Choose one of the journal questions on the back of your journal hand out for A Long Way Gone. Answer the journal question. You must be detailed and have more than a paragraph response. This will count as 10 points.
Chapter Sixteen: Describe the children's initial response to rehabilitation. Given the chance, would you work with children in this rehabilitative setting? Why or why not?
The children's initial response to rehabilitation was very scary. They were confused, angry, and on drugs. At first two groups of the army were in one room and started fighting until they realized they were on the same side. Then two groups of the army fought against the rebel boys for 20 minutes. Some were killed and many were injured. These boys were trained to fight and to kill, they had become numb to "normal" life. I would work with these children in the rehabilitative setting because although it would be hard, these kids need it. They need to be safe, they need to know they're safe, and they need to learn to go back to normal life. Although it would be very difficult and dangerous at first, it would eventually get easier the more we would work at it.
Chapter 16 The boys that are coming into this rehabilitation center are trained for war and will kill anyone at anytime. When they first got there a big fight broke out between the rebels and the soldiers. None of the boys wanted to be at that place. If I was given the chance I would not want to work there because it would be to much chaos and I would be afraid of getting attacked by the boys.
Chapter 17: The role that the music plays when it comes back is a reminder. In the begining of the story the music was just something fun for the boys to have. But now it is just him and the music. The music now signifies that life is beginning to become more simple. His life is starting to get back to normal. The music symbolizes that his life is starting to calm down.
Chapter 7: In this chapter, Beah identifies his age as twelve years old. What were you doing when you were twelve years old? You were probably in middle school. Imagine being on your own at that point in your life.
- When Beah identifies his age in this chapter, I was in shock. I didn't realize how young he was, and how tough of a journey that would be for such a young kid to go through. However, Beah seems to be much stronger, and even more mature than a 12 year old. When I was 12 years old, I was at friends houses all the time, and going shopping with my mom, as well as playing soccer. Compared to Ishmael who is shooting guns and fighting for his life. If I was on my own at this point in my life, I would be very scared, and I'm not sure I would know what to do. I barely know how to shoot a gun now let alone at the age of 12. My mom would always make my food for me, and Ishmael is finding his own food, and half the time he isn't even sure what the food is, or if it is even safe to eat.
Chapter 12 When Ishmael's music is destroyed, he realized that he had to mature in order to survive. Ishmael then mourned the loss of his music for a while. Then he got over it after a day or two, and decided to move on without thinking about it.
The old man in Kabati said "We must strive to be like the moon." This means that we must strive to be bright and try not to be sad for too long, just like the moon is bright and only dark for one night per month. This applies to me because generally I like to think of my self as a happy person. Occasionally I might be upset because something bad happened but I usually get over it relatively quickly. This especially applies to me because when I was about five years old, my grandfather passed away. For about a month I didn't want to even get out of bed. Then I eventually started being able to get on with normal life. I was like the moon, I had my dark time, then I became light again. This process repeated about a year later when my two cats had to be put down because they had gotten cancer. I was very sad for about a week but then I started to get back to how I usually was. I have been lucky enough to not have many dark times in my life, but when I have, I was like the moon, it got light again soon.
Chapter 10: Everything that happens has a purpose, and that purpose always makes you stronger. Even though some things happen to us that make us feel defeated, we are supposed to learn from the experience. We have to learn to accept things and use it to our advantage, so that the next time we are more prepared. Things like this make us stronger in even the smallest ways whether we notice or not. Depending on how you handle the situation, depends on what you get out of it also. If you get beat in a race, are you going to keep your head held high and work harder or beat yourself up about it and quit. Everything has the potential of making us stronger but how you react to it depends on the outcome.
Chapter 10 Unlike Kelly Clarkson's song "Stronger" where she sings "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" there are things that kill us slowly. Cancer is one thing that makes you weaker instead of stronger. It can kill you slowly. Saidu makes a good point that he is physically still alive but mentally he is dead. It could be said that Saidu is suffering from depression or depression like symptoms. Unless you make a change obesity can slowly kill you. There are physical and mental things that can kill someone instead of making them stronger.
Chapter Sixteen-- The child's initial response to rehabilitation was that he didn't really want to go. They have been trained for war and they are very scared. They could also be on drugs. If i had to work in a children rehabilitation center I think I would take the opportunity because it would be a good way to help people and I could enjoy it. I would also maybe work in a children's rehabilitation center because if I would feel really good about myself by helping someone and hope make some kid feel a lot better.
Chapter Sixteen: The initial response to rehabilitation was not very positive, they were so used to being out in the open with people that they knew, and this was new to them. I would work with the children. I think it would be interesting to see what kind of things they do. Once they start to trust you, they are less aggressive and more open. In the book they are aggressive to the people that work there, and that would be a problem if I was to work there. But if one of them gets aggressive, I turn into the Hulk and they don't want none of that. I would also want to see the relation if a rebel child and a soldier child were to become friends, that would be something to see in the rehabilitation camps.
Question 17: During the rehabilitation that Ishmael has, music return into his life again. When he listed to music, his mind became clear and he did not think of many things. Instead he decided to focus on the words that were coming in through the music that was given to him. In chapter 12 of the story, Ishmael had cassettes with him from his childhood, when he used to sing and dance with his friends. He used his cassettes when he noticed that he was forgetting about who he was and where he came from. Also, there were many times that he came close to death but with the cassettes that he had, he was able to explain to the people that captured him to believe that he was not a rebel or a fighter in the war. After he regained music back, he was able to reach the state of peace in his own mind that helped him forget what happened in the war. Ester gave him his music because she knew the power that it had to help Ishmael come back from all the troubles he had from the war. The second time that Ishmael received music, it helped him in different ways than the first time he had his music with him.
