Gone By Ishmael Beah

414 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Racism and literature

In the memoir A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah, it is apparent that all people are capable of evil, from children to adults, it is all dependent of the situation they are in, and in a situation of a war, evil becomes acceptable, which is seen throughout the memoir. Beah was not born evil, he was a twelve year old boy who wrote down lyrics to songs, walked miles on miles to be able to perform in his friend’s talent shows, and he was just a child, until he was subjected to the civil war of Sierra Leone. Beah starts out with small acts of evil, he is not accustomed to having to do such things. Beah writes of one of his first acts of evil in the war “That night we were so hungry that we stole people’s food while they slept” (29). Some may not consider

Show More
Related

  • Susie Kretschmer's And Summer Is Gone

    557 Words  | 2 Pages

    In “And Summer Is Gone” by Susie Kretschmer, the author uses contrast effectively throughout the entire story. Contrast is used to show the development and change of Amy’s character, and is also used to show the changes in Amy and David’s relationship.

    Read More

  • Ishmael Beah's Recovery

    786 Words  | 2 Pages

    (Beah 49) After many months of cheating death and experiencing the loss of friends and family Beah was mentally and physically drained of everything he had. War can cause Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, social withdrawal, nightmares, flashbacks, and symptoms of depression. As a grown man war can be physiologically devastating, but as a young child who knows nothing of the ways of the world this could easily cause them to want to commit suicide and struggle with what is right and wrong. Ishmael was a normal 12 year old boy in a small village in Sierra Leone when his life took a dramatic turn and he was forced into a war.

    Read More

  • Ishmael Beah Family In A Long Way Gone

    1921 Words  | 4 Pages

    In his personal memoir titled “A long way Gone” Ishmael Beah incorporated the concept of family into his personal story. Traveling in a world of his own Beah encountered different events where his approach to family evolved. From losing his important primary family, and establishing close relationships with individuals he met along his journey. Hope, revenge, trust & love were three important key stages discovered as his definition and approach to family changed.

    Read More

  • Good and Evil Actions in Peace Like a River by Leif Enger

    753 Words  | 2 Pages

    The battle of good versus evil is present in all aspects of life. Actions taken by people can determine how others view them. Some choose to do what is right and good, while others choose what is wrong and evil. Many characters are forced to choose between the two, and some do not foresee the consequences of their actions. In the book Peace Like a River by Leif Enger, actions committed by the Davy, Jeremiah, and Jeremiah’s friends, both good and evil, always have consequences.

    Read More

  • Claudia Card's Theory Of Evil Analysis

    927 Words  | 2 Pages

    Claudia Card begins by questioning the difference between wrong and evil. How do we know when something crosses the line between being just wrong, to being an evil act? How does hatred and motive play a part in this? How can people psychologically maintain a sense of who they are when they have been the victims of evil? Card attempts to explain these fundamental questions using her theory of evil; the Atrocity Paradigm (Card, pg.3).

    Read More

  • A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah

    1026 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hope enables people to move on by providing the thought that maybe tomorrow’s events will be better than today’s. Hope is a theme that remains constant in every part of A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah. Ishmael begins the novel optimistic, believing he will find his family again. This optimism is later lost when Ishmael is recruited by the army to fight against the rebels, causing him to become addicted to drugs and the thrill of killing. Three years after his recruitment, Ishmael is rescued by UNICEF-a group dedicated to rehabilitating child soldiers. During his rehabilitation, Ishmael discovers hope once more by relearning how to trust, love, and have the will to survive. The presence of hope throughout A Long Way Gone enables Ishmael to have an ability to move on and a will to survive that he lacks when he loses hope.

