A Long Way Gone #6

Quote #1:"I concluded to myself that if I were the hunter, I would shoot the monkey so that it would no longer have the chance to put other hunters in the same predicament." Pg.218

Significance: I felt that Ishmael is saying that if you have to do something, you have to do something. There is no ignoring because you know that if you do, someone else is going to suffer. He is saying that its better him than anyone else. That is a rule for him because of all these things he has done. If someone has to die, he will. If someone has to leave, he will. He is just apologizing to all the people he has hurt.

Personal: I feel I can relate to this because a lot of times, I feel like I should just do that extra job, or help that extra person because if you add all those up, it will make a difference between being good and bad. I feel like if I do not do something, letting the next person in line will just eat me up inside.

Question #1: Do you think Ishmael is saying this because he is apologizing or he just feels that every human on this earth is equal?

Quote #2: "I sat on the ground next to the grave and talked to my uncle". Pg.208

Significance: Although there are so many people who do this, I chose this quote because this is one time where Ishmael really felt a connection so strong that he did not care if his uncle was there or not. This is one time where after someone dies, he actually stops and feels his heart pumping, knowing that someone is still there.

Personal: This is one of the quotes where it relates to me all the time. I always feel like my deceased relatives are still talking to me, they are still sending me messages. My friends would always say that I have no emotions but when it comes down to just plain feeling something connecting with me, I have a lot of that. Sometimes I feel like no one has died, all is normal and I just go on talking to the person who is deceased like I would talk to him normally.

Question #2: What do you think Ishmael was talking to his uncle about beyond all the talk about loving him and helping him?

A Long Way Gone #5

Quote #1: “I was thinking about the fact that they had run so far away from the war, only to be caught back in it. There is nowhere to go from here.”

Significance: I think Ishmael is talking about how ironic it is because the town is called Freetown and still there is war. He feels so used to this, he see's executions everywhere and can't help but feel deja vu but he knows he can not do anything. All these kids around him have already adapted to the war and are ready for any sudden attack. I think that Ishmael is saying that it is so sad that these people have already felt the fear, tasted blood and have been killed on the inside, they have been completely cleaned of what is human inside. I think because this is the last place they are fighting, he has to summarize what he thinks of the war.

Personal: I can relate to this because sometimes, there are people who are forced into things they don't want to be in. I know that feeling and it is worst than breaking an arm. The feeling just eats you up inside because of the unwillingness to participate but still being forced to. You feel your rights are being violated.

Question #1: How do you think Ishmael felt when he saw these people die compared to how he felt at the beginning when he saw the first person die?

Quote #2: "Maybe they just want to give you a new look, a more African look, instead of those big pants you always wear," His Uncle pg.190

Significance: This quote really shows that now he is so much happier than before, he's finally talking about things a normal teenager needs to talk about instead of war and killing. Although it was so small, he probably really appreciated it because now he is being respected as a normal person and not how many kills he can get. Now he is dancing in pubs and not in a war zone with killing and madness.

Personal: I have been in these situations where I finally accomplished something challenging and is relieved and I go and get ice cream or something. Accomplishing this goal is so amazing because I know that I worked for what i get. Ishmael was forced to fight but his main goal is to stay alive. Once you accomplish your goal, you are so relieved and everything seems much better.

Question #2: Do you think Ishmael is enjoying his life now or do you think he would rather live with his whole family in the war?

A Long Way Gone #4

Quote #1: "It began to rain and my family ran into the house, leaving me outside". Pg.165 paragraph 1

Significance: This was so interesting along with the whole paragraph. Ishmael is trying to say that his family was trying to stop him from learning about his and being what he was so much, but they failed. Ishmael was exposed to the horror and now they are scared. They are scared that he is a killing machine, they are scared that he has not been transformed back yet. He feels so left out because of something he was forced into.

Personal: I felt I could relate to this because there have been times where I've made mistakes and all my friends just left me because they think I'm a completely different person because of that mistake. They are scared of me just because of one small mistake, that is all it takes. They feel you are a bad influence to them after the smallest mistake.

Question #1: If you were Ishmael, how would you have reacted and what would you have done?

Quote #2: "Congratulations, man, you have a family member in the city away from all the madness," Mohamed Pg.173 paragraph 5

Significance: I felt that Mohamed did not know what that madness was, I felt that he said it in such a tone he thought it was a small fight. The truth is, this is a war and he's saying madness. It isn't madness, this is much worst. Often people think of wars or major events as small things because they are not apart of it. Mohamed thought this was a small war. Although this quote is very debatable and is very small, I feel that Ishmael responded happy but was shocked or felt pain in his heart because there is actually a person who has not experienced the war.

Personal: I related to this because there have been times where I made comments about something that turned out to be a serious matter and was very ashamed. Of course my comments are were not about a war but I still felt ashamed because someone experienced it and I did not. I had no right to say anything or think of any event different than what actually happened. I'm pretty sure that Mohamed did not mean madness to be a small fight, but he did think that this war was small. If you think about the whole book, this war and all he has gone through is no where near madness.

Question #2: If you went through all that Ishmael went through and heard a comment about the war, the people and the losses that was so wrong you could not bare, what would you have done?