The initial response of the children is surprising. The Children acted like animals in a jungle, breaking things and attacking people. They were uncontrollable and there was chaos. The staff members forgave them and helped them out. Given a chance to work at a rehabilitation center i would go do it. I would do it because, i would like to help children get better form whatever they have problems in. Also just helping them would make me feel wonderful and make me feel that i am making a change.
Chapter 16: The children initial response was very defensive at first. They were also very curious as to why they are the ones that got picked and not any of the other boys of they army/gang. Either way, they different boys still have rivalry between each other and want to kill the enemy. I wouldn't work with them hand on hand, but I would maybe supply stuff for them. If I worked for the rehabilitation center I would be putting my life in danger, these kids can easily over power the adult. The children were trained to fight and kill and have been for quite a long time, what makes me any different from the civilians they've killed off before? Nothing.
Chapter 15 Question Response: -The children that were formerly soldiers were put into rehab to help them cope with what social development issues they had and other emotional instabilities that had occurred during their service as a child soldier. When they first get to the rehabilitation facility they are still acting as if they are in a conflicted state and are continuously fighting with one another, a reason for this had been all the kids were fighting for different sides during the war and this carried over to when they were pulled out of the conflict and into when they were brought together in the safe haven. With this continuous fighting among one another all of them never really settled into a state of calmness and peace during the beginning stages of rehab. But gradually each of the boys grew into the realization that they did not have to fear anything anymore and that each of them were now safe and that fighting wasn't necessary.
Given the chance to work with these boys when they were fresh out of the fighting I probably would take it. For one, they would definitely be in major need of coming back to a safe reality and would need to be calmed down. This would definitely be a dangerous task considering their mental state but the boys would need someone to help them cope with any issues they're having. I also think it would be a little safer and more secure considering they are in a rehab facility and because they are not in the battle field any more. After all they have experienced I think it would be good to help them let go of the harsh reality they're living in and help them come back to an environment that is a little more peaceful.
Chapter Sixteen: Describe the children's initial response to rehabilitation. Given the chance, would you work with children in this rehabilitative setting? Why or why not?
The children when they arrive at the rehabilitation center they are still in the mind set of war. They fight right away with the rebel soldiers and don't respect any adults. They do not like it there so they try to fights back and overtake the camp. They want to go to go back to war. If I were given the opportunity to help these kids get better, I would take it. The children are dangerous yes, but they just need to know that what they are doing is wrong because they were brainwashed to believe it was right. If I could change just one of those kids lives for the better, their craziness would all be worth it.
Music plays a different role now than it did in the beginning of the book. In the beginning of the book Ishmael and his friends would listen to music for entertainment. They loved learning the lyrics to songs and singing them among themselves. Now, Ishmael uses the new cassette to keep his mind off of his nightmares and visions. He spends his time learning the lyrics to the tape to keep the war memories out of his head.
Chapter 16: Ishmael was very defensive. Through out the whole story, Ishmael was in survival mode. He has been "dodging" all these obstacles, untill eventually he becomes a boy soldier. He now becomes brain washed into thinking everyone is against you, kill them. He was taught one thing; kill. Living this unhealthy lifestyle had become apart of his life. Going into rehab, he was still in this mindset of death. He's been killing all these people and showing no emotion. Going into rehab wasn't going to make him change his mind.
I would be scared to death of working with these boys who were taught to kill and feel nothing. They are emotionless. Any little thing could set them and they could go psycho. It would leave me defenseless. That is a scary thought. These boys would know how to kill me. Their mental states are almost dead. They were taught to kill and show no emotion. They would be extremely hard to get through to and make them trust you.
When I was twelve years old, I was in middle school, waking up every morning at six, eating breakfast, and getting on the bus for a six hour day of sitting in a classroom. When I got home my family would be there and I relied on them and still do now. When Ishmael was twelve he was on his own, fighting to stay alive and away from the raging war going on all around him. He was all alone only to rely on himself and maybe a few kids he found on his way of escaping. I would not be able to be alone if I was Ishmael, I need and rely on my family and thier company, Ishmael is alot stronger than he looks at the age of twelve.
Chapter Sixteen: The children's initial response to rehabilitation was to rebel against the people who were trying to help them and when that didn't work, they began to harm those who were outside of the rehabilitation center. The children were still used to war and violence therefore they thought it was okay to be violent to people around them. Because the children did not have marijuana and cocaine that they had while they were fighting, they began to go through withdrawls which also played a role in their violent behavior. If I was given the chance to work with children in the type of rehabilitation setting that Ishmael was in, I would not take the offer. I would not have the patience that is necessary for working in this type of situation.
Chapter 11: Beah takes out his anger on Gasemu because he's the oldest and Beah thinks he should have done more to prevent his family from being harmed. Also Beah feels betrayed. Gasemu told him that his family were all looking for him in the next village over. This built up Beah's confidence that he would see his family again. When they got to the village and everything was burned and ruined Beah only knew to react in anger. No, Gasemu did not deserve how he got treated. He didn't harm anyone and the only thing he ever tried to do was help. Beah thought this was the only way to deal with his loss. The significance in the change was this is when Beah pretty much lost all hope of ever seeing his family again or ever finding happiness.
whenever Beah is finally reunited with music his life slowly begins to alter for the better. Ester was able to obtain a walk-man and some of Beah's favorite songs. She knew that he wanted a walk-man from a survey that everyone took when they first arrived at the rehabilitation center. Ester then gave it to Beah as a gift but he couldn't take it with him. The stated reason for this was that the other children would be jealous, but i think the real reason is that Ester wanted to become closer to Beah. After being presented with the walk-man and cassettes, Beah slowly began to grow fonder of Ester and of people. He still carried his military attitude and mindset with him but he slowly leaned to be happy and excited to do things other than killing. After time Beah was having less nightmares and migraines, considering that the music had put him on the track to rehabilitation and recovery. Earlier in the story music also played an important role to his life. Before the war he listened to it, danced and raped for enjoyment. Sadly as he was engulfed in the war that became a thing of the past. He was captured in multiple villages and when his captors saw his walk-man and cassettes they forced him to show the routine in exchange for his survival. His walk-man was later "disposed" of and his happiness lowed until Ester was able to muster up a new one as a gift. From this evidence i believe that music was more important to Beah during rehabilitation because it set him on the path of recovery and eventually happiness.
