This memoir ends with a striking image, as Ishmael sees a mother telling her two children a story that he had also heard as a child. It's a memorable fable that touches on several key themes of the book, including violence, family, storytelling, childhood, and African village life. But it also carries a message of sacrifice. Discuss how this last message reverberates throughout the entire memoir.Further: What kind of sacrifices have you made in your life?
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This message has to do with the book because Ishmael doesn't want anyone else to have to become a murderer just like he was in the war. He knows what could happen to them if they kill. So Ishmael wants to take the blow for other people,sacrifice himself so that he is the one who kills the monkey so that the hunter doesn't have to choose to kil is father or mother. I have made many sacrifices in my life, but all of them aren't life or death. A recent sacrifice that I made waas that I choose to go to science fair and I wasn't able to go to the sophomore class trip, which wasa sacrifice. Most of the sacrifices I have made are minor things where they only affectme and not other people.
ReplyDeleteThis last message echos through the whole story because Ishmael has been making sacrifices continuously. First he is separated from his family, then he is separated from his friends, he is then made a soldier, and all along the way loved ones are dying. In some of theses instances he has a choice, like when he chose to become a soldier rather than die. In others he does not, such as when he is separated from his family or when he is chosen to be rehabilitated.
ReplyDeleteA sacrifice that i have made is to go on the class trip rather than to stay at home and get caught up on my work and relax.
I completely agree with Matt becasue the entire book is all about Ishmael making sacrifices, just like when he was recruited by the government rather than taking his chances with the rebels. hoever I think that th
ReplyDeleteThis message definitely reverberates throughout the book. What Ishmael is saying is that he would never wish for anyone else to have to face the same experience he did. He would rather take it on himself to “shoot the monkey” than have others have to deal with it. This message also really shows how selfless Ishmael is. Even though he was separated from his family and forced to join the military he would still relive the same experience to make sure no one else would have to suffer. I could never imagine doing something like that.
ReplyDeleteI have made many sacrifices, but none that were as radical as the sacrifices Ishmael was forced to make. I have to make sacrifices every day but, the sacrifices I make are taking out the trash and walking the dogs, while the sacrifices Ishmael made were things like joining the army.
Matt
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you about the challenges Ishmael had to face; but , I think you need to elaborate more on the symbolism of "shooting the monkey." If you wrote something about the monkey I think it would add alot to your comment.
I agree with John that Ishmael's act was extremely selfless because he is making sure that no one will have to make the same sacrifice as him. this just goes hand in hand with the rest of the book because he is always making sacrifices and trying to help other people.
ReplyDeleteYours sincerely,
Matt Robinson
at if he has no choice, then it can't really be a sacrifice,it would be slightly different.
ReplyDeleteNice example of a sacrifice, Matt
This post is a continuation of the other one, because I ran out of time in class
that was alvin and so were the other posts
ReplyDeleteI think that the last statement has to do with the entire book. Ishamel has been making sacrifices all throughout the book and has been through more than most people have. He has delt with a lot of pain and suffering and knows how it feels. He does not want anyone to have to go through what he did and in a way is trying to sacrifice himself so no one else has to go through that. I think that he thinks of him already going through the war and everything as sacrificing and now it is over and so no one else will go through that experience. I have had to sacrifice thing for other people. Recently i had to take money out of my account to give to my sister so she could go on her class trip.
ReplyDeleteI agree with John. I do believe that Ishamel has made many of those sacrifices all throughout the book and he takes this as sacrificing himself so that no one else has to experinece something like that. i also agree with the fact that Ishamel is being selfless in this act because he is taking away from himself to benefit others.
ReplyDeleteThe last few pages of this book really summarize a huge bulk of the memoir. That is, the whole book is flooded with sacrifices both on Ishmael's part and others as well. For example, Ishmael had to sacrifice his "normal" life and become a soldier to have access to shelter and food. Also, he had to sacrifice being with his friends when he decided to leave and go on by himself to find his family. The whole book, Ishmael has been losing things very dear to him and never, until after the war, gained anything special in his life; that is sacrifice. Also, the last message shows how rehabilitated Ishmael really is. He doesn't want anyone to have to become a soldier, drug addict, and murderer like he had to. He is willing to take the hit for others to enjoy peace and happiness in their lives.
ReplyDeleteIn my life, I have made quite a bit of sacrifices, though not nearly as important as Ishmael's. For example, there are many days where I have no school and I sacrifice hanging out with my friends or chilling at home to study Latin for upcoming competitions. Also, recently I sacrificed going to a Latin competition and instead went to Youth in Government, where all my friends were going. These, of course, are sacrifices but they don't compare to Ishmael's whatsoever.
