Sunday, December 8, 2013

The Final Fishbowl: A Long Way Gone, Chapters 20 and 21

A few reminders if you're looking for an A for the day:

(A) Bring at least one quotation and/or page reference into at least one of your responses.

(B) Explain your thinking thoughtfully and thoroughly (try to avoid the one-sentence response).

(C) Keep it professional, including the usage of proper grammar and spelling.

(D) Comment frequently from the beginning of the conversation to the end.


Remember also that you're welcome to get into a hotseat in the inner circle for a little while and earn some of your daily participation points there.


Enjoy!

102 comments:

  1. Do you see Ishmael as a hero at the end of this book?

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    1. At the end of the book I would say Ishmael is a hero. On page 203 Ishmael said he is confident in where he is going if life. Ishmael has made a positive impact on a lot of people and I think that impact defines him as a hero.

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    2. I would compare Ishmael to a hero at the end of "A Long Way Gone" he demonstrates so many heroic traits including bravery, courage, and readiness for the future. He has taken all of the negative and violent events of his past and turned them into a positive way to look at the future and whatever comes next in his life.

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  2. "When I was seven I had an answer to this question that made made sense to me. I never discussed it with anyone, though, for fear of how my mother would feel. I concluded to myself that 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." -Page 218 What does this quote mean? How did this mindset prevail in his fighting? Why do you think he chose to end the book this way? What is the significance of this quote?

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    1. By ending the book like this it shows how Ishmael thinks about more than himself. He knows he has to sacrifice something of his own to help a bigger group of people. I saw this as a metaphor to his journey. He wants to spread what he has learned and experienced, so no one else has to go through something similar. He has a hard time talking about his past but he knows he has to.

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    2. I think he wanted to end the book this way because the man who told them this said so that it would no longer have the chance to put other hunters in the same predicament. And Ishmael wrote this book to let people be aware of what was going on in his country and that we need to stop sending children in to and becoming boy soldiers. So I think he wanted the book to end this way because he wanted to stop putting little boys in the same predicament he was in. Fight or die trying to leave.

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  3. Is Ishmael a hero to himself? Or is he a hero to anyone else?

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    1. I consider Ishmael a hero. He overcame oppression in the army, then overcame his addictions to drugs, as well as his hostile attitude that he got from war. I think that he may have only effected himself until he wrote the book, but even if he didn't write the book, he would be a hero in my eyes for the odds he overcame to become a part of society again. That being said, he did write the book and has made an impact in our society's knowledge of African conflicts and helped make a difference in the way children are treated there.

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    2. I defiantly think Ishmael is a hero to himself and other people. He is a hero to himself because he did survived being in the army and then recovering from it. He is a hero to other kids that came from the war because they look up to someone who was forced into war and then coming out as someone who is content with themselves and enjoys life.

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    3. Is is one to mainly other people he is humble and I don't l think he would think of himself that way. Personally though I think he is a hero for others because of what he went through and how hard it was for him to survive and the quote we talked about was really apparent for Ishmael.

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    4. I think Ishmael is both. He knows that he has changed people's lives and saved many lives as well by speaking up and I think now that everyone has read this book and come to a complete understanding of how important what he did was, he is becoming highly recognized as a hero.

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    5. I believe that Ishmael is a hero to himself. The Romain Rolland quote said, "A hero is a man who does what he can." I think that Ishmael was a hero to himself because he did all that he could to try and heal himself from his experience as a soldier. Even now, he may not be healed completely but from the time he entered the Benin home until now, he's done whatever he could to try and heal from his past.

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    6. I think he is a hero to both. But mostly himself. He has been through so much and to grow up and not be 100% messed up is a really good thing. Because he was exposed to so much in the war and it is pretty amazing that he able to overcome all that stuff and even become a huge author.

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    7. I think Ishmael is not only a hero to others, but also a hero to himself. He has gone through so many violent and treacherous obstacles and the fact that he left those events with a positive outlook shows so many about his character as a true hero.

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  4. On page 193 Ishmael said, "My conception of New York City came from rap music. I envisioned it as a place where people shot each other on the street and got away with it; no one walked on the streets, rather people drove in their sports cars looking for nightclubs and for violence." How is this controversial to how the war was in Sierra Leone?

