Reflection - A Long Way Gone

In this book, A long way gone, Ishmael the main character goes through some difficulty growing up. It all began when he was left alone only with his brother. It was the end of his childhood and all the peaceful memories he had  with him. While Ishmael was cooking, his friends, his brother and himself hear gunshots and hesitate whether to run or not. The shots stop for fifteen minutes, and they continue with their normal activities. Then, all hell breaks loose as the gunshots begin again, and everyone runs in confusion right over those who have fallen. Families are separated, and children cry for their mothers. After that the rebels stop and go to their village.

               Ishmael and his friends go looking for the money that Ishmael had hidden in the other village. Soon they start hearing the gunfire again and run away as fast as they can to avoid being caught. The boys get captured but another gunfire starts, which let them escape. Soon there is an unexpected attack by the rebels, which separates Ishmael from the other boys. Later, he meets Kaloko and they go looking for their friends but unfortunately could not find them.

 While Ishmael goes looking for his family to the next village, He sees his whole family dead. There he realizes that his parents died trying to save him. After some time the rebels come and capture him again. Ishmael a 12-year-old boy who only wanted to learn how to the dance was taken to serve the army for the war that was about to begin. Ishmael was taught to kill without emotion. He was taught not to look at the person and decide with compassion, but to just look at the situation. They taught him the situation was desperate and the only way to survive would be to obliterate the competition. They gave him no hope for a compromise. It was their way or death.

As a boy soldier, Ishmael consumed drugs and trained with AK-47’s. After sometime, he  got rescued from the UNICEF. Ishmael realizes that he has changed a lot after the war because he doesn’t care about killing anyone that gets in his way.  As he took so many drugs that it was not good for his health so he used to faint a lot. He was taken to the rehab center where he met the doctor. He got sick several times so he met the doctor a lot. He realizes that everyone deserves a second chance as he was given a second chance at the rehab center

He tries to stop having the drugs and succeeds. Each time meeting the doctor made them get to know each other better and they became friends. He finally gets relocated as he found a new family to be with. He decides to go and live with his uncle and his other family members. He also feels such guilt over being the only one in his family to have survived the war.

When Ishmael reached his uncle’s house he feels comfortable to be around him knowing that they were good people. They all got along very well. Soon Allie and Ishmael sneak out and go to a pub.

 When they all went New York City Ishmael felt better when he saw many people in the streets. Assuming that it would be safe. He noticed that New York City is very different to Sierra Leone. He felt very cold as he wasn’t wearing a jacket. When he reached the hotel he was very happy because he finally had a room to himself. As Ishmael didn’t know how to use the radiator he was very hot during the whole night. He wonders what kind of country is cold outside and very hot inside. Soon he returned back home.

When he reached back to Sierra Leone, he tells his family about his experience in New York City. Soon, he and Mohamed begin school again at St. Edward’s Secondary School. He was excited at first but no one wanted to get close to him as he was a soldier boy.

On May 25, 1997, Ishmael and Mohamed hear gunfire again. Ishmael tells himself if he staid in his country he would die. So he decides to go with his family and leave Sierra Leone.