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.