Setting:
In the book "A long way Gone", the setting takes place in the middle of a war zone in Sierra Leone, in the years 1993 and 1997. Sierra Leone is country in major poverty, houses are made with broken down tin roof's and tents built as kitchens and soldiers either attacking the villages or protecting them from the rebels which are the men who are most likely to attack, kill, rape women and recruit men. Ishmeal Beah which is the main character in this book, has left his village "Mattru Jong" to see his friends in a near by village about a few hours away (by walk). As he walked into the village his friends had told him that his village had been attacked from the rebels, which explains the amount of danger that is in the setting of this book, this danger goes on threw out the hole book. Once Ishmeal had been picked up from the front lines, from the city soldiers, and had been brought to a rehabilitation center the setting has calmed down but violence has still set its place threw out. When they had been encountered with rebels many children had been injured or died from the attack. This shows that Ishmeal's mind had been affected by all the chaos and was now brainwashe dby all the violence and drugs.
Character:
Ishmeal Beah is the main character in the story "A long way gone" . Ishmeal is only about twelve years old when he was caught up the wars chaos. Before Rebels had attacked any of the villages, Ishmeal was a young, caring and mature boy, who had a dream and swore to follow it. A dancer and a rap star is what he wanted to become, he wore his clothing like the rapper he had seen, and danced and sang like they did. Ishmeal, his brother Junior and a few of his friends, Alhaji, Gibrielli and a few other boys all had the same dream. Junior is a primary character just as much as Ishmeal is, because of the fact that he is always brought up and is a huge part in the book and he is a brother to Ishmeal. For the other boys, like Ishmeal's friends, they are secondary characters, They play an important part in this story but the book is about Ishmeal, his family and pretty much his hole life. Ishmeal is a type of person where, if he has to do something or the good of him self or the people he cares for and loves he will so. Example, the first time he herd his village has been attacked, he walked for hours, mile and even days to go back to his village where the ones he loved were no where to be found, so Ishmeal, Junior and his friends walked for days in and days out to find somewhere safe and to find where his mother, father and his younger brother which are a big and important role in this book, but they're also not in the story enough to be classified as primary character but, they are secondary. Ishmeal has been affected by losing and even being encountered with more people he knew, because he would have to worry about not only finding the people he cared for but now, he worries about losing the ones he is now travelling with. His Travelling companions are also affected by Ishmeal and they're families they had also lost in the attack from the rebels.
Conflict:
Ishmael beah would be the Protagonist in this story because of the fact that he understands the wars conflict in Sierra Leone, and he became a soldier in the front lines for the army of sierra leone.
The Antagonist's are the rebels, because they were the ones who started and brought the horror and blood and gruesome actions to the villages, and killed, raped and beat civilians, until after, when Ishmeal became a soldier in the front lines with the Sierra Leone's army. Ishmeal lost all the strength and mind control to fight his stress and anger and all his emotion in a mature matter, and became a blood thirsty, killing machine, and had been brain washed and forced to kill and take many drugs such as Cocaine and Marijuana, therefore Ishmeal has sadly became a conflict and an Antagonist.
The climax of this story would be that Ishmeal knows now the he will never find the strength to find peace and a way to get out of this horrific war, until he had found a way to get to a near by village called "Guinea" and New York and had been brought to a rehabilitation centre. He fought harder and harder once he had been taken out of Sierra Leone and became a new person.
Themes:
There are many Themes in this book, War is hell, Everything happens for a reason and there is always hope.
The most important theme is War is Hell. This phrase has been used for many stories and other tragic situations. it fits this story perfectly with all the horrors and tragedy that Ishmael has been threw and the things he had been threw, were just unbelievable. The actions that occurred to the villages and all the killing has changed the meaning of war is hell because how horrific and tragic, the events that the civilians of sierra Leone had to go threw are unable to be described which is the reason why this mean of "War is Hell" has been turned around completely.
"Everything Happens for a Reason" is another important theme in this story. People of sierra Leone, have been threw so much chaos and stress but in the end some were killed or scared for life, but for the ones who did survive, they are now safe and out of the war zone in a better place. Ishmeal had first been a young boy who only wanted to did what he believed in and the war has majorly changed that, ever since Ishmeal was forced to keep moving on from village to village, walking ,hours,miles, Day and weeks, just to find a better and safer place to live all that was on his mind was death, survival and how his family is gonna survive and his friends. In the end, when the soldiers from the city had picked him up and helped him change his life around from being a soldier in the front lines, to being a kid again, a twelve years old boy who only wished to live his life like a child should be. "Everything Happends for a reason" follows out to everyone in the world, for what ever you do or what ever happned sto you.