While the boys walked along the beach, the sand severely burnt their feet, and as they were walking they did not have food nor water so they were famished. Then they ran into a man fishing and her let them stay in his hut down by the shore, until they regained to good health. The host gave them food and shelter, and also showed them this area where if they could put their feet in the water and be healed. After a few weeks went by the villagers of the town found out about the boys in the hut, so they came a captured them. They chief wanted to kill them, until when the boys were being striped and the cassette feel out of Beah pocket, so they found out the boys were harmless and set them free. Beah is developing a theme of sometimes the most important things to your life, can save you from your troubles.
Chapter 7: In this chapter, Beah identifies his age as twelve years old. What were you doing when you were twelve years old? You were probably in middle school. Imagine being on your own at that point in your life.
When Beah says that he is a 12 year old boy that was living through all these events it was hard to imagine. All these things happening to a 12 year old boy seems to be nearly impossible, but somehow it was. When i was 12 I was in middle school, with no responsibilities for myself. I would play football in the backyard with my brother and play video games, never once fearing for "survival." I could not have done anything Beah has done in his life at the age of 12, I needed help with almost everything. If i was on my own when events happen like this to my family and myself, i have no idea how I would react. I would be horrified and not be able to think straight. Being alone for me as a 12 year old with gunshots and rebels everywhere would not end nicely. I would be scared not knowing where my family is at, my brother, mom and dad. And I wouldn't know which direction to travel. At age 12 I was clueless on directions or which way went which. If this situation would happen I would be completely horrified. Even with having friends with me, I feel that all of them would act like myself as in freaking out and having no idea what to do. Being alone with gunfire all around, rebels mass murdering people in the village and being the age of 12, I would not know what to do.
Chapter Ten: The old saying is that that which does not kill us makes us stronger. Are there some things that just kill us slowly instead of building our strength?
It depends on the person on how they would react to a situation like this. In this chapter Saidu says "How many more times do we have to come to terms with death before we find safety?" " Every time people come at us with the intention of killing us, I close my eyes and wait for death. Even though I am still alive, I feel like each time I accept death, part of me dies." In Saidu case he actually experienced war and had came close to death several times. After each time he was close to dying he accepted it and when he didn't die he felt no relief to live, but as though part of him did die. For other they go through hard times and face things they should have to and when they get through it they use that experience to get them through life. They accept it as a accomplishment and they move on. With Saidu, he always expected death to come at him because he chances were not the best. With others it varies on their personal experience on how they deal with it. Even if hard times do not kill us physically, there will always be a part that of that person that has gone away and cant return.
Chapter Eleven Beah was just told that his parents and family were in a close by village after not seeing them and thinking they were dead. Gasemu, who was someone Beah knew before the war, asked Beah and the other boys that he was with to help him carry back bannanas to the village. They agreed, but Beah was not happy about it. All he wanted to do was to see his family right away. When the village was set on fire before Beah got there, Gasemu was blamed because he was the one to hold Beah up from seeing his parents. Gasemu does not deserve any of the blame. Beah's parents would have died either way, and if they had gotten there before the village was set on fire, they would've died too. Gasemu had actually save their lives. The significance of Beah's shift in demeanor was that he was no longer thinking of what would've happened. He just saw that is was Gasemu who held them up, and blamed him, when not thinking of the affects that would have taken place if they made it to the village.
Chapter 7: When Ishmael told the readers that he was twelve, I was heartbroken. Twelve year old's should be outside riding bikes and swimming with their friends. Not wandering around trying to stay hidden from armed kids that are around the same age as them. When I was twelve I was probably playing on my Gameboy, spending the night at a friends house, or finger painting on the walls. Kids are supposed to be expressing themselves around that age, so that they can really find themselves; to develop. If I was on my own, depending on my survival skills at age twelve, I would have most likely died. I would have wondered around looking for food, but ultimately I would have probably trusted somebody that I shouldn't have and ended up shot. Not just because I was a stupid twelve year old, but because I was naive. Children are supposed to be naive, not beasts.
Chapter 16 Question Response: The children's initial response to rehabilitation is very bad, they do not wish to try anything new and just want to kill more rebel soldiers which happens the first couple minutes they enter the rehabilitation center. They would continuously abuse the staff and the military police there. They hated the rehabilitation so much that they would take there beds out side and sleep outside, just to disobey the staff. If anybody tried to tell them want they could or could not do they would bet that person up to near death. which is a huge reason why given the chance I would not work with these children in this rehabilitative setting mostly because how much abuse the staff is given from the children. Also the staff can not even defend themselves, only the MP can that are at the rehabilitation center. Even the Military Police can not control the children from abusing them, each other, or the staff. The only positive is seeing the children progress and slowly get better and better, in-till they finally learn how to live again. The negatives greatly outnumber the positives in this case. The staff that had to deal with these children are very courageous for putting there life on the line to save somebody else's.
Chapter 7: In this chapter, Beah identifies his age as twelve years old. What were you doing at twelve years old? You were probably in middle school. Imagine being on your own at that point in your life.
