Violence In A Long Way Gone

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Violence is considered one of the greatest sins humans can inflict on each other. ‘A Long Way Gone’, written by Ishmael Beah, describes the tragedy of child soldiers fighting in African struggles for power. Beah goes into every minute detail of the everyday occurrences that happen to child soldiers like him. Violence can change a person’s life; both the mental and physical aspects of a person can be degraded and changed. The nature of violence is cold and unforgiving, and any simple mistake can be the end of your life. Beah’s novel shows the nature of violence and the effects on a soldier’s body both short-term and long-term. The after-effects can completely alter someone. Violence has a strong impact on anyone caught in its wake. Beah’s memoir of his adolescent life showed me the impact of violence on child soldiers and the effects it had on their lives. Early in the novel, Beah was swept into the conflict without much choice. From the beginning, Beah was affected by the war when he was separated from his parents. I saw the struggles of a young boy forced to scavenge …show more content…
When he is given shelter by UNICEF, I was given a better understanding of the effects that a war can have on these people. It seemed that the kid’s innocence had escaped them and their childhood was lost. Beah could no longer trust in other people. ‘I was very suspicious of people’s intention. I had come to believe that people befriended only to exploit one another.’ (153). Although only teenagers, many of these kids were stealing, doping, and destroying property. A Long Way Gone gave me a much better insight in the effects that warfare has on young children. It causes them to change for the worse. These child soldiers became reliant on drugs in order to survive. Trust was no longer part of their lives and families were split. The consequences of these issues are horrifying. Violence changes everything in the lives of those

A Long Way Gone Book Report

I read is A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah. I believe the title means a journey someone is going through. The title was chosen because it symbolizes the journey from his past. A Long Way Gone has 240 pages and it is an autobiography (nonfiction) because it's a memoir. A Long Way Gone is based on a true story of Beah, that becomes a soldier at the age of 13 during the civil war. It took place in Sierra Leone in the 1990’s. He was separated from his family and was influenced to violence, and drugs…

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Reflection On A Long Way Gone By Ishmael Beah

A Long Way Gone Ishmael Beah’s journey began when he was about twelve years old. At age sixteen Ishmael ended his journey at a rehabilitation center having to learn how to forgive himself in order to regain his humanity and heal. Success for Ishmael was not fame nor fortune, success was gaining the ability to have control over his fears. Being a determined young man he made sure he reached his goal even if that meant having to do thing he'd never find himself doing. In this memoir, Ishmael Beah goes…

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The War's Effect On Ishmael Beah

The War’s Effect on Ishmael Beah In A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah, the dream is a symbol for his life because it displays his peaceful childhood, the violence in the war, and the confusion he’s left with after the war. In the beginning of his dream Ishmael and Junior went swimming in the river, “We were competing with each other. In the end Junior got more oysters than I did”(Beah, 164). This competition shows the reader the innocence of childhood. This type of competition resembles a normal…

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Violence And Video Games

Violence and Video Games Trina Heyrman Eng/225 April Rivers June 14, 2014 Violence and Video Games When discussing all of the violent crimes that have happened in the United States over the past few years, there are several topics that keep getting thrown into the ring of discussion. One of the main topics, is the idea that playing violent video games will lead to children and adults being violent themselves, and make them more likely to commit acts of violence against themselves and others…

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A Long Way Gone Language Analysis

Ishmael Beah’s memoir, “A Long Way Gone” is applicable and pertinent to the Sterling High School English 4 curriculum because of the use figurative language and the requirement of higher thinking throughout the memoir. For instance, as Beah travels from his hometown of Mogbwemo to Mattru Jong they catch wind that the rebels had infiltrated their home’s, as they start the journey back home from Mattru Jong they began to realize that the towns that they went through are no longer inhabited. As he…

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A Long Way Gone Ishmael Beah Character Analysis

needs. When lacking the ability to achieve basic human needs, some tend to use different methods in order to obtain the wanted needs. As seen in A Long Way Gone, Ishmael Beah commits unforgettable acts of violence in order to fulfill his need for security. In the entirety of Ishmael’s childhood, his human need for safety required powerful acts of violence. Ever since Ishmael's childhood, Ishmael became…

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A Long Way Gone: Memoirs Of Child Soldiers

Child soldiering is a worldwide problem but we most frequently hear about Africa. The Republic of Sierra Leone is infamous for its portrayal of child soldiers in the past years. The decade long civil conflict left Sierra Leone not only dismantled but caused widespread trauma within the country. Now…

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The Civil Rights Movement Essay

this subject and many political changing events follow this movement. Some of the struggles during the civil rights movement were covered through the media in such a fashion that it could have gone either way. I found an article stating, and I quote “Majority Queried In Times Survey Say, Negro Movement Has Gone Too Far, But Few Intend To Change Votes.” –New York Times (Sept. 21st 1964). Now another person questioned in this poll, and I quote “That many neighborhoods have always been known as ‘tough’…

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Essay on Sources Practice

Question 1 (Suggested time—40 minutes. This question counts for one-third of the total essay section score.) The need for of sympathy is natural in a human being, however, being forced to pay homage to deep sacrifices or traumatizing acts of violence is not. The consistent experiences of being forced to do things, feelings of pain, and being forced into a world of drugs and slavery creates an emotional water slide straight towards war. Read the following seven sources carefully, including…

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A Long Way Gone: A True Narrative Story

A Long Way Gone A Long Way Gone is a true narrative story that depicts a young boy named Ishmael Beah and how he was influenced as a boy soldier during a Civil War in Sierra Leone. All these he never wished for! Beah’s village was attacked by rebels when he was twelve years old. To escape from brutality, chaos/violence, him, his brother and friend wanders around from villages to villages stealing foods and committing crimes. Soon, they were forced to join the army as soldier boys. Ishmael became…

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