By the way that was Gabriel
ReplyDeleteMatt, Alvin, John, and Katie,
ReplyDeleteI agree with all of you for you all said virtually the same thing. You all said that Ishmael has made many important and life-changing sacrifices throughout the entire novel which directly correlates to the story in the end of the memoir about making the biggest sacrifice of one's life: to indirectly kill your mother or father. Also, you all mentioned how selfless it was of Ishmael to "take one for the team" and let others enjoy their pure and innocent lives; something which I also agree with.
I feel that Ishmael sacrificed his childhood and innocence to (what he thought) avenge his parent's death. The way he introduced the story in the beginning and at the end of his memoir shows a way of closer.
ReplyDeleteI think the not only did Ishmael sacrifice his childhood to war and murder, but his whole life. He will always be haunted by death and images of murders he committed and other's he saw.
This message shows that Ishmael believes and is willing to make sacrifices for the benefits of others. He believes that peoples selfishness and concern for themselves fuels many problems in society. If people make tiny sacrifices for one another, the world can be a better place for all to live in. Many of the problems with the war in Sierra Leone can be traced back to some type of selfish behavior.
ReplyDeleteThe last statement made in this book helped to wrap up the book entirely. This statement concluded the idea of sacrifice in Ishmael's life. He would sacrifice something in his own life if it could help others. This is portrayed by saying that he would shoot the monkey so no other person would have to deal with the dilemma of shooting it or not. This shows that Ishamel understands sacrifices, and even though he had to deal with so many tragedies in his life,he was not selfish and instead was selfless.
ReplyDeleteIshmael made many sacrifices in the book. Some sacrifices that Ishmael had to deal with was becoming a child soldier instead of starving and moving to New York to get away from the fighting in Africa. I have had to deal with sacrifices in my life, for example: sacrificing a Saturday to participate in a 24 hour thespian activity.
Ben Wallace (Don't know who that is?),
I completely agree with what you said about the sacrifices that Ishmael had to make. Separation of family, leaving hometown, and watching loved one's die are all impacting sacrifices and situations that forced Ishameal to grow up fast and act selflessly.
Some sacrifices that I have made in my life are doing dishes when my brother has lots of homework and various other small tasks. These tasks are nothing in comparison to Ishmael's sacrifices throughout the book. I agree with creepcity in that Ishamael has certainly made sacrifices throughout the entire book. Ishmael realizes that much of his innocense and childhood is gone and therefore is certainly willing to sacrifice so that many other children may live a fuller and better childhood and not have to endure the things that Ishmael had to as a child.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Katie. I think that his self sacrifice is for others. So that they don't have to feel the pain and the guilt and the sorrow he did while fighting and killing
ReplyDeleteThis last message is shown throughout the entire book. This is because Ishmael, his family, his friends, and every one in sierra leone have been making sacrifices. Some of the sacrifices that Ishmael went through were being seperated from his family, having to kill in the army, starving because their is no food, and leaving the comfort of his home.
ReplyDeleteOne of the main sacrifices I make is practicing lacrosse almost every day even on weekends when I could be relaxing.
I agree with Gabriel because Ishmael is making a lot of sacrifices and he is making them to better the lives of others and himself like when he choses to live and be a soldier instead of dieing. I also agree that Ishmael's rehabilitation has made him want to keep people away from the violence that he has experienced.
ReplyDeleteThe final message in the text can be seen throughout the whole novel. I think the main point is that Ishmael has been through these life or death situations and knows how they feel. After experiencing the mental and physical agony of his sacrifices he wouldn't want anyone else to have to deal with them. This shows how after having a dark side when he killed civilians and rebels, deep down inside he is kind hearted and cares for others.
ReplyDeleteIn my life i have had to make some sacrifices but none of which were as consequential as the monkey story. Just today i had to sacrifice going to a lacrosse game with some friends so that i could finish all of my homework.
Joe Pemberton
The message of sacrifice is definitely repeated throughout the entire memoir. At a very young age Ishmael was faced with the biggest decision in his life...whether or not he would become a soldier in the army. When Ishmael chose to join the military he sacrificed being a kid and enjoying life. At the end of the memoir, the story concludes by stating that Ishmael would go ahead and "shoot the monkey," so that others would not suffer. He has been through a lot at such a young age, and he doesn't want others to have to experience the same.
ReplyDeleteI have made many sacrifices in my life. As a student athlete I sometimes have to sacrifice practicing a sport, so that I can keep my academics up.
Lee Johnston
Emily, i completely agree with you. I like how you said he would sacrifice something in his own life if he could help others. This shows how he has compassion for others and is selfless.
