A Long Way Gone: Post 6

Quote #1: "He looked at me with bloodshot eyes and a face that said, 'I will kill you if I want to and nothing will come out of it.' The look was familiar to me." Ishmael's thought/ random soldier, page 212
Significance #1: I think that Ishmael was able to read this soldiers look so well because he had been in his situation where he killed and killed and it was never to his benefit, or anyone else's. Also, I think that the soldier was so tired and been through so much that because Ishmael bumped into him, he probably would have hurt him if he had the chance. Ishmael understood the soldier's feelings that he interpreted so he didn't worry about it either.
Connection #1: I can connect to this quote because sometimes if someone might say something mean or do something mean I can tell how they are feeling. These times I think about how it felt to be in their situation or to be feeling sick or sad and so I don't worry about what they did.
Question #1: What would you have done in Ishmael's situation if you knew the soldier did that on purpose?

Quote #2: "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." Ishmael, page 218
Significance #2: I think that Ishmael concluded that if he were ever in this situation that he would shoot the monkey because he doesn't want anyone else to ever have to make that choice. I think that he feel that him shooting the monkey signifies him going to war and he does not want any one else to have to go through what he went through. Ishmael feels that if everyone decides to not shoot the monkey, they would all lose one parent and everyone after them would too, so if he takes a sacrifice, no one would have to go through that pain.
Character Analysis #2: Ishmael has grown so much since the beginning of the book. I think that he has experienced and seen so much that he does not want any one else to have to go through that. At the beginning of the book, I am not sure if Ishmael would say he would make that kind of decision. Not that I think he was selfish, but I don't think he knew enough about enduring that kind of pain to choose that choice.
Question #2: If you were asked that question what would you do and why?

A Long Way Gone: Post 5

Quote #1: "Yes you see, this is the beauty of starting a new family. You can have different kinds of family members." ~Esther, page 167
Response: I picked this quote because I thought that it was kind of Esther to speak of Ishmael as a sort of family member. I don't think that Ishmael understood why she was doing this because he hadn't known her for a long time like he had known actual family members. I think that he replied with "but I didn't have a sister" because he thought of Junior when she said that he could think of her as a sibling.
Personal Connection: I connected with this quote because some of my best friends I have known for a long time and even though they aren't my actual family they are treated like family. I think that Ishmael and Esther have this connection because I think that Esther can feel Ishmael's pain in what he went through and they will be there for eachother.
Question #1: Why do you think that Esther would offer to treat Ishmael as a family member?

Quote #2: "Don't let them get your hopes up, young man." Ishmael's uncle, page 191
Response: I picked this quote because whenever Ishmael thought about his chances of going to America he would think of his uncle saying this. I think that Ishmael thinks of his uncle saying this because he may not be wanting to be dissapointed if he is not able to go to America. He may also be saying this because apart of him is afraid to visit America.
Personal Connection: I can connect to this quote because whenever I am excited about something that might happen someone ends up telling me not to get my hopes up. I think that this relates to what Ishmael's uncle would say because I think people say this because they don't want to see someone be dissapointed in something that didn't happen.
Question #2: Do you think that Ishmael is trying to not get his hopes up for this reason or something else? Why?

Character Analysis: Ishmael's uncle

A Long Way Gone: Post 4

Quote #1: "My nickname was green snake because I would situate myself in the most advantageous and sneaky positions and would take out a whole village from under the tiniest shrub without being noticed." ~Narrator/Author Ishmael Beah, page 144
Significance #1: I think that this shows that Ishmael was actually getting used to killing people and was getting good at it. At this point in the book he realizes that he is skilled at killing and following orders. I think that this also shows that the rebels can brainwash any person, even if they have very strong morals and a strong conscious like Ishmael.
Character Judgement: It seems to me like the soldiers have brainwashed Ishmael so badly into the point where he thinks that killing is all he is good at and he is killing for a better cause. Deep down, I think that Ishmael knows that what he is doing is wrong and that he has a choice.
Question: Do you think that Ishmael's attitude towards killing will affect his life later on?
Quote #2: "We were dangerous and brainwashed to kill." Narrator/Author Ishmael Beah, page 134
Significance #2: Just like my first quote sited, this also shows Ishmael's expirience with the soldiers. I think that unlike the last quote, this quote shows how Ishmael regrets being how he was and wishes that he could take back the things he did. Since he is older in this quote, he understands that the rebels were horrible and that what he did was wrong.
Personal Connection #1: I can connect to this quote because I have done things that I have regreted doing. Nothing like what Ishmael has to carry around on his shoulders. Just like Ishmael, it took me some time to realize what I did was wrong and that I regreted doig it.
Question #2: Do you think that Ishmael was only able to break away from his brainwash because he escaped or do you think that he finally had a break-through.