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  5. How did you like the ending of this book? How would you change it if you could?

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    1. I thought that the ending was kind of lame but I am not really sure how I would've changed it to make it better cause he can't just changed the way his life turned out.

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  6. On pg. 218 the final paragraph says, "When I was seven I had an answer to this question that made sense to me. I never discussed it with anyone, though, for fear of how my mother would feel. I concluded to myself that if I were the hunter, I would shoot the monkey so that it would no longer have the chance to put the hunters in the same predicament." What do you think this means, and what do you think it symbolizes?

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    1. I think that this story symbolizes the paradox of the war in Sierra Leone. Either decision causes death and sadness and grief, and for a senseless reason. Beah uses this to conclude his book as a final reminder of his heroic personality. He would sacrifice his mother and kill the monkey, just so that another hero would not have to make the same decision he just was faced with.

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  7. On page 218 where Ishmael talks about the story teller and the question he raises about killing the monkey, what would you do if you were asked that same question?

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  8. Why wouldn't they give the boys jackets if they knew that they wouldn't have them and that it would be cold?

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  9. During school, Ishmael called Mohamed his brother so they didn't have to tell the classmates their history. How do you think they felt when using the term "brothers" when they basically have no brothers anymore?

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    1. I don't think it feels that weird for Ishmael and Mohamed to call themselves brothers because they are like brothers. They were both in the war and lost their families. They share similar experiences and bond over that like brothers.

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    2. I think that it is not that far of a stretch to say that the two are brothers. They both experienced war and they are both from a small, far away country while living in a foreign place, so they can rely on each other and trust each other. I think that anyone who has had an experience like Ishmael or Mohamed can relate very well to each other, because they both know each other's pains, similar to a close brotherly relationship created between friends.

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  10. On page 217, there is a story about a hunter who went into a bush to kill a monkey and the monkey said, "If you shoot me, your mother will die, and if you don't, your father will die." Why do you think Ishmael chose to end the book with this story?

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    1. I think Ishmael chose to end the book this way because he wanted to show whatever choice you make someone is going to die. He wanted to show how in war there are choices that you are not comfortable with but have to go on with it. When he said he wanted to kill the monkey it wasn't because he didn't love his mother it was because he wanted to kill it so no one would have to be out in the same situation.

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    2. Because that monkey was his subconscious choice he made that day when he never returned home and that is why I think his parents died because he joined the war and was just a little late to saving his parents. But I think he chose to end it like this also because it was powerful and also no matter what he did someone in his family was gonna die and he had to make a hard choice.

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  11. Why do you think that the UN held a conference with children? Do you think children can think of better solutions than adults because they have more hope?

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    1. I think the children bring a different perspective to the situations around the world. Specifically, the war in Sierra Leone and the boy soldiers. It helps to hear from the people who have a direct experience from it.

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    2. I think they chose to have children at the conference because these children have experienced the violence first hand. By using children at the conference it hits home for people even more because there's children involved and it makes them sadder.

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    3. I think they held the conference with children because I think they wanted the children to know that they are not the only ones in the world going through something horrible too and that there are people that know what they are going through. I think but children and adults both come up with great ideas it is just that kids can probably think of less harmful solution and think of things in a different way and that is why they choose to hold a conference with children instead of adults.

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    4. I agree with both Aili and Skylee because bringing children to the conference will bring out a whole new perspective to others about the world. The children have also experienced their situations at a very young age. They would be able to share the information more accurately and describe how hard it was for them to heal. Because they are children and are vulnerable, more would become aware of the different problems around the world.

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    5. I think that hearing these stories first hand, from somebody who was in the war and killed people and saw people killed, would create a much more dramatic effect on the people deciding what to do. I think that the UN would use these kids to make anyone of power listening to their stories feel guilty for not helping. They would provide a direct experience to the people who can actually make a difference, in hopes of making a difference.

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  12. Do you think that Ishmael would have been worse off, better off, or the same, with out rap music throughout the story?

