Compassionate Intervention: A Fisherman's Aid to War-Torn Boys

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In Chapter Nine the boys looking for shelter, they find refuge in a small village’s fishing hut. Normal if someone found nine boys they’d assume them to be rebels and immediately try to kill them. When the boys are found by the man who owns the fishing hut they aren’t harmed in fact they are taken care of. The fisherman helped the boys because he felt bad for them, he saw that they were not dangerous and were all in serious pain, peeling the flesh off their feet. “He stopped at the door, and was about to turn around when he noticed our suffering. His eyes met our frightened faces” (Beah, 61). I think that he realized that they were just scared children and not soldiers. When he looked into their eyes he must have seen how scared they truly were. …show more content…

Once the village finds out about them they go on a witch hunt to find the “rebels” and kill them. After being caught and tied up they are brought in front of the chief. The boys then they avoided death when a rap cassette fell out of Ishmael’s pocket, he then explains what it is to the chief who request that they play it and Ishmael show them how he performs the song. “He still didn’t smile, but he gave a sigh that said I was just a child. At the end of the song, he rubbed his beard and said that he was impressed with my dancing and found the singing “interesting.” (Beah, 67-68) The fact that he had the cassette and knew the lyrics of the song are what caused the boys to avoid death. I think that Beah is developing a theme with the cassettes about them saving Ishmael. We see two examples of this once again when the fall out of his pocket to stop another witch hunt. The other time is when the cassettes are used by Esther to get Ishmael to open up. I think that the cassettes help save Ishmael by literally saving his life and by giving him a chance to

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