Attitude
What was Ismaeles attitude twoards the army lieutenant in chapter 15?
He feels abandoned by him because he saw him and others in the military as his family.
Name one reason why Ishmael uses flashbacks in A Long Way Gone?
A) To provide background information about his life before the war
B) To illustrate the psychological trauma of war
C) To explore the theme topic of identity
What theme topic is best shown in the last line of the book? Explain your answer.
"If I were the hunter, I would shoot the monkey so that it would no longer have the chance to put other hunters in the same predicament" (218).
Survival, trauma, innocence, childhood
What was the author's purpose in including his conversation with Esther on page 167?
To show how important family/ a support system is in the recovery from traumatic situations.
What was Ishmael's attitude towards being released into the custody of UNICEF? (129-130)
He is confused and feels abandoned by those he trusted
How do Ishmael’s memories and flashbacks shape his character throughout the book?
They allow him to come to terms with his past and find healing.
What does the following quote show about the theme topic of trauma?
“I’ve come to learn that if I am going to take revenge, in that process I will kill another person whose family will want revenge; then revenge and revenge and revenge will never come to an end.” (p199)
Trauma has a circular effect. When a person hurts someone, they will often inflict pain on others perpetuating the cycle of trauma.
What was the author's purpose in including violent and often disturbing descriptions of violence?
To show the trauma war can create especially in innocent civilians and children.
What is Ishmael’s attitude towards the rebel soldiers at the end of chapter 14? (124-125)
He feels indifferent and views them as a means of exacting revenge.
At the end of the book, there is a flash back to the elder's story about the monkey. What is the significance of this story and why does the author end the book with it?
Ishmael's response shows his loss of insolence as a result of the trauma of war and how the need for survival can change a person's worldview.
What is the best piece of evidence to connect Ishmael’s flashback on pages 142-143 to the theme topic of survival?
“The entire squad would attack the village we had spied on, killing everyone so that we would stay alive” (142).
What was the school teachers' purpose in asking the child soldiers in the Benin Home easy questions about music on their initial tests? (163)
To gather information on their interests and find ways to allow the children to pen up about their trauma.
While in the Benin Home, how does Ishmael's attitude towards violence change? (Chapters 16-18)
He becomes disillusioned with the government’s cause and begins to question the use of violence
What is the significance of the specific memory Ishmael shares with Esther on pages 155-159?
This is the first time he is sharing a part of his identity with a civilian since becoming a soldier.
What does Ishmael’s breakthrough at the bottom on page 165 show about the theme topic of humanity?
Esther’s persistence at making a connection with Ishmael shows that humanity recognizes personhood even after mistakes.
What was the author’s purpose in including the following lines from the song Ishmael was listening to on page 154?
“It’s like that, and that the way it is…”
The matter-of-fact words in the song parallel his denial of his trauma from the war.
What was Ishmael's attitude towards the conference he attended in chapter 20?
He was hopeful that he and the other children present could use their similarities to create real change in the world.
What is the best sentence from pages 142-143 to connect Ishmael’s flashback to the theme topic of survival?
“The entire squad would attack the village we had spied on, killing everyone so that we would stay alive” (142).
On page 153, Ishmael says, “I liked being alone, since it made surviving easier.” How does this statement help develop the theme survival may feel like independence, but people need other people in the long run?
This conversation shows Ishmael’s distrust of others, which he later works through with Esther’s encouragement.
What was Ishmael's purpose in leaving Freetown to go to New York the second time on page 209?
To avoid falling back into his previous life as a soldier
“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.” (p200)
According to the quote above, why does Ishmael view memory as so important? APE
A person's legacy is what defines their life.