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    1. I would say Ishmael would be worse off with out rap music. The world of rap music opened his mind to violence. I think the war would have been a lot harder for Ishmael if he had not understood violence or had not been exposed to it before.

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    2. I think he would have been worse off without music because although he went through the war, music was able to regain that hope and the life Ishmael had before.

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    3. I think without rap, this whole experience wouldn't have happened, or it would happen completely different. If he never discovered rap, then him and his friends would have never gone to that town for the talent show. But because of rap he went through this horrifying adventure that truly shaped how he saw everything in life. Also, if he didn't have rap, rehab would have been a lot harder, and most likely would have taken a lot longer.

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    4. Through out the story the rap music was a symbol of hope and connected him with civilization. The music saved him many times. When running from the war the music helped prove his innocence when he came across other villagers. It also helped him calm down when he was in the rehabilitation center. It brought him back to his life as a civilian. If the music wasn't in the story I think he would be worse off, unless there was some other substitute for it.

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    5. I think without the rap music he would be worse off. The music has given him something for him to connect his problems to and has helped him connect with people. However the rap music has mislead him to believe certain things or expect certain things that weren't the truth.

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    6. He would've been worse off because when he was about to killed and he was being drowned the general asked what is was and since the guy liked it he saved Ishmael's life and he should have died.

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    7. I would think that he would be worse off without listening to rap music. In a way rap music was an outlet while he was going through all of the rough times while at war. Rap music provided a way for him to connect his problems to music, which I think would definitely help Ishmael.

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  13. At the end of the book do you think Ishmael can become the person he was before the war or do you think that he will not ever be the same?

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    1. I believe that Ishmael will never return to the person that he was before the war, however I think this is a good thing. The war has changed him immensely, but I believe that it has made him stronger, and in the end a better person.

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    2. I think he will regain the person he was before but he has matured a lot because of the war. He couldn't have the innocence children usually had at his age. He had to mature and grow up during the war.

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    3. I don't know that he will ever be the same because of what he witnessed in the war. I think it will be hard for him to return to the way he acted when life was easier for him. He still has to go through the heeling process though so he does have a chance of becoming somewhat of the person he was before.

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  14. When leaving Sierra Leone, was Ishmael running away from danger or running to a new beginning?

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    1. Both. He was leaving his old life of fear and fighting and violence to somewhere he can start over and have the chance to be good again.

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    2. I think he was doing a little bit of both. He was trying to get out of Sierra Leone safely, but he also wanted a new life and beginning. He had seen New York before and saw all the possibilities of a new life, and he wanted it.

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    3. In a way, he was doing both. I think he was running away from the danger in order to start a new beginning. When he left Sierra Leone, he was leaving behind the chaos so he wasn't pulled back into being a soldier but he was on his way to a new life in New York City with Laura.

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    4. Ishmael was leaving for both reasons he was running for his life but he was also leaving to have a fresh start or a second life as he called it in one of the interviews.

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    5. Neither. Ishmael was pursuing the life he once had. He was pursuing a comfortable, happy, normal life that was taken away from him by the war. He realized after he recovered from his haze that he truly desired happiness and a family, both things that could be found outside of Sierra Leone.

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    6. I agree with Jaclyn because I think Ismael is doing both to run away form danger and start a new beginning. As Beah leaves Sierra Leone, he is leaving the dangers of becoming a child soldiers again behind. When he moves to NYC, he gets the chance to start his life all over again. He is able to learn new things, experience different sights, and overall is able to make the best of the rest of his life.

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  15. Do you like the way the end of this book was written with him ending up in the embassy, or would you have like more closure?

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  16. Why didn't Dr. Tamba tell Ishmael and Bah that it would be freezing in New York during winter time? I mean, if I were bringing two kids from Sierra Leone to New York in the winter, I would tell them it would be really cold.

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  17. How would you feel if you were taken away from practically nothing to New York, where people can walk around freely without being scared of being killed or there at TV's and Radiators and taxi's and lights and giant buildings. How would you feel if you just went from one opposite to the other?

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  18. On page 205 Ishmael says " The result would be death, since I was now a civilian; I knew that." Do you feel like Ishmael feels powerless or can he still make change?