ReplyDeleteDylan,
ReplyDeleteI certainly agree with your comment that if we all made little sacrifices for each other the world would be a better place for all. I think that Ishmael is sending out another message concerning sacrifices... that we need to care for each other and not just for ourselves.
Lee Johnston
Ishmael has sacrificed a lot throughout this book. He has lost his family, been separated from his friends, forced to become a soldier, and has endured much pain and suffereing. This quote shows tells us that even though he has gone through all of these horrible things he doesnt want this to happen to anyone else. This is showed throughout the book.
ReplyDeleteJD
In my life i have made multiple sacrifices. When you are not an only child, you dont always get what you want. SOmetimes you have to give things up for your family.
ReplyDeleteJoe i have to disagree with you and emily. You guys said that he was compassionate and selfless. Have we already forgot that this was a killer. He executed people with his bare hands. He also tortured many people. This doesnt show to much compassion
ReplyDeleteThat was JD
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSacrifice is in a big part of this book. The members of the RUF, as bad as they are, still sacrificed their lives for what they believe in. The SLA also sacrificed their lives for what they believed in. The main sacrifices are what Ishmael does. He had to be separated from his family, he got lost from his friends, he was made into a soldier and then rehabilitated.
ReplyDeleteI have made my own sacrifices even in everyday life. On a normal basis I make sacrifices when I go out to eat with Kate. My favorite food is sushi, but she absolutely hates it. I've made bigger sacrifices with my family to help them out too.
This message definitely carries sacrifice and it shows throughout the novel. As he participated and suffered from the war, he has a better understanding based on his experience and He doesn’t want another people to suffer from the same experience that he did. Like in the text, if someone kill another person, then that person will revenge another person, then revenge will never end. Again, he doesn’t want another person to suffer from the horrible experience that he did.
ReplyDeleteI have made sacrifices for other people. When I used to live in Korea, my both parents work everyday so I used to take care of my brother. These days, I walk the dog everyday.
Matt,
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you when you talk about all the sacrifices that Ishmael had made. I also agree with the you saying that he did have some choices too.
Gabriel,
I liked all of the detail about the sacrifices that Ishmael made. You made some very good points.
This message is reflected throughout the entire memoir. Ishmael was constantly making sacrifices in his life. He sacrificed losing his old ways when he became a soldier to get food, shelter, and to seek revenge. He wanted to get back at the people who hurt his family, and to do that, he had to leave everything he knew behind. But now he knows the terrible pain sacrifices can create and he doesn’t want other people to deal with them too. It took him a long time to bounce back from his bad times, but I feel that he would make serious sacrifices again if it were for a good cause and it would help people. He has already gone through pain and he feels that because he has, no one else should endure the same hardships. He doesn’t want people to be as affected, harmed, and lost as he was. I have made sacrifices that were tough. For example, a few years ago, there was an elderly family friend that was very sick. Instead of hanging out with my friends or going to practice, I would go to her house and talk to her and play games. It was kind of boring and there were other places I wanted to be, but it made her happy and kept her distracted from her illness.
ReplyDeleteDylan,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you when you said “If people make tiny sacrifices for one another, the world can be a better place for all to live in”. I think that Ishmael knew that he was sacrificing a lot by becoming a soldier, but he wanted to get back at those that hurt his family and friends. He knew the rebels were bad and by fighting them he would be in danger, but he didn’t care because he wanted to do the right thing for his family.
Ishmael made many sacrifices throughout this book. He sacrificed a normal childhood life in order to survive. the first time was when he became soldier. The second time was when he left his cousins in freetown. He lost all of his immediate family and many other of his most beloved things. Not all of the sacrifices he made were selfless, but all were true.
ReplyDeleteIn these final lines, Ishmael says he would rather have himself suffer than others. This is a very selfless notion. I do not know whether this sacrifice is like each of the others in this story. This does summarize the overall message of the book. He has gone through a lot and does not want others to go through the same.
I have had to make many sacrifices. My family likes to travel a lot on weekends. Although it can be fun, most of the time, I would rather stay home, hangout, and not miss any homework.
Alex Slater
I agree with John about the fact that Ishmael doesn’t want another people to suffer from the same experience that he did. Ishmael has made sacrifices throughout the novel. In addition, I agree with the fact that the last message also shows Ishmael’s being selfless.
ReplyDeleteThis book, the war memories of Ishmael Beah, are filled with sacrifices. He is forced to sacrifice his sanity in joining the government army. He loses all sense of a normal life and replaces it with one with violence and drugs. He may not have sacrificed these things by his own will, but they were sacrificed nonetheless. Unlike many other sacrifices made in the world, this was one with bad effects. It did not really help anyone or create any sort of happiness at all. These are the worst types of sacrifices. Sacrificing for the benefit of others, on the other hand, is very rewarding, and these are the sorts of sacrifices that everyone should make.
