MultiCultural Memoir Post
Picture of Ishmael Beah today
By: Ryan Edelbach
Our blog post is about A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah. We found the main central idea is that people have the ability to change. At first, Ishmael was a very kind person and had room for emotions but as war struck him hard right where it mattered most. His family. He began to change over the course of many chapters. He is controlled by pure revenge for his family and will stop at nothing to kill anyone who stands in his way. All he wants to do everyday, is slaughter more people for revenge, do drugs and watch movies. He does this for quite some time before his lieutenant tells them that they have done their duties as soldiers and must become real children now. Ishmael is absolutely outraged by his decision and does not understand that choice. Over the course of months, he is changed from being reliant on drugs and being violent, to a calm child that he once used to be. He then gets to speak about his experiences in front of The United Nations (U.N.) Overall, this book was very moving and just a great book for anyone to read, even though it can be gory, it teaches an important moral during the course of the book.
I feel as the First Article relating to the central idea because the article is about how people will change as their personality change and that can relate to the central idea because Ishmael’s personality changed as he sought out vengeance and he changed drastically. Then once he stopped seeking vengeance, he slowly eased back to his old life. This can relate to the article because as Ishmael’s view on the world and his personality changed, he did things he would regret in his later life. The article also describes how some people have a short term thinking kind of mind, they make choices that they will no longer like in years to come, that is present because Ishmael is invading villages and killing people whom he doesn't know.
The Second Article can relate to the central idea because the article is about how people fail to recognize they will change in the future even though they have changed in the past and they fail to realize that too. I feel like this can be related to Ishmael and the main idea because he did some crazy stuff when he was running around with his squad and not once did he look back upon his old life, and he didn't bother to think about where he would be tomorrow. To him, I felt like, it was all about him, right then and there and there was no looking ahead. The article also states that people at a younger age change must faster so that can be related to Ishmael because he is only a young boy and he can be changed per say more easily than if an adult was in his position.
If anyone out there is reading A Long Way Gone as well, I would be interested in hearing some of your comments/thoughts and opinions on the book!
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