A Long Way Gone: Post #6

Quote #1: "I feel as if there is nothing left for me to live for." I said slowly. "I have no family it is just me. No one will be able to tell stories about my childhood." I sniffled a bit."
- Paragraph 1
- Page 167
- Said by Ishamel Beah

Response: I think that this quote relates to the question, "what hardships do the characters endure as they make a new life?" I think the quote relates to that question because he does not have any family that he has right now. He has no one to look up to and no one for him to take care of. He is a very lonely boy and is probably very confused. He lost everything to his family and his friends to his home. Now he is thinking that life is over for him and he can't do anything in the life he is in. I think this is really sad because I would be shedding tears if I knew that my family was gone and my friends. But at least Ishamel has Esther.

Personal Connection: Character Judgment: Ishamel is a very nice boy who wishes that none of this war would happen. He has lost almost everything. To his home, and his family all the way to the lost of friends. He is probably very confused on why they chose him to be in the war and to lose all of his family and other things that were dear to his heart.

Question: Do you think he is ever going to see his family again? Why & Explain.

Quote #2: "He scratched his head and mumbled something to himself. "I am sorry about bringing up this matter again. I know it will upset you, but I have to be honest with you," Leslie said. He walked around the room and began:"We cannot locate any immediate family member of yours, so we have to find you a foster family here in the city. I hope that will be fine with you. I check on you after you've completed your rehabilitation to see how you are doing in your new life."
- Page 170
- Paragraph 7
- Said by: Leslie

Response: I think this quote relates to the question, what hardships do the characters endure as they make a new life?" I think it relates to this question because I think this is a big hardship that he has in his life. He basically has no family anymore. They cannot find one person. Now he has to be sent to a foster home which I think is more sad because he will never forget the old family he had. He is probably very mad because it is all the wars fault. The war is messing Ishamel's childhood up.

Personal Connection: Character Judgment: Ishamel is having a very hard time taking everything in. He now heard that he has to be sent to a foster family because they cannot find anyone in his family that is around. He lost almost everything he had and he really wants to just give up on life at this point. He is a very brave boy and hopes that his bravery will give him the best for him. He is willing to anything for his family back.

Question: If you heard what Leslie said, how would you react? How would you feel? Do you think it would be hard to believe that all of your family is missing?

A Long Way Gone: Post #5

Quote: "She threw a package at me. I held it in my hand, wondering what it was and why she had gotten it for me. She was looking at me, waiting for me to open it. When I unwrapped it, I jumped up and hugged her, but immediately held back my happiness. I sternly asked, "Why did you get me this Walkman and cassette if we are not friends?" "And how did you know I like rap music?"
- Page 154
- Paragraph 3
- Said by Ishamel Beah

Response: I picked this quote because I thought that this quote kind of related to the question, "How do Americans treat the characters?" I think this question related to the quote because I think because he got taken out of the war he feels a lot safer and happier. Plus they are being really nice to him by giving him cool toys and rap music that he probably lost in the war. He is also making more friends easily.

Personal Connection: Character Judgment: Ishamel is really happy and safe that he got to get out of this war. He does not show his happiness and kindness a lot to others and gives a mean attitude for no reasons sometimes. He gets kind of frustrated easily a little bit in the book so far.

Question: If you were in Ishamel's position and you got to get something by nurse Esther, what would you want and why?

Quote #2: "For than twenty-four hours we retreated and attacked, using the arms and ammunition from those we had killed.
- Page 156
- Paragraph 3
- Said by: Ishamel Beah

Response #2: I think that this quote relates to the question, "What challenges do the characters face upon their arrival?" I think this relates to that question because that is a challenge that he had to overcome. He was being surrounded by rebels and they already killed 5 of their men. They were in trees and bushes and even right in from of them trying to aim fire at Ishamel and his troops. I think that was a big challenge that he had to over come at an age like this.
(He is explaining what happened to him in the war to the nurse if you did not get what I was on.)

Personal Connection: Character Judgment: Ishamel is a very nice person. Right now he is summarizing in great details what he went through with his nurse. He explains his journeys with great details like it was yesterday. Ishamel always likes to see the good things in others and likes to see people having a good time and smiling. He loves to have friends and bonds well with others pretty easily. He is a great friend to have and watches peoples backs. He also does not want his friends feeling bad so he tries to make the best for everyone.

Question: If you were in Ishamel's position and you had to explain what you went through in the war with his nurse, would you try to make it sound good or make it sound horrible. Because Ishamel tried making it sound good because he did not want seeing his nurse cry. So what would you do and explain why?

A Long Way Gone: Post #4

Quote #1: "We stayed in a big unfinished cement-brick house a long with other boys. A large green tarp served as its roof, and we slept on the cement floor on tiny blankets that two people shared."
- Page 101
-Paragraph 3
- Said by Ishamel Beah

Response: This quote relates to the question, "what hardships do the characters endure as they make a new life?" It relates to this question because he got captured by the rebels. Now he has to serve them by killing their own. He has to do whatever they tell them to do unless he wants the risk to be killed. He has to sleep in a small, unfinished cement brick house while sleeping on the cement floor. He barely had warmth and shelter. Next to them is where the rebels stayed at. They stayed in a bigger cement brick house but it was a little unfinished and broken. But it was better then the one that Ishamel had. If Ishamel ever wanted to escape it would be really hard because the rebels are watching their every move.

Personal Connection: Character Judgment: Ishamel is doing not so well. He is only a kid and he has to deal with harsh punishments that he does not even know what he did wrong. Ishamel Beah is a very nice kid and he always like to see his parents happy. As much he wants to interrupt them he doesn't because he loves it when his dad and mom smile at each other and at him.

Question: If you were stuck in this position how would you feel and what would you do?

Quote #2: "I wanted to hold the moment longer, but not only to celebrate our victory, but because the smile on my parents faces that evening made me so happy that I felt every nerve in my body had awoken and swayed to the gentlest winds that sailed within me.
- Page 102
- Paragraph 2
- Said By: Ishamel Beah

Significance: This related to the question "what challenges do the characters face upon their arrival?" I think the quote related to this question because Ishamel does not have both parents aside him everyday. Seeing them right now made him probably feel good inside and if I was in his position I would feel the same way. It is a challenge that he has to face upon because he never really see's his parents everyday because of the war and because they are divorced he does not have both of him aside him everyday.

Personal Connection: Character Judgment: Ishamel is a very nice kid and wishes to have his parents back together. It seems to me that he can't really stand his parents not together because he always wished that they were always together. Other then his parents he is struggling with the war. He really wants out. He can't stand taking a gun and killing his own kind because the rebels told him to. Also struggling for food and shelter. Everyday is a risk for his life.

Question: How would you feel if you couldn't see your parents everyday? Right now Ishamel is in this position and he does not really see his parents everyday.