As chapter seven revealed Beah's age, I could think of nothing but how hard it must have been for him to be going through the struggles of fighting to stay alive. At twelve years old, I was in middle school. I had no worries, other than if I had done my homework the night before. I always had food, always a roof over my head, and never had to worry about if I was going to live through the night or not. Beah was running from the soldiers who were killing everyone in their path. He had to steal food, many nights going hungry. Him and the boys that he was with had to face the fear of the rebels. At 12 years old, my biggest fear was if I would like what we were having for dinner that evening. Beah didn't have a choice of what he ate. If they found food, they ate it, no matter what it was. Ishmael was own his own. No other people were by his side. If I were on my own, with no one at the age of 12, I would be scared. I would have not known what to do. I relied fully on my mom and dad. The fear that would have been surging through me would have been unbelievable. Ishmael Beah was a strong young boy. He fought for his life at the age of 12, while most other 12 year old boys were sitting in school thinking about their lunch.
Chapter 7: When I was twelve years old I was in the sixth grade at Gettysburg Area Middle School. My life was not as hard as Beah's was. I woke up every morning at 6 a.m., went to school for almost 7 hours and came home to continue my learning with homework. I had a cozy house, plenty of food, and a loving family. I was getting an education and was with my family. I was constantly playing a sport or being with my friends. My parents would make my food and be sure it was safe to eat. In A Long Way Gone, Beah is fighting and does not have his family with him. He is alone and living as if he was much older. He has to find his own food and hope that it is safe to consume. It's hard to imagine being in Beah's position at the age of twelve. I am a hunter so shooting a gun would not be that difficult for me. The hard part would be killing people and being away from my friends and family. My trust for people would be low and I would have tough decisions to make without the advice from my family.
As the Corporal said, "This gun is you source of power in these times. It will protect you and provide you with all you need, if you know how to use it well." This statement reminds me of American Culture today because when the soldiers of our military get stranded and all they have is a weapon, the can use this weapon for a source of food, and the gun serves them with power. Such as if a person were to not talk the could use it as a threatening device and if a person was to be attacked, they could be shot and killed. Therefore it serves as a source of power. I agree with the corporal stating this statement because if your knowledge of the gun is good, you will be able to use it to your advantage. Such as getting food and power, although when not knowing how to use it, could be very difficult to survive. The gun itself is only as good as the person using it, therefore if unable to use it, it wont provide everything needed, as the corporal said, it will be a false statement.
Chapter 16 Question Response: Describe the children's initial response to rehabilitation. Given the chance, would you work with children in this rehabilitation setting? Why or why not?
The children's initial response was a lot of questioning as to why they were there and what was going to happen to them. The children were very defensive towards other civilians that were their such as when Ishmael and his friends attacked another group of boys. Ishmael and his friends would do what they wanted , such as when they would continuously bring their mattresses outside.
If given the opportunity to help kids in the same setting I would. Each of these kids were still in the mindset of war and it isn't their fault they turned this way, just as the rehabilitators stated in the book. The kids were easily manipulated into doing what they were told because in their minds it was the only option. So with a lot of work and help each of the kids could reform into the person they really are
Chapter 16: The kids in the rehabilitation are rebellious. When Ishmael first comes the rehab center he is angry and jittery. He then meets other children around his age who are soldiers like him. When other groups of solider kids met each other, they each assume that the other is a rebel. The children then settle down, after understanding they fought on the same side. Afterwards they get comfortable around each other until actual rebel kid soldiers show up and a fight erupts. The kids are angry, upset and confused. Ishmael is jittery because his body system was used to having all types of drug in him. Since he and the other boys have not gotten drugs, they rebel and cause chaos to the staff members. When a couple of months have past the boys all calmed down and started to open up to the staff members. The staff told the boys every time that it was not their fault making them mad but eventually making them feel better.
I would have given the chance to work with the children in the rehabilitation. It was not the fault of the child that they would have to be put in a situation that was not meant for them. It would be job that would need patience and determination for the children have been brainwashed, but it would be worth it if it mean helping a lives.
Chapter 12: What is the significance of Beah's music being destroyed in this chapter? When the men in the village Beah and his friends had entered destroyed his music, it was a wake up call for him. Everything wasn't like it used to be anymore. His family, friends, and his home were destroyed and his music was the only thing that still connected to him to his previous life. After he no longer has his music, Beah began to become who he thought he'd never be. In a matter of days he was killing people like it was nothing; he didn't feel anything. However, a significant event occurs when he goes through rehabilitation and he is permitted to have his music back it symbolizes that his life is going to get better and he will become the person he used to be.
Chapter 7: In this chapter, Beah identifies his age as twelve years old. What were you doing when you were twelve years old. You were probably in middle school. Imagine being on your own at that point in your life.
When I was twelve years old I was in middle school. Middle school was a change for me. I was starting a new school and had a major turn in my family life. I focused mainly on adjusting to everything that was going on. However, my mom still cared for me and I had a house to live in. I was surrounded by family and friends for support unlike Ishmael. Ishmael does not have a mom to care for him or a family to turn to. He wakes up everyday wondering whether he will be able to survive. Every morning when I woke up I was only concerned whether i would have enough time to eat breakfast. If I was in Ishmael's position at twelve years old I would not be able to fend for myself. I would not be as brave or confident as him. Although I could make myself food at twelve years old, I would not be able to stomach hunting my own food. I also would not be able to handle emotional or any physical pain without support. In six grade I thought I had it bad. However, I never realized how bad it could have been. Looking back I realized I was blessed to have family and friends with me, a house over my head, and food readily available for me.
Chapter Sixteen: Describe the children's initial response to rehabilitation. Given the chance, would you work with children in this rehabilitative setting? Why or why not?
ReplyDeleteThe children's initial response to rehabilitation was very scary. They were confused, angry, and on drugs. At first two groups of the army were in one room and started fighting until they realized they were on the same side. Then two groups of the army fought against the rebel boys for 20 minutes. Some were killed and many were injured. These boys were trained to fight and to kill, they had become numb to "normal" life.
