Literary Elements from the Book
What is the exposition?
Ishmael lives in Mogbwebo with his family. One day he leaves to Mattru Jong for a talent show. His family and community is very close. War is waging in Sierra Leone.
Which army did Ishmael fight against?
RUF / Rebel Army
-At the beginning Ishmael lived peacefully with his family -He ran from the war -Became a child solider, has no childhood anymore -Scarred forever
“I was sad to leave, but I was also pleased to have met people outside of Sierra Leone. Because if I was to get killed upon my return, I knew that a memory of my existence was alive somewhere in the world” (200).
What does Ishmael say?
Shoot me and your mother dies. Don't shoot me and your father dies
What choice does the monkey give Ishmael?
What point of view is this memoir in?
First Person : Main character and writer--> Ishmael
What is the organization that helped Ishmael recover from the scars of war?
UNICEF
What does Ishmael actively do to death?
He questions why everyone else, why not him? He questions death.
“If you are alive, there is hope for a better day and something good to happen. If there is nothing good left in the destiny of a person, he or she will die”
What did Ishmael's father say?
The quote that all boys at UNICEF rehab center hate
What is "it's not your fault"?
Ishmael: -Happy and innocent -Loss of Childhood -Forgiving but not forgetting -Helping others / What type of character does this make him?
Round and dynamic character.
What saves Ishmael multiple times throughout the text? Is a symbol of innocence and childhood?
Rap Cassette Tapes
What is the moon a symbol of?
"We must strive to be like the moon" guides us on a path to healing. Becoming whole again.
“We must strive to be like the moon.”
What did Ishmael's grandmother say?
The reason Ishmael hates the rebel army.
What is brain-washing? What did the rebel army do to Ishmael's family? (doesn't make sense with the answer…sorry)
What represents the foreshadowing of Saidu's death?
the crow.
How do the boys relax during the war?
Do drugs, watch movies.
What does the forest represent?
The forest represents both safety and danger. Early on in the story, it provides the very things Ishmael needs to survive: shelter and safety. However, later on in the story the child soldiers infiltrating the forest suggests shelter and safety have been compromised.
“This is one of the consequences of the civil war. People stop trusting each other, and every stranger becomes an enemy.”
What does Ishmael say?
The scars of war placed burdens where?
What are mental, emotional, and physical burdens?
What is an example of situational irony in the text?
Ishmael feels as though he is safe in Freetown
What choice does Ishmael decide he would make at the very end of the memoir, after telling the allegory of the Hunter and Monkey?
He would shoot the monkey, even if it meant killing his mom, so that no one would be forced to make that choice. It is the ultimate sacrifice.
What are ways Ishmael learns to "heal after trauma"? A prevalent theme towards the end.
They sell their school supplies. He talks to Esther a lot. He begins to trust people like Esther and Leslie. He is open to being with his uncle, and that family. He meets Abigal.
“How many more times do we have to come to terms with death before we find safety?"
What did Saidu (aka guy who died after the crow came) say?
What theme is represented during Ishmael's interaction with the fisherman?
Innocence is bliss. / People are kindhearted, even in a war. / Any others that sound good.