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    1. I think that he feels powerless because at this point he doesn't have power and to survive he has to go by the rules.

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  19. on Page 197, Ishmael indicates the future by saying, "When she became my mother years later, she and I would always talk about whether it was destined or coincidental that I came from a very storytelling-oriented culture to live with a mother in New York who is a storyteller." I think this tells the readers and gives Beah himself hope for a happy ending. This shows how Beah is ready to move on from his past sufferings and start a new life. I think that Laura Simms does allow this to happen. In chapter 20, Beah describes Beah as a motherly/family figure in America. Once Laura takes Beah in, he is able to start a on fresh clean palette and is able to try to make the rest of his life the best of it.

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  20. How do you think Ishmael felt going to school and having his classmates be afraid of him?

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    1. I think that I would feel awkward. It might also be a major set back in recovery because fear influences human emotion a lot.

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    2. Probably very self-consciences, because it's like he's going into this place where everyone fears him and he just wants a friend but no one wants to even try because of his past. It could also make him feel hopeless like if they can't accept him and what he's done, how is he supposed to accept it and forgive himself.

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    3. I think it would be very crushing to have everyone avoid you because they were afraid. It would be so hard to see everyone around him having fun with each other, while he was alone because everyone saw him as a killer.

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    4. I think Ishmael felt very judged and wished he could change his past. It would be hard for anyone to have a bad background and try to make friends at school where they are all scared of you.

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    5. If it were me, I would be really upset about it. It's like the quote, "You know my name, not my story." His classmates really only know his name and what had happened to him but they don't know his entire story. I think that if his classmates had taken the time to spend time with him and understand his situation, they would see that there's no reason to be afraid of him.

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    6. I think he was sad that his classmates were scared of him, because all he now wanted to do was heal and start living his life again and it is hard to do that when you have people judging you for something you had to do in order to survive. So I think he was really sad about that.

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    7. When Ishmael came to America he experience something called culture shock. This is a long process for someone to overcome. So as Ishmael was going back to school he was in shock, so adding to the other students knowing he was a child solider. At this point he was just wounder why he is treated this way.

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    8. I think that it will be very disappointing and sad for Ishmael because he came to America to start fresh but the students are already treating him different from fear. He would also probably wondering to himself why the kids are the way they are. I think that just like his healing, it will take time for him to get along with the other students.

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  21. On page 199 Ishmael says, "I had a speech that had been written for me in Freetown, but I decided to speak from my heart, instead." What does this show about Ishmael's progress in his rehabilitation?

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    1. I think this shows how willing Ishmael is to share his experiences. He really wants to share his story from his point of view and doesn't want it to be all planed out. Ishmael has made a lot of progress. He went from being frustrated when talking about his past, to wanting to speak from his heart.

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    2. I agree with Aili. I feel like he wanted to speak from the heart, not from a piece of paper. He wanted to share the experiences with honesty.

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    3. This shows that Ishmael is ready to be able to tell people his whole story. He wants people to know how things need to change and wants it to be personal with the people. He doesn't want to read off a card he wants people to know the truth.

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  22. On page 194, Ishmael describes snow this way "There were little white things falling out of the sky, and they seemed to be accumulating on the ground." I think that's the best description of snow I've ever read. How would you describe snow if you've never seen it?

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  23. Page 199, " what i have learned from my experiences is that revenge is not good. revenge will never come to an end..." Do you think he was referring to his own life?

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    1. I think that Ishmael is referring to both his life personally and the world as a whole. While he was in the War, he has fighting partly because he wanted revenge, but after realizing all the violence and destruction that he caused, he realized that revenge doesn't do anybody any good.

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    2. I think that he was saying that he used to think that killing those who killed his family would make him feel better, and fill the gap that his family left. But he's finally realized that that's not the case and that it only made him feel worse.

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    3. I think he was referring to his experiences in the war. Through most of the war he was driven by revenge. Ishmael wanted to get revenge on those who killed his family. He later realizes that both sides are fired by revenge and this causes many problems. The war would never stop if revenge is always present.

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  24. On page 196 Ishmael says "some of the children had risked their lives to attend the conference." How did they risk their lives? I wish Ishmael would have gone into a tiny bit more detail with that.