ReplyDeleteI know I have made sacrifices in my life. Most of them have not been world-altering, but they are sacrifices. One sacrifice i remember very well was when i volunteered to participate in Mz. Ugly. I gave up hours of my time for preparation to make this thing a good show for other people to enjoy. Doing this not only made people who went laugh at our ridiculous outifts and such, but it also raised money that was used to help premature babies.
I agree with alex that Ishmael said a very selfless thing when he said he would rather kill the monkey to save others from the fate the monkey brought upon them. He would rather sacrifice his own mother in order to help others.
ReplyDeleteIn the book, there were many sacrifices made, some to benefit themselves, some to benefit others, and some to benfit both. For example, all the workers at the rehabilitation center, especially all the nurses, were risking their lives to take care of kids addicted to drugs. Some even came back after they were attacked, risking their lives, to take care of these children. Another example is when in the beginning, Ishmael, his brother, and others, try to go back to the attacked village to get food, by risking their lives. This is an example where they are doing it for their own good. Another one is how although Ishmael himself tells us that being a group of seven boys was a disadvantage, he still sacrificed his safety with the other boys by sticking together and not abandoning any one of them. Another instance, that is kind of an example, is how Ishmael fights in the war. Again, he risks his own life, or sacrifices his safety, to fight so that, just like in the story at the end, nobody else would have to go through the war and what he had gone through.
ReplyDeleteThere are many sacrifices I have made in my life, although they are not to the extent that Ishamel or the other characters in the book does, by risking their lives. In my case, and probably many others, these sacrifices are very minute things, like giving something like a pen to my friend or sister when they need it, despite the fact that I was using it or I really need it, therefore sacrificing my time wating for it to be returned.
Maria Korah
Matt,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on how Ishmael made many sacrifices throughout the book, like when he decided to be a soldier. However, I do not agree with the examples you provided, like being separated from his family. Since he didn't really have a choice, I don't see how this example and the example about being separated from his friends can be called a sacrifice since he didn't really sacrifice anything to do that because he didn't have a choice. These examples go more along with the themes of maybe violence, family or separation, but I do not see how it can go with the theme of sacrifice.
Maria Korah
Sacrifice is a key component of this novel, in the sense that Ishmael was forced to sacrifice his childhood in order to fight someone else's war. Ishmael also sacrificed his childhood, though not intentionally, so that he could write "A Long Way Gone", a novel for which he will be remembered for all time, because it exposed the situation of child soldiers for what it really is. It opened the eyes of millions of people around the world, and, thanks to Ishmael, many people are now fighting to end this modern monstrosity. All of us have made many sacrifices in our lives, though few are as extreme as Ishmael's. Some sacrifices I have made are trivial day-to-day things such as skipping a pilates class to finish a project or something like that. However, all sacrifices have pros and cons. And some sacrifices' pros outweigh the cons and vice versa.
ReplyDeleteCassie,
I agree with what you said about Ishmael having to make continuous sacrifices throughout the book but were it not for his experiences, the news of his life story would not have impacted millions as it has.
Cassie,
ReplyDeleteI liked when you said he sacrificed his childhood for food and shelter. I'm not sure though if it was really for revenge in the beginning. I also liked how you said he would make another sacrifice if he needed to.
He ends with this because it gives the reader something to think about. Also if someone that hadn't been through an experience this horrible, they might have answered in a different way than after they read the book.
ReplyDeleteThis ending captures the themes and lessons from this book. It shows sacrifice, choices, violence, and many more. It shows how one choice can be hard and affect so many other people.
I have never had to make any decisions as hard as Ishmael had, so i will not even compare our choices, but everyone has choices. Even the smallest choice can affect someone else in a big way. I make choices every day. Some good, some bad. You don't always have time to make a good one, or you just don't think.
This last message reverberates throughout the whole novel in that it is kind of like backwards forshadowing. If you had read the very end of the book first where he was listening to the mother telling this story, you could have forshadowed that he was going to be free and okay. This also travels throughout the whole novel because during the course of the story Ishmael is constantly haunted with the images of his family (not really haunted, but you know what I mean), and at this point Ishmael is finally in a situation where thinking about his family is a relaxing thing for him.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to mention a sacrifice that I have made in my life:
ReplyDeleteI didn't go on the class trip because I had some family obligations.
Also, I completely agree with Kristi in that Ishmael ends with this statement to give the reader something to think about. However I disagree with her when she says that reading this book will change someones point of view. If someone's mind is convuluded enough to think in a way to not sympathize with people who have gone through this, then there is no changing them