a migraines and is constantly at the hospital to stay the night. On one mission, he remembered that they found a village full of rebels who are preparing to leave, so the boys had attack on their own. Alhaji sneaks into the village and the boys successfully kill everyone. The boys also got school materials which meant to start school again but instead the boy’s burn the supplies. But when they realized the staff continually gave school materials, the boys begin to sell them instead. . Ishmael becomes close with a nurse named Esther. He has small conversations with her once in a while. After about a day he gets shot four times on the left leg. This wounds him pretty badly so he is taken to a camp that’s not far away for medical attention. After, he gets surgery and has to recover which takes him about a month or so. Ishmael is starting to spend a lot of time with Esther and he is opening up to her by telling her about the horrifying dreams he has. He also goes to her house to eat dinner. Ishmael leaves the Benin home to go live with his uncle. Leslie, comes and he checks how Ishmael is doing and when he made his visit one day he asks him if he wanted to go to the UN and talk about what’s going on to Sierra Leone’s children. Ishmael is chosen to go to New York and tell his story. He becomes very happy and he agrees. Although it was tedious waiting for his passport and visa to come, Ishmael said good bye and left Sierra Leone for good.  He was very happy he met people that were from other countries because he felt like someone actually knew him before he dies. On November 16, 1996 Ishmael returned back home. The rebels come back and attack the village. Ishmael‘s uncle is sick really bad and needs medical attention but he never gets one so he dies. After the death Ishmael was on the run. He traveled from bus to bus. He then crossed the border of Guinea by paying a lot of money. After that he stays in the Sierra Leone’s embassy. He overhears a story being told to children and he realizes that the story was familiar. The monkey says, “If you shoot me, your mother will die, and if you don’t, your father will die.”  The children were then asked what they would do if they were hunting the monkey. Ishmael then answers by saying that he would shoot the monkey so that it would no longer have the chance to put other hunters in the same predicament.

Quote “When I was seven I had an answer to this question that made sense to me. I never discussed it with anyone, though, for fear of how my mother would feel. I concluded to myself that if I were the hunter, I would shoot the monkey so that it would no longer have the chance to put other hunters in the same predicament.”

Reflection

I really like the way how Beah ended the book because it showed how although he went to this rough road that was filled with obstacles he was still the smart, innocent kid, he was in the beginning of the book. The answer he gives to the question shows how he’s a caring young man that never wants anyone to be harmed or hurt.