The setting in 'A Long Way Gone' takes place in Sierra Leone from 1993 to 1997. The book is based on a true story, it is the memoirs of a boy soldier Ishmael Beah. It takes place in the middle of the war where the rebels have attacked. The environment from the very beginning is full of anger and violence. For example; in only chapter two of the story only at page 33 Ishmael says: I am pushing a rusty wheel barrow in a town where the air smells of blood and burnt flesh. The breeze brings a faint cries of those whose last breaths are leaving their mangles bodies. I walk past them. Their arms and legs are missing, their intestines spill out of the bullet holes in the stomachs, brain matter comes out of their nose and ears. So you can tell by the very beginning that this sitting is very graphic, violent and gruesome. Throughout this entire book the explanation of some of the more violent event are very descriptive. Our narrator/author who had lived these event explains the pain from his exhaustion, hunger, sadness and anger which he develops throughout the book. The setting of this story contains much anger, violence and drugs. However it is just as sad considering thats these events had been exposed to a child of the age 11 until he was 15.
Character
Our main character and writtero of 'A Long Way Gone' is Ishmael Breah. Thrughout the book he is from the ages of 11 to 15, he loves rap music and dacing. He has two brother and younger and older brother however him and his older brother Junior live with his dad and his younger brother and mother live in another village next to them. He is very close with his older brother Junior. Only his younger brother goes to school because their parents cant afford to send all three of them to go. They have three other friend from the village; Bigrilla, Kaloko and Khalilou. When the Rebels first attack Ishmael and his older from Junior and his three friends travel together from village to village to escape and run from the rebels. By Chapter 8 Ishmael loses his friends and brother. However he meets up with 5 other boys who he traveled with; Saidu, Hahei, Alhaji, Jumah and musa. Saidu passes away one night in his sleep from exaustion and hunger. Musa passes away aswell from blood loss when he got shot by a rebel. Ishmael by the end of the book when he because part of the war and is a soldier at the age of 15. Ishmael had not seen anyone from his family, brothers nor parents since the age of 11 when the war began and this had made Ishmael very indapendent. He become very anger and vilent as he become brain washed by the war and the other soldier who had trained them to kill any Rebel. As he because addicted from marijuana, cocain and brown brown (cocain and gun powder). He is and agry and lost young man who has nightmares almost every night either wakes up screaming or in a sweat. He get severe migrains as he always did in the war but when he get pulled out of the war to a sort of "rehab" there for no more drugs to calm his migrains. Esther is a nurse at the 'rehad' that Ishmael develops a friendship with. Ishmael tells parts of his war stories and dreams to Esther. Esther gives Ishmael a walkman with a Bob Marley cassette. Esther does regular check-ups on the mental health of Ishmael during his time being rehabilitated at Benin Home. As his life goes on he makes a new life for him self and also become and successful author as he wrote his true story of his life that became the book 'A Long Way Gone'
Conflict
The conflict in this book 'A Long Way Gone' is war. This book consists alot of man vs. man with the war and the fighting against echother. As well as man vs. himself for example when Ishmael gets addicted to the drugs and he gets severe migrains whithout the drugs where he is only hurting him self. There would also have a conflict involving trust, because for Ishmael, for all he knows he could befriend another and they could either abondon him likw his family, send him away like his lauteninent did or kill him for maybe saying the thing.
Theme
There are many themes in this book. Indapendence would be one. Ishmael had been on his own protecting himself, providing food and shelter for himself and surviving the war. When he becomes a boy soldier he becomes just as indepent, however some thinngs are the same; insteand of his parents and brothers, his squad is his family; instead of his parents, aunts and uncles providing and protecting him, thats his guns job; and the only rule he has instead of just knowing the rights and rongs are, to kill or be killed. (My squad is my family, my gun is my proivder and protecter and the only rule i live by is to kill or be killed) qote from chapter 15. Violence and survival would be some of the other themes as well. Through all of Ishmael's story
he talk alot about all the violence he had been exposed to as a child, up to the age of 15. He saw it also most everyday during the was. If it was when the rebels attacked of when he was killing a rebel. However this violence was also to protect him self and survive the war.
Conflict
The conflict in this book 'A Long Way Gone' is war. This book consists alot of man vs. man with the war and the fighting against echother. As well as man vs. himself for example when Ishmael gets addicted to the drugs and he gets severe migrains whithout the drugs where he is only hurting him self. There would also have a conflict involving trust, because for Ishmael, for all he knows he could befriend another and they could either abondon him likw his family, send him away like his lauteninent did or kill him for maybe saying the thing.
Theme
There are many themes in this book. Indapendence would be one. Ishmael had been on his own protecting himself, providing food and shelter for himself and surviving the war. When he becomes a boy soldier he becomes just as indepent, however some thinngs are the same; insteand of his parents and brothers, his squad is his family; instead of his parents, aunts and uncles providing and protecting him, thats his guns job; and the only rule he has instead of just knowing the rights and rongs are, to kill or be killed. (My squad is my family, my gun is my proivder and protecter and the only rule i live by is to kill or be killed) qote from chapter 15. Violence and survival would be some of the other themes as well. Through all of Ishmael's story
he talk alot about all the violence he had been exposed to as a child, up to the age of 15. He saw it also most everyday during the was. If it was when the rebels attacked of when he was killing a rebel. However this violence was also to protect him self and survive the war.