I would work with these children in the rehabilitative setting because although it would be hard, these kids need it. They need to be safe, they need to know they're safe, and they need to learn to go back to normal life. Although it would be very difficult and dangerous at first, it would eventually get easier the more we would work at it.
Chapter 16
ReplyDeleteThe boys that are coming into this rehabilitation center are trained for war and will kill anyone at anytime. When they first got there a big fight broke out between the rebels and the soldiers. None of the boys wanted to be at that place. If I was given the chance I would not want to work there because it would be to much chaos and I would be afraid of getting attacked by the boys.
Chapter 17:
ReplyDeleteThe role that the music plays when it comes back is a reminder. In the begining of the story the music was just something fun for the boys to have. But now it is just him and the music. The music now signifies that life is beginning to become more simple. His life is starting to get back to normal. The music symbolizes that his life is starting to calm down.
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ReplyDeleteChapter 7: In this chapter, Beah identifies his age as twelve years old. What were you doing when you were twelve years old? You were probably in middle school. Imagine being on your own at that point in your life.
ReplyDelete- When Beah identifies his age in this chapter, I was in shock. I didn't realize how young he was, and how tough of a journey that would be for such a young kid to go through. However, Beah seems to be much stronger, and even more mature than a 12 year old. When I was 12 years old, I was at friends houses all the time, and going shopping with my mom, as well as playing soccer. Compared to Ishmael who is shooting guns and fighting for his life. If I was on my own at this point in my life, I would be very scared, and I'm not sure I would know what to do. I barely know how to shoot a gun now let alone at the age of 12. My mom would always make my food for me, and Ishmael is finding his own food, and half the time he isn't even sure what the food is, or if it is even safe to eat.
Chapter 12
ReplyDeleteWhen Ishmael's music is destroyed, he realized that he had to mature in order to survive. Ishmael then mourned the loss of his music for a while. Then he got over it after a day or two, and decided to move on without thinking about it.
Chapter 1
ReplyDeleteThe old man in Kabati said "We must strive to be like the moon." This means that we must strive to be bright and try not to be sad for too long, just like the moon is bright and only dark for one night per month. This applies to me because generally I like to think of my self as a happy person. Occasionally I might be upset because something bad happened but I usually get over it relatively quickly. This especially applies to me because when I was about five years old, my grandfather passed away. For about a month I didn't want to even get out of bed. Then I eventually started being able to get on with normal life. I was like the moon, I had my dark time, then I became light again. This process repeated about a year later when my two cats had to be put down because they had gotten cancer. I was very sad for about a week but then I started to get back to how I usually was. I have been lucky enough to not have many dark times in my life, but when I have, I was like the moon, it got light again soon.
Chapter 10: Everything that happens has a purpose, and that purpose always makes you stronger. Even though some things happen to us that make us feel defeated, we are supposed to learn from the experience. We have to learn to accept things and use it to our advantage, so that the next time we are more prepared. Things like this make us stronger in even the smallest ways whether we notice or not. Depending on how you handle the situation, depends on what you get out of it also. If you get beat in a race, are you going to keep your head held high and work harder or beat yourself up about it and quit. Everything has the potential of making us stronger but how you react to it depends on the outcome.
ReplyDeleteChapter 10
ReplyDeleteUnlike Kelly Clarkson's song "Stronger" where she sings "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" there are things that kill us slowly. Cancer is one thing that makes you weaker instead of stronger. It can kill you slowly. Saidu makes a good point that he is physically still alive but mentally he is dead. It could be said that Saidu is suffering from depression or depression like symptoms. Unless you make a change obesity can slowly kill you. There are physical and mental things that can kill someone instead of making them stronger.
Chapter Sixteen-- The child's initial response to rehabilitation was that he didn't really want to go. They have been trained for war and they are very scared. They could also be on drugs. If i had to work in a children rehabilitation center I think I would take the opportunity because it would be a good way to help people and I could enjoy it. I would also maybe work in a children's rehabilitation center because if I would feel really good about myself by helping someone and hope make some kid feel a lot better.
ReplyDeleteChapter Sixteen:
ReplyDeleteThe initial response to rehabilitation was not very positive, they were so used to being out in the open with people that they knew, and this was new to them. I would work with the children. I think it would be interesting to see what kind of things they do. Once they start to trust you, they are less aggressive and more open. In the book they are aggressive to the people that work there, and that would be a problem if I was to work there. But if one of them gets aggressive, I turn into the Hulk and they don't want none of that. I would also want to see the relation if a rebel child and a soldier child were to become friends, that would be something to see in the rehabilitation camps.
Question 17:
ReplyDeleteDuring the rehabilitation that Ishmael has, music return into his life again. When he listed to music, his mind became clear and he did not think of many things. Instead he decided to focus on the words that were coming in through the music that was given to him. In chapter 12 of the story, Ishmael had cassettes with him from his childhood, when he used to sing and dance with his friends. He used his cassettes when he noticed that he was forgetting about who he was and where he came from. Also, there were many times that he came close to death but with the cassettes that he had, he was able to explain to the people that captured him to believe that he was not a rebel or a fighter in the war. After he regained music back, he was able to reach the state of peace in his own mind that helped him forget what happened in the war. Ester gave him his music because she knew the power that it had to help Ishmael come back from all the troubles he had from the war. The second time that Ishmael received music, it helped him in different ways than the first time he had his music with him.
Question 16:
ReplyDeleteThe initial response of the children is surprising. The Children acted like animals in a jungle, breaking things and attacking people. They were uncontrollable and there was chaos. The staff members forgave them and helped them out. Given a chance to work at a rehabilitation center i would go do it. I would do it because, i would like to help children get better form whatever they have problems in. Also just helping them would make me feel wonderful and make me feel that i am making a change.
