A long Way Gone by Ishamel Beah essay

Reader Response

A long Way Gone by Ishamel Beah

What do you make of their response(s)/action(s)?

The actions can be described as desperate. Children, having a photographic memory and constant shock, are able to tell everything in detail during all their life. Extremely hard life and horrible war created the certain circumstances along with the problems of drug use and behavior.

Are the characters’ actions and attitudes justified by their circumstances?

The actions and attitudes are not justified by their circumstances, as their circumstances can only be taken into consideration and the reason for the certain actions and attitudes.

The binaries of good vs. bad. Good and bad have always been a dilemma.

“We must strive to be like the moon.”  When Ishmael asked his grandmother what the old man meant by this quote, she said it was an adage that served to remind people to always be on their best behavior and to be good to others. People complain when there is too much sun and then again when it is too cold. However, no one grumbles when the moon shines, because a lot of happy things happened in the moonlight, as stated in “A Long Way Gone” by Ishmael Beah (page 16).

1)  Do Americans have a tendency to label ”“ the good guys and the bad guys / the white hats and the black hats?

As a fact, Americans have a tendency to label ”“ the good guys and the bad guys, as this way it becomes clearer on which side each person is and what he thinks. Labeling can be clearly seen in the films, where there is a constant war or a cold war between the good guys and the bad guys.

2)  Are there situations where there are no lines: everyone is bad, or there are only shades of grey?

There are situations where there are no lines: everyone is bad, or there are only shades of grey. The situation where everyone is bad can be referred to terrorism. The shades of grey are also present if to talk about crisis and wars in other countries when everyone is against it.

Works cited

Study Guide: A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah. 2010. Web. 21 November 2010. <http://thebestnotes.com/booknotes/A_Long_Way_Gone_Beah/A_Long_Way_Gone_Study_Guide28.html>