    Read More

  • Toni Cade Bambara's The Lesson

    3183 Words  | 7 Pages

    Toni Cade Bambara, a well known author and social activist, uses language and experience to incite change in a warped society that marginalizes its people based on language, race, and class. With the utilization of African American English (AAE), Bambara sheds light on some questionable prejudices and problems with capitalism in American society. Bambara’s works are noted for their use of traditional AAE and its support in teaching the overall “lesson” and the underlying message to the public. The majority of Bambara’s works were inspired by and written in response to her experiences of growing up a black woman, of lower class status, in Harlem. Her short story, “The Lesson,” is no exception. Bambara uses first person narrative, omission of tense markers, and African American English to prove her point that even with education, wealth and prosperity are unevenly distributed throughout the United States.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between The Lottery And Fahrenheit 451

    1047 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are many different points of view about human behaviors. Through specific characters mentioned in Fahrenheit 451, “A Very Old Man Enormous Wings”, and “The Lottery”, individual attitudes are exaggerated to the point that their evil motivations behind their behaviors are obvious. Everyday humans attempt to attach the connotation of good to humanity, but it’s just because humans want to look past the fact that we are realistically not good. It is very difficult for us to reflect on our own behaviors. Even though people try to avoid admitting it, we always try to be the best in whatever we do. We naturally make our own survivals the best we can make it. Harming others knowingly and enjoying it is a hallmark of being evil. Good is not only

    Read More

  • A Long Way Gone Survival Essay

    531 Words  | 2 Pages

    During the war, people struggle to differentiate their enemies from friends causing people to act on fear. Survival is paramount and trusting someone can lead to the deaths of an entire village. Beah wrote,”Many times during our journey were surrounded by muscular men with machetes who almost killed us before realizing we were children just running away from war.” (Page 72, Chapter 8). War causes people to be on edge and trust is no longer a connection but a reason that could end a person's life. The major theme in “A Long Way Gone” is survival and acting based on an emotional concept can cost atrocities.

    Read More

  • Impact of War and Violence on Children in A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah

    1473 Words  | 3 Pages

    Children exposed to violence within their communities are left with emotions of hopelessness, insecurity, and doubt. Historical events such as the war on terrorism, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the tragic events of September 11th have had a detrimental effect on the entire nation, including the children. Although every child is not directly affected by the effects of war, it somehow has an emotional effect on all. The involvement of a nation in war affects every individual differently, whether it is out of fear, anger, doubt, hope, or love. In the short novel A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah, he narrates the story by telling his own involvement in the Civil War in Sierra Leone as a young boy and the many issues he faces while living in horror.

    Read More

  • The Meaning of “Story-Truth” and “Happening-Truth”

    1005 Words  | 3 Pages

    A true war story is never moral. It does not instruct, nor encourage virtue, nor suggest models of proper human behavior, nor restrain ...

    Read More

  • The Evils Of To Kill A Mockingbird

    1677 Words  | 4 Pages

    Has evil always been around, or did man create it? One could trace evil all the way back to Adam and Eve; however, evil came to them, but it was not in them. When did evil become part of a person? No one knows, but evil has been around for a long time and unfortunately is discovered by everyone. In many great classics in literature evil is at the heart or the theme of the novel, including Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird. This classic book demonstrates the growing up of two children in the South and illustrates the theme of evil by showing how they discover, how they deal, and how they reconcile themselves to the evils they experience.

    Read More

  • Humans are naturally evil and violent minded

    1023 Words  | 3 Pages

    Every human is born with the potential to be inherently evil. Whether they choose this path or not depends on the influences of the outside world. We can see an example of how this is true from the book, Lord of the Flies by William Golding. Although all of the boys in the novel start out as innocent choirboys, they show their true form of evil when they are put in a dire situation. The boys no longer become friends to one another, instead they try to kill animals and even each other for the pure enjoyment of it. Humans are born evil and have the intent of doing violent and harmful things as evident by; the world’s history, violence as a source of entertainment, constant wars, and bullies, both cyber and physical.

    Read More

  • Jack Merridew

    714 Words  | 2 Pages

    Any individual may seem to be innocent and harmless, but in reality every living being has the capability to be evil. In the story Lord of the Flies by William Golding, some of the most innocent characters allow the evil half of their mind to control them. One example of evil on the island is when Roger murders Piggy in cold blood. This shows how he had progressed from throwing small stones around Henry to pushing a large boulder down a cliff, killing Piggy. Also, the entire group takes part in the murder of Simon, because they fear it is the beast. This brings up a new point about how anybody can access the evil part of their mind while in fear. Then, at the top of the food chain, there is Jack Merridew. Jack wants everything to do with violence

    Read More

  • Good And Evil In John Milton's Paradise Lost

    1306 Words  | 3 Pages

    more than evil is capable of what seems to be good. More often in the story, God

    Read More

More about Gone By Ishmael Beah

Open Document