A Long Way Gone: Memories of a Boy Soldier

Central Theme

There is always hope.

Theme

Symbol #2

Oppression and emancipation.

His shoes getting taken away from him, and his feet start to bleed.

As Ishmael continues his journey continues, he gets faced with many hardships, one of which he needs to walk bare foot on the hot sand.

A Cassette

"On the morning that we left for Mattru Jong, we loaded out backpacks with notebook of lyrics we were working on and stuffed our pockets with cassettes of rap albums"(Beah 7)

Symbol #1

The moon.

Symbol #3

A cassette.

The moon makes him appreciate the smaller more impactful things in life, because the moon gives him a reminder of if he is safe and if he is going to wake up at night. He rarely complained and looked forward to the night, to rest and look at the moon.

This Cassette has been with Ishmael throughout his whole journey. It stays with him as he brings apart of him around him from his child hood. He shares his cassette with the people surrounding him.

Shoes getting taken away, and feet start to bleed

Theme emphasized by symbol

"We walked on the sand until sunset" (Beah 162).

the cassettes were brought around throughout Ishmael journey as he was bringing something apart of his childhood with him. Oppression is expressed when he brings it through him times of struggle, and that he dosen't have much of him left. Freedom is then shown how although he is in times of great struggle he still hold on to his old self and hopes for the best

"It looked as if someone used a blade to cut the skin under my foot and toes" (Beah 190).

"Stayed for about 2 week, the old man brought food and water everyday" (Beah 190)

The Moon

Theme emphasized by symbol

"whenever I get a chance to observe the moon now, I still see those same images I saw when i was six , and it pleases me to know that that part of my childhood is still embedded in me" (Beah, 17)

the shoes have been taken away from Ishmael similar to the way he got taken away from his family. As his time prolongs in war he continues with no shoes, and his feet start to bleed. Oppression was shown through his stolen shoes, explaining that his person belongings are getting taken away from him. Emancipation was shown through his courage to keep moving for freedom and survival.

"We strive to be like the moon...." (Beah, 16)

Theme emphasized by symbol

"Children watch their shadows and play in its light, people gather at the square to tell stories, and dance through the night" (Beah 16)

Oppression was shows in these quotes through the way he was set in war and was taken away from his family. Emancipation was shown through the way he rarely complained and always looked forward to night as it was his time for rest and freedom from war.

A Long Way Gone: Memories of a Boy Soldier

Ishmael Beah