On: A Long Way Gone - 11-1-2012 Exposition

There were critical points where the author, Ishmael Beah, had experienced an alteration in not only the family he belonged in, but what the term "family" became defined as in his eyes. One of these critical points took place in the twelfth chapter, where Beah notes how he had, while in the band of boys, been faced with a disheartening and treacherous path. Here, after the group of boys found themselves in the orphan-ridden village of Yele, and having been put to work by the rebels occupying the village the young man Ishmael and his friends are put into a largely unfavorable position where they find it more favorable to give-in to the an impending rebel group in Yele; it is a measured risk that Ishmael and his friends took, as they also had a chance to escape Yele altogether. After having had found a place in this rebel group, among other things, there is a mental lapse that takes place, one that suggests just how the definition of family was altered in the eyes of Ishmael. What happened, after having been taken in by this rebel group, and after having been taught how to wield AK-47 weapons, was that these boys, including Ishmael, were BLATANTLY told that their lone hope to rectify their dead or lost families was to kill other rebels. Family, it became, was a quest for revenge. Among the rest of the Anthem, there is certainly a reason why Ishmael decided to reiterate the portion of the Anthem that he did. The instance where Ishmael had been singing the Anthem, as described after the lieutenant had left the scene, was one where he had been delirious, but still well aware of his actions. Specifically, the portion of the Anthem in question relays the concept of advancing and glorifying Sierra Leone, as well as marking the region as an unequivocally "free" place (my opinion, but I'm more or less confident that others would feel similarly here). This being said, there's some irony here. No one was free, no life that had been come across had been spared. The author deliberately choose to recite this portion of the Anthem to show just how "out of touch" he had been (not just with the drugs, but his "conscious" self, as well) with the convoluted situation he was faced with. If a certain country claims to be free, then they must also have due process of law (right to a fair trial, trial system).That's key. A nation can only be as good as it's civil rights and it's court system, plain and simple. While there can hardly be a "perfect" example of a free nation, given my claim that due process of law is an entity that makes a country, well, a free country, the United States has shown itself to meet this standard decidedly.

On: A Long Way Gone - 10-26-2012 Exposition

It would be very difficult to try to convince someone, relating to the case of Ishmael and the boy Saidu that, given the boys will not face death specifically, the rebel groups and their scare-tactics within Uganda are merely building the strength of these individuals. The reasoning behind this thought has to circle back to this idea that these young men are facing authentic near-death situations; the most common context behind the "saying" being addressed, "that which does not kill us makes us stronger", more often relates to a much less dire situation than what we've witnessed in the recollections of Ishmael specifically. For example, one might employ this "saying" when attempting to calm the nerves of a teenage young man or woman, when they are having a rocky academic or social lifestyle. In the case of these certain teenage examples, there is actually usefulness of employing this statement. The lesson is that: "you can bounce back", or "it will be this experience that will help you develop into a mature adult". Unfortunately, when speaking of Ishmael and his constant shortcomings (in being both chased and terrorized by the rebels), once again, this idea of growing stronger from such experiences is nonexistent. The instance when Gasemu and Ishmael found themselves in a tension packed situation, where Ishmael locked Gasemu in a chokehold due to Ismael's tension from not being in his family's presence for as long as he had been, is a key example. There is no way one could call Ismael's terror-ridden state of existence, even when he did not perish, an opportunity to build the strength of this young man. After all, this type of violent behavior/occurrence would siphon any strength or hope in humanity that our hero Ishmael had toward a brighter tomorrow, and render any chance of building mental durability or stability nonexistent.

On: A Long Way Gone - 10-19-2012 Exposition

Throughout Ishmael Beah's unfolding recount of the Ugandan civil war, there is absolutely a gripping theme of the existence of trust, or the lack thereof. Beah's expression of thievery and deception throughout his journey are apparent, most notably in the early stages of his progress in moving around and through his "longer-than-expected" stay in Mattru Jong. The details of the hoodwinking that went on during Beah's search for food are both interesting and morbid; the existence that was escaping the nefarious resistance, while trying to nourish both himself and his friends, quickly cost Beah his peace of mind. I cannot relate, to scale, this type of reality that is severe food deprivation, as well as constant fear of either eradication of my life or kidnapping. However, I know very well how fortune less my ancestors were in the Armenian Genocide of 1915. The recollections of torture and suffering when the Ottoman Turks turned against the Armenians have been passed down generation-by-generation in my family. What is key is that there was epic deception put in place within the case of the Armenians, much the same as, say, our study of the Ugandan civil war. The Ottoman Turks, to put it simply, played the role of these resistance groups that Ismael has been dynamically running from; the connections between the Armenians and the innocent Ugandan citizens are, in their finest details, limitless (i.e. massacre, rape and, of course, the inhuman mental and physical deception). It is through the time-tested diaries of my Armenian ancestors that I can relate to any stranger being an enemy, the horrors of knowing (or having yourself think that) strangers who were once your fellow countrymen and women can "turn on a dime", so to speak. This behavior of feeling that every person you happen to come across could potentially be a danger to your well-being is seen in unlikely form when Ismael and his friends come across Gasemu, a banana farmer. Ishmael had once known Gasemu from a prior experience, and agrees to have his friends and him help Gasemu carrying bananas toward the village. After hearing gunshots, Ismael is urged by Gasemu to go ahead and hide in what was once Ishmael's families temporary place of residence, hut. When Ishmael does not see any of his beloved family members in the hut, he attacks Gasemu. This causes all of the boys to get very upset, and they too start to fight. After the fighting amongst themselves, Gasemu takes notice of his several gunshot wounds which, in turn, lead to his death. The distraction of this fight cost Gasemu his life. It is this idea of infighting amongst Ugandan friends and family that has secured an environment in which resistance groups within the civil war can take charge in leading a fear campaign full of endless bloodshed, massacre. How saddening this predicament has shown itself to be; when friends shift to strangers, there is very little that can be done to promote a remarkable sense of optimism for the war-ridden territory that is Uganda.

