A Long Way Gone
Chapters 5-8
Ishmael Beah
Ishmael Beah was an innocent teenager when the African Rebels took over his village. He managed to escape and little did he know that he was going to be running for a while. He grew very scared of losing his only family member left, his older brother Junior. He also grew scared of the Rebels, nature, and even other humans.
Historical Connection
The attacks of Isis can be compared to the attacks of these in Africa. Innocent Men and women, and children are being killed or forced into military for no reason at all other than to strengthen the Army. Sure, Isis has gone to a new level by sending messages by bombing innocent places, however, both of these groups are rebelling for some common reason and they have taken it to the extreme.
Vocab 1: Verandah
-A roofed platform along the outside of a house, level with the ground floor.
Vacab #2: Cassava
-The starchy tuberous root of a tropical tree
Setting
This true story takes place in many villages around Sierra Leone because Ishmael is running from the Rebels. The setting changes many time throughout the story, but most of it takes place in small villages.
Conflicts
Man vs. Self
Ishmael has an internal conflict with himself because Some of his only friends left have vanished, and he has one close friend left. Ishmael makes most likely the hardest decision of his life when he decides to go off on his own and leave his friend behind because he wants to stay.
Man vs. Society
As the war goes on, people start to grow cautious with one another because they are not sure whether is they are a rebel or not. Ishmael and the people he is surviving with are known as the 'Seven Boys' because people think they are Rebels. Men from some villages threaten to kill them but then Ishmael has to tell them where they are from so that they can keep going. This is man vs. society because no one can trust him anymore and it may result in something bad for Ishmael