Summer Reading Response for A Long Way Gone

A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah is about a strong boy who experiences a lot of war in such a short amount of time. He has to travel to different towns to try and escape the rebels who are on a hot route towards him. Through out the story, Ishmael showed tremendous courage, strength, and consistency and that is what makes him a good character.

In the situation that Ishmael was in, you have to keep courage and not to lose hope. That is exactly what he did. For example, on page ninety-six it says, “Some said it was Gasemu’s fault that we didn’t get to see our parents. Others said it wasn’t, and that if it hadn’t been for him, we would all be dead. I didn’t care. I wanted to see my parents, even if it meant dying with them.” He was never distracted by excuses. He never blamed anything on anyone because he thought that he wasn't going t live. He kept his head high and he never got down on himself. This is why Ishmael Beah is a courageous person and he teaches many people to keep your heads high and to not give up.

There is two different types strength, and Ishmael Beah is both types. You can be two types of strong, physically and mentally. In terms of physical attributes, Beah, was very strong. He was tortured and it only made him stronger. He went into the army and fought and shot at a lot of people. That takes a lot of strength. The other strength is the mental type. When you are in  any type of war or even argument you might lack in this. The fact that he kept strong and kept going is a great feature. An example of this is on page 109 and it says, “ ‘You are afraid of looking a man in the eye and holding a gun. Your hands tremble as if the gun is being pointed at your head.’” This is a important line because it teaches Ishmael to keep strong. It also teaches him that he can’t be afraid when his life on his line. That is what makes him strong.

The last trait of Ishmael Beah is his consistency through out the whole thing. He always stayed positive and always followed what he was told. He kept him self out of trouble and never killed anybody that he didn't need too. He was always good. He was a good person. A reason that he was so good is because of this, “It was during that attack in the village of Kamator that my friends and I separated. It was the last time i saw Junior, my older brother.” This explains that he has a reason to go all out and kill the rebels. But he doesn’t. Even when he loses his parents and his brother and friends, he still does’t want to kill anybody to prove a point. This is why he is consistent throughout his story.

In conclusion, Ismael Beah is a great character. He always keeps his cool and his head up. He does this consistently  and is a great teacher for people. I believe that a lot of children should know his story and learn from him because he is a truly great person.