Chapter 16:
ReplyDeleteThe children initial response was very defensive at first. They were also very curious as to why they are the ones that got picked and not any of the other boys of they army/gang. Either way, they different boys still have rivalry between each other and want to kill the enemy. I wouldn't work with them hand on hand, but I would maybe supply stuff for them. If I worked for the rehabilitation center I would be putting my life in danger, these kids can easily over power the adult. The children were trained to fight and kill and have been for quite a long time, what makes me any different from the civilians they've killed off before? Nothing.
Chapter 15 Question Response:
ReplyDelete-The children that were formerly soldiers were put into rehab to help them cope with what social development issues they had and other emotional instabilities that had occurred during their service as a child soldier. When they first get to the rehabilitation facility they are still acting as if they are in a conflicted state and are continuously fighting with one another, a reason for this had been all the kids were fighting for different sides during the war and this carried over to when they were pulled out of the conflict and into when they were brought together in the safe haven. With this continuous fighting among one another all of them never really settled into a state of calmness and peace during the beginning stages of rehab. But gradually each of the boys grew into the realization that they did not have to fear anything anymore and that each of them were now safe and that fighting wasn't necessary.
Given the chance to work with these boys when they were fresh out of the fighting I probably would take it. For one, they would definitely be in major need of coming back to a safe reality and would need to be calmed down. This would definitely be a dangerous task considering their mental state but the boys would need someone to help them cope with any issues they're having. I also think it would be a little safer and more secure considering they are in a rehab facility and because they are not in the battle field any more. After all they have experienced I think it would be good to help them let go of the harsh reality they're living in and help them come back to an environment that is a little more peaceful.
Chapter Sixteen: Describe the children's initial response to rehabilitation. Given the chance, would you work with children in this rehabilitative setting? Why or why not?
ReplyDeleteThe children when they arrive at the rehabilitation center they are still in the mind set of war. They fight right away with the rebel soldiers and don't respect any adults. They do not like it there so they try to fights back and overtake the camp. They want to go to go back to war. If I were given the opportunity to help these kids get better, I would take it. The children are dangerous yes, but they just need to know that what they are doing is wrong because they were brainwashed to believe it was right. If I could change just one of those kids lives for the better, their craziness would all be worth it.
Chapter seventeen:
ReplyDeleteMusic plays a different role now than it did in the beginning of the book. In the beginning of the book Ishmael and his friends would listen to music for entertainment. They loved learning the lyrics to songs and singing them among themselves. Now, Ishmael uses the new cassette to keep his mind off of his nightmares and visions. He spends his time learning the lyrics to the tape to keep the war memories out of his head.
Chapter 16: Ishmael was very defensive. Through out the whole story, Ishmael was in survival mode. He has been "dodging" all these obstacles, untill eventually he becomes a boy soldier. He now becomes brain washed into thinking everyone is against you, kill them. He was taught one thing; kill. Living this unhealthy lifestyle had become apart of his life. Going into rehab, he was still in this mindset of death. He's been killing all these people and showing no emotion. Going into rehab wasn't going to make him change his mind.
ReplyDeleteI would be scared to death of working with these boys who were taught to kill and feel nothing. They are emotionless. Any little thing could set them and they could go psycho. It would leave me defenseless. That is a scary thought. These boys would know how to kill me. Their mental states are almost dead. They were taught to kill and show no emotion. They would be extremely hard to get through to and make them trust you.
Chapter Seven:
ReplyDeleteWhen I was twelve years old, I was in middle school, waking up every morning at six, eating breakfast, and getting on the bus for a six hour day of sitting in a classroom. When I got home my family would be there and I relied on them and still do now. When Ishmael was twelve he was on his own, fighting to stay alive and away from the raging war going on all around him. He was all alone only to rely on himself and maybe a few kids he found on his way of escaping. I would not be able to be alone if I was Ishmael, I need and rely on my family and thier company, Ishmael is alot stronger than he looks at the age of twelve.
Chapter Sixteen:
ReplyDeleteThe children's initial response to rehabilitation was to rebel against the people who were trying to help them and when that didn't work, they began to harm those who were outside of the rehabilitation center. The children were still used to war and violence therefore they thought it was okay to be violent to people around them. Because the children did not have marijuana and cocaine that they had while they were fighting, they began to go through withdrawls which also played a role in their violent behavior. If I was given the chance to work with children in the type of rehabilitation setting that Ishmael was in, I would not take the offer. I would not have the patience that is necessary for working in this type of situation.
Chapter 11:
ReplyDeleteBeah takes out his anger on Gasemu because he's the oldest and Beah thinks he should have done more to prevent his family from being harmed. Also Beah feels betrayed. Gasemu told him that his family were all looking for him in the next village over. This built up Beah's confidence that he would see his family again. When they got to the village and everything was burned and ruined Beah only knew to react in anger.
No, Gasemu did not deserve how he got treated. He didn't harm anyone and the only thing he ever tried to do was help. Beah thought this was the only way to deal with his loss. The significance in the change was this is when Beah pretty much lost all hope of ever seeing his family again or ever finding happiness.
whenever Beah is finally reunited with music his life slowly begins to alter for the better. Ester was able to obtain a walk-man and some of Beah's favorite songs. She knew that he wanted a walk-man from a survey that everyone took when they first arrived at the rehabilitation center. Ester then gave it to Beah as a gift but he couldn't take it with him. The stated reason for this was that the other children would be jealous, but i think the real reason is that Ester wanted to become closer to Beah. After being presented with the walk-man and cassettes, Beah slowly began to grow fonder of Ester and of people. He still carried his military attitude and mindset with him but he slowly leaned to be happy and excited to do things other than killing. After time Beah was having less nightmares and migraines, considering that the music had put him on the track to rehabilitation and recovery. Earlier in the story music also played an important role to his life. Before the war he listened to it, danced and raped for enjoyment. Sadly as he was engulfed in the war that became a thing of the past. He was captured in multiple villages and when his captors saw his walk-man and cassettes they forced him to show the routine in exchange for his survival. His walk-man was later "disposed" of and his happiness lowed until Ester was able to muster up a new one as a gift. From this evidence i believe that music was more important to Beah during rehabilitation because it set him on the path of recovery and eventually happiness.