On: A Long Way Gone - 10-12-2012 Exposition

After having pondered as to what made Ishmael's experience in such heavily traumatic situations it would appear that, given the context of what A Long Way Gone has presented the reader through the first four chapters, the thought behind ordinary cycles of life are what allows Ishmael to keep calm and in a state of mental tranquility. To equip this claim properly is quite easy, as Ismael is frequently humanized by the tranquil experiences he finds himself in. For example, as in reference to this idea of a "moon", and it's role in preserving the peace of mind of Ishmael during times of such profound uncertainty, it would appear that, more than anything else, nature safeguards Ismael. Ishmael made strong and emotional note on page sixteen that an older gentleman, who merely sat by his place of residence told Ishmael that "we must strive to be like the moon". This was inherently confusing for Ishmael; hearing such intellectual and knowledgeable advice judgement from this older gentlemen. Ismael, after hearing his grandmother's explanation of what this man was disclosing to him, then understands that the moon is a universal symbol of both appeal and appreciation; in that, the display of a beautiful moon is a raw symbol of beauty that is inherently all-inclusive to humanity. Using this now newfound knowledge, Ismael was able to carry on a sense of well-being while observing the moon; he became fascinated with the moon, altering its image into differing "appealing and likable" moods and make-ups, such as a sailor, or even a woman cradling a newborn child. It was this escape from reality for Ishmael, for even a short cycle of time, that gave him the undoubtably awe-inspiring ability to console himself, even given the harsh circumstances presented in the ongoing and nearby civil war. On a less luminous note, there are certain methods or familiar surroundings that people, such as myself, use to cope with adverse periods of time or fortune. Although as obvious as it is that my fortune is exponentially greater in size than that of Ishmael Beah's, a good video game has never wronged me whenever I may be sad or glum. Familiar surroundings, such as New Jersey's Atlantic shore, also are ideal places to think of when adverse times may strike in my lifestyle. All of this being said, Ishmael and I, in addition to the vast majority of humanity, have put to use the natural and unnatural environment's that surround themselves with to accomplish a common goal: to escape whatever given destructive themes that plague the sense of progress and prosperity in society.

On: A Long Way Gone - 10-5-2012 Exposition

There is very little doubt in my mind that the film Soldier Child (2005) developed and allowed viewers, such as myself, to sit back and take in the complexities of what exactly the undistinguished Northern Ugandan citizen has been tormented by; with regard to the ferocious group dubbed the "Lord's Resistance Army". The issue at hand, addressed in the film, is to attempt to both effectively limit and shed a vast amount of light against such a stark lack of commonsense demonstrated by the Lord's Resistance Army's actions; behaviors that directly contradict the supposed "sustained peace and security" and "unity and sovereignty" that the group has touted as "goals" for the Ugandan people, through their continuum of destruction. The Lord's Resistance Army has wrecked havoc into the minds of Northern Ugandan youth, capturing an incredible "supply" (as the Lord's Resistance Army would refer to it as) of children who, at their ever-blooming state of conscious and subconscious development, are inconceivably vulnerable to certain brainwashing techniques. Given the Lord's Resistance Army's emphatic use of said children, the youth have unwillingly turned against family and friends and, in turn, an ever apparent culture in turmoil is present in today's Northern Uganda. The initial reaction toward this issue (who the Lord's Resistance Army actually was in comparison to who they say they are) in my mind, in terms of not knowing next to any "true facts" pertaining to this epic level of violent and barbaric behavior before watching Soldier Child, was notable and saddening, to say the least. Soldier Child did not fail to shape the thoughts and feeling that overcame myself with an overcoming state of complacency; in other words, the world is not always just, and the sun does not always shimmer on the entirety of this world's population. Among the seemingly endless spectacular and despondent examples of cruelty toward their brainwashed youth that the film Soldier Child put on center stage, the most emotionally stripping example lied in a young women's abominable fortune; a fate where she was raped and, in turn, impregnated by certain Lord's Resistance Army soldiers. There is very little question as to what fate the future holds for these researched Northern Ugandan youth; a fate as tools of the Lord's Resistance Army's defective operations, a predestination that also must discontinue. -Henry