The last theme that i would have to say is in this book is ":There is always Hope". In spite of all the horrible events that happended in Ishmael’s life, he finds a way to fight out all the chaos out of his mind, and everything else that affected his life and find love again and meaning to how he use to live.
Character:
Ishmeal Beah is the main character in the story "A long way gone" . Ishmeal is only about twelve years old when he was caught up the wars chaos. Before Rebels had attacked any of the villages, Ishmeal was a young, caring and mature boy, who had a dream and swore to follow it. A dancer and a rap star is what he wanted to become, he wore his clothing like the rapper he had seen, and danced and sang like they did. Ishmeal, his brother Junior and a few of his friends, Alhaji, Gibrielli and a few other boys all had the same dream. Junior is a primary character just as much as Ishmeal is, because of the fact that he is always brought up and is a huge part in the book and he is a brother to Ishmeal. For the other boys, like Ishmeal's friends, they are secondary characters, They play an important part in this story but the book is about Ishmeal, his family and pretty much his hole life. Ishmeal is a type of person where, if he has to do something or the good of him self or the people he cares for and loves he will so. Example, the first time he herd his village has been attacked, he walked for hours, mile and even days to go back to his village where the ones he loved were no where to be found, so Ishmeal, Junior and his friends walked for days in and days out to find somewhere safe and to find where his mother, father and his younger brother which are a big and important role in this book, but they're also not in the story enough to be classified as primary character but, they are secondary. Ishmeal has been affected by losing and even being encountered with more people he knew, because he would have to worry about not only finding the people he cared for but now, he worries about losing the ones he is now travelling with. His Travelling companions are also affected by Ishmeal and they're families they had also lost in the attack from the rebels.
Conflict:
Ishmael beah would be the Protagonist in this story because of the fact that he understands the wars conflict in Sierra Leone, and he became a soldier in the front lines for the army of sierra leone.
The Antagonist's are the rebels, because they were the ones who started and brought the horror and blood and gruesome actions to the villages, and killed, raped and beat civilians, until after, when Ishmeal became a soldier in the front lines with the Sierra Leone's army. Ishmeal lost all the strength and mind control to fight his stress and anger and all his emotion in a mature matter, and became a blood thirsty, killing machine, and had been brain washed and forced to kill and take many drugs such as Cocaine and Marijuana, therefore Ishmeal has sadly became a conflict and an Antagonist.
The climax of this story would be that Ishmeal knows now the he will never find the strength to find peace and a way to get out of this horrific war, until he had found a way to get to a near by village called "Guinea" and New York and had been brought to a rehabilitation centre. He fought harder and harder once he had been taken out of Sierra Leone and became a new person.
Themes:
There are many Themes in this book, War is hell, Everything happens for a reason and there is always hope.
The most important theme is War is Hell. This phrase has been used for many stories and other tragic situations. it fits this story perfectly with all the horrors and tragedy that Ishmael has been threw and the things he had been threw, were just unbelievable. The actions that occurred to the villages and all the killing has changed the meaning of war is hell because how horrific and tragic, the events that the civilians of sierra Leone had to go threw are unable to be described which is the reason why this mean of "War is Hell" has been turned around completely.
"Everything Happens for a Reason" is another important theme in this story. People of sierra Leone, have been threw so much chaos and stress but in the end some were killed or scared for life, but for the ones who did survive, they are now safe and out of the war zone in a better place. Ishmeal had first been a young boy who only wanted to did what he believed in and the war has majorly changed that, ever since Ishmeal was forced to keep moving on from village to village, walking ,hours,miles, Day and weeks, just to find a better and safer place to live all that was on his mind was death, survival and how his family is gonna survive and his friends. In the end, when the soldiers from the city had picked him up and helped him change his life around from being a soldier in the front lines, to being a kid again, a twelve years old boy who only wished to live his life like a child should be. "Everything Happends for a reason" follows out to everyone in the world, for what ever you do or what ever happned sto you.
The last theme that i would have to say is in this book is ":There is always Hope". In spite of all the horrible events that happended in Ishmael’s life, he finds a way to fight out all the chaos out of his mind, and everything else that affected his life and find love again and meaning to how he use to live.