ReplyDeleteWhile the boys walked along the beach, the sand severely burnt their feet, and as they were walking they did not have food nor water so they were famished. Then they ran into a man fishing and her let them stay in his hut down by the shore, until they regained to good health. The host gave them food and shelter, and also showed them this area where if they could put their feet in the water and be healed. After a few weeks went by the villagers of the town found out about the boys in the hut, so they came a captured them. They chief wanted to kill them, until when the boys were being striped and the cassette feel out of Beah pocket, so they found out the boys were harmless and set them free. Beah is developing a theme of sometimes the most important things to your life, can save you from your troubles.
ReplyDeleteChapter 7: In this chapter, Beah identifies his age as twelve years old. What were you doing when you were twelve years old? You were probably in middle school. Imagine being on your own at that point in your life.
ReplyDeleteWhen Beah says that he is a 12 year old boy that was living through all these events it was hard to imagine. All these things happening to a 12 year old boy seems to be nearly impossible, but somehow it was. When i was 12 I was in middle school, with no responsibilities for myself. I would play football in the backyard with my brother and play video games, never once fearing for "survival." I could not have done anything Beah has done in his life at the age of 12, I needed help with almost everything. If i was on my own when events happen like this to my family and myself, i have no idea how I would react. I would be horrified and not be able to think straight. Being alone for me as a 12 year old with gunshots and rebels everywhere would not end nicely. I would be scared not knowing where my family is at, my brother, mom and dad. And I wouldn't know which direction to travel. At age 12 I was clueless on directions or which way went which. If this situation would happen I would be completely horrified. Even with having friends with me, I feel that all of them would act like myself as in freaking out and having no idea what to do. Being alone with gunfire all around, rebels mass murdering people in the village and being the age of 12, I would not know what to do.
Chapter Ten: The old saying is that that which does not kill us makes us stronger. Are there some things that just kill us slowly instead of building our strength?
ReplyDeleteIt depends on the person on how they would react to a situation like this. In this chapter Saidu says "How many more times do we have to come to terms with death before we find safety?" " Every time people come at us with the intention of killing us, I close my eyes and wait for death. Even though I am still alive, I feel like each time I accept death, part of me dies." In Saidu case he actually experienced war and had came close to death several times. After each time he was close to dying he accepted it and when he didn't die he felt no relief to live, but as though part of him did die. For other they go through hard times and face things they should have to and when they get through it they use that experience to get them through life. They accept it as a accomplishment and they move on. With Saidu, he always expected death to come at him because he chances were not the best. With others it varies on their personal experience on how they deal with it. Even if hard times do not kill us physically, there will always be a part that of that person that has gone away and cant return.
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ReplyDeleteChapter Eleven
ReplyDeleteBeah was just told that his parents and family were in a close by village after not seeing them and thinking they were dead. Gasemu, who was someone Beah knew before the war, asked Beah and the other boys that he was with to help him carry back bannanas to the village. They agreed, but Beah was not happy about it. All he wanted to do was to see his family right away. When the village was set on fire before Beah got there, Gasemu was blamed because he was the one to hold Beah up from seeing his parents. Gasemu does not deserve any of the blame. Beah's parents would have died either way, and if they had gotten there before the village was set on fire, they would've died too. Gasemu had actually save their lives. The significance of Beah's shift in demeanor was that he was no longer thinking of what would've happened. He just saw that is was Gasemu who held them up, and blamed him, when not thinking of the affects that would have taken place if they made it to the village.
Chapter 7:
ReplyDeleteWhen Ishmael told the readers that he was twelve, I was heartbroken. Twelve year old's should be outside riding bikes and swimming with their friends. Not wandering around trying to stay hidden from armed kids that are around the same age as them. When I was twelve I was probably playing on my Gameboy, spending the night at a friends house, or finger painting on the walls. Kids are supposed to be expressing themselves around that age, so that they can really find themselves; to develop. If I was on my own, depending on my survival skills at age twelve, I would have most likely died. I would have wondered around looking for food, but ultimately I would have probably trusted somebody that I shouldn't have and ended up shot. Not just because I was a stupid twelve year old, but because I was naive. Children are supposed to be naive, not beasts.
Chapter 16 Question Response:
ReplyDeleteThe children's initial response to rehabilitation is very bad, they do not wish to try anything new and just want to kill more rebel soldiers which happens the first couple minutes they enter the rehabilitation center. They would continuously abuse the staff and the military police there. They hated the rehabilitation so much that they would take there beds out side and sleep outside, just to disobey the staff. If anybody tried to tell them want they could or could not do they would bet that person up to near death. which is a huge reason why given the chance I would not work with these children in this rehabilitative setting mostly because how much abuse the staff is given from the children. Also the staff can not even defend themselves, only the MP can that are at the rehabilitation center. Even the Military Police can not control the children from abusing them, each other, or the staff. The only positive is seeing the children progress and slowly get better and better, in-till they finally learn how to live again. The negatives greatly outnumber the positives in this case. The staff that had to deal with these children are very courageous for putting there life on the line to save somebody else's.
Chapter 7: In this chapter, Beah identifies his age as twelve years old. What were you doing at twelve years old? You were probably in middle school. Imagine being on your own at that point in your life.
ReplyDeleteAs chapter seven revealed Beah's age, I could think of nothing but how hard it must have been for him to be going through the struggles of fighting to stay alive. At twelve years old, I was in middle school. I had no worries, other than if I had done my homework the night before. I always had food, always a roof over my head, and never had to worry about if I was going to live through the night or not. Beah was running from the soldiers who were killing everyone in their path. He had to steal food, many nights going hungry. Him and the boys that he was with had to face the fear of the rebels. At 12 years old, my biggest fear was if I would like what we were having for dinner that evening. Beah didn't have a choice of what he ate. If they found food, they ate it, no matter what it was. Ishmael was own his own. No other people were by his side. If I were on my own, with no one at the age of 12, I would be scared. I would have not known what to do. I relied fully on my mom and dad. The fear that would have been surging through me would have been unbelievable. Ishmael Beah was a strong young boy. He fought for his life at the age of 12, while most other 12 year old boys were sitting in school thinking about their lunch.
Chapter 7:
ReplyDeleteWhen I was twelve years old I was in the sixth grade at Gettysburg Area Middle School. My life was not as hard as Beah's was. I woke up every morning at 6 a.m., went to school for almost 7 hours and came home to continue my learning with homework. I had a cozy house, plenty of food, and a loving family. I was getting an education and was with my family. I was constantly playing a sport or being with my friends. My parents would make my food and be sure it was safe to eat. In A Long Way Gone, Beah is fighting and does not have his family with him. He is alone and living as if he was much older. He has to find his own food and hope that it is safe to consume. It's hard to imagine being in Beah's position at the age of twelve. I am a hunter so shooting a gun would not be that difficult for me. The hard part would be killing people and being away from my friends and family. My trust for people would be low and I would have tough decisions to make without the advice from my family.
Chapter 14
ReplyDeleteAs the Corporal said, "This gun is you source of power in these times. It will protect you and provide you with all you need, if you know how to use it well." This statement reminds me of American Culture today because when the soldiers of our military get stranded and all they have is a weapon, the can use this weapon for a source of food, and the gun serves them with power. Such as if a person were to not talk the could use it as a threatening device and if a person was to be attacked, they could be shot and killed. Therefore it serves as a source of power. I agree with the corporal stating this statement because if your knowledge of the gun is good, you will be able to use it to your advantage. Such as getting food and power, although when not knowing how to use it, could be very difficult to survive. The gun itself is only as good as the person using it, therefore if unable to use it, it wont provide everything needed, as the corporal said, it will be a false statement.
Chapter 16 Question Response:
ReplyDeleteDescribe the children's initial response to rehabilitation. Given the chance, would you work with children in this rehabilitation setting? Why or why not?
The children's initial response was a lot of questioning as to why they were there and what was going to happen to them. The children were very defensive towards other civilians that were their such as when Ishmael and his friends attacked another group of boys. Ishmael and his friends would do what they wanted , such as when they would continuously bring their mattresses outside.
If given the opportunity to help kids in the same setting I would. Each of these kids were still in the mindset of war and it isn't their fault they turned this way, just as the rehabilitators stated in the book. The kids were easily manipulated into doing what they were told because in their minds it was the only option. So with a lot of work and help each of the kids could reform into the person they really are
Chapter 16: The kids in the rehabilitation are rebellious. When Ishmael first comes the rehab center he is angry and jittery. He then meets other children around his age who are soldiers like him. When other groups of solider kids met each other, they each assume that the other is a rebel. The children then settle down, after understanding they fought on the same side. Afterwards they get comfortable around each other until actual rebel kid soldiers show up and a fight erupts. The kids are angry, upset and confused. Ishmael is jittery because his body system was used to having all types of drug in him. Since he and the other boys have not gotten drugs, they rebel and cause chaos to the staff members. When a couple of months have past the boys all calmed down and started to open up to the staff members. The staff told the boys every time that it was not their fault making them mad but eventually making them feel better.
ReplyDeleteI would have given the chance to work with the children in the rehabilitation. It was not the fault of the child that they would have to be put in a situation that was not meant for them. It would be job that would need patience and determination for the children have been brainwashed, but it would be worth it if it mean helping a lives.
Chapter 12: What is the significance of Beah's music being destroyed in this chapter?
ReplyDeleteWhen the men in the village Beah and his friends had entered destroyed his music, it was a wake up call for him. Everything wasn't like it used to be anymore. His family, friends, and his home were destroyed and his music was the only thing that still connected to him to his previous life. After he no longer has his music, Beah began to become who he thought he'd never be. In a matter of days he was killing people like it was nothing; he didn't feel anything. However, a significant event occurs when he goes through rehabilitation and he is permitted to have his music back it symbolizes that his life is going to get better and he will become the person he used to be.
Chapter 7: In this chapter, Beah identifies his age as twelve years old. What were you doing when you were twelve years old. You were probably in middle school. Imagine being on your own at that point in your life.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was twelve years old I was in middle school. Middle school was a change for me. I was starting a new school and had a major turn in my family life. I focused mainly on adjusting to everything that was going on. However, my mom still cared for me and I had a house to live in. I was surrounded by family and friends for support unlike Ishmael. Ishmael does not have a mom to care for him or a family to turn to. He wakes up everyday wondering whether he will be able to survive. Every morning when I woke up I was only concerned whether i would have enough time to eat breakfast. If I was in Ishmael's position at twelve years old I would not be able to fend for myself. I would not be as brave or confident as him. Although I could make myself food at twelve years old, I would not be able to stomach hunting my own food. I also would not be able to handle emotional or any physical pain without support. In six grade I thought I had it bad. However, I never realized how bad it could have been. Looking back I realized I was blessed to have family and friends with me, a house over my head, and food readily available for me.