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    1. I'm not completely sure, but I think the kids risked there lives because in some country's it is illegal to leave the country. By leaving the country, they were breaking the law, and in a country like that, you don't want to break the law.

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  25. In chapter 20, why do you think that Ishmael's uncle kept on saying that he didn't believe that Ishmael was in New York City?

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    1. I don't think that Ishmael's uncle wanted to accept reality and the fact that Ishmael was leaving his new family. With the violent stage that Sierra Leone has been in I think Ishmael's uncle was scared and worried for Ishmael to be traveling outside of this country.

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    2. His Uncle does believe him? On page 197 he has a conversation with him over the phone.
      When I called back my Uncle picked up.
      "I'm in New York City," I told him.
      "Well," he said, "I guess I have to believe you, because I haven't seen you in a few days." He giggled. I opened the window to let him hear the sounds of New York.

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    3. I don't think Ismael's uncle wanted to believe that Ishmael was leaving him and the rest of their family. Uncle Tommy cares so much for Ishmael and is afraid of him venturing into the world alone.

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  26. Ishmael expresses the fear he has about the "Sobels" invading on page 203, "I hated what was happening. I couldn't return to my previous life. I don't think I could make it out alive this time." If you were Ishmael would you feel the same way, or do you think you'd want to fight the Sobels?

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    1. I think I would feel that same way because he got lucky once maybe he would not get so lucky this time around.

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    2. I think I would feel the same way because his life was getting so good - he was moving forward with his rehabilitation, he moved in with his uncle and family, and he had started school again - and then all of that was basically taken.

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  27. How would being fear affect your personality? When Ishmael went to school he was feared when he got there. Do you think that this will affect who he is or do you think it will only strengthen his personality?

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    1. Fear is a box you begin to build about yourself, you start to limit yourself and what you can do . When you overcome fear is shapes you and your personality.

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  28. "My conception of New York City came from rap music. I envisioned it as a place where people shot each other on the street and got away with it; no one walked on the streets, rather people drove in their sports cars looking for nightclubs and for violence." Do you think other countries see America as a place where you can get away with anything? Do you think Ishmael likes how New York actually is? Or do you think he would like it more how it is portrayed in rap?

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  29. Will the child soldiers who got through the war ever be able to get their childhoods back? Or will they be forever scarred by war?

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    1. I think they will be able to get there memories back back but not there childhood I think that is now gone forever. So yes I do think he will be scarred for life.

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    2. I think they will become stronger and grow as individuals on their journey to be "normal" again but they can never completely erase what has happened in their life. They will forever be a child soldier and forever have the memories of war haunt them and being a child soldier will forever define them as a person because it is a part of their past. But they can grow and learn from it and develop as person.

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    3. I believe that the dreams will stay forever but during the day they will be able cope with them but nightmares will be almost inevitable.

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  30. I would also like to know what happens to everyone Ishmael left behind in Sierra Leone. Especially Mohamed, since he has to break the news to his aunt.

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  31. Is this what Corbin is usually like?

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  32. Do you agree with Ishmael's answer "to shoot the monkey and kill his mother to save the other hunters from getting in that predicament?" on page 218

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  33. On page 211 Ishmael says, "Why does everyone keep dying except me?" Do you think that he feels guilty that he's the last of his family alive?

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    1. I think that he feels guilty that out of all the things that he has been through he has been surprised that he hasn't been killed. I think he wishes he could always be with his family somehow, but I don't think he like wishes death on himself. I think he is okay being the last of his family.

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  34. Why do you think Ishmael decides to end the book with that story?

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    1. I think it ties together his journey and his sacrifices in war. All that he has gone through to make him the person he is.

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  35. On page 217 why do you think Ishmael chose to end the book with this story? What is the significance of this story and Ishmael's journey?

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    1. I think he choose to end the novel with a story to show how far he has truly grown throughout the course of his life. And he is summing up that he has become a better person and is positive about the future.

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  36. On page 211 Ishmael says, "Why does everyone keep dying except me?" When Ishmael says this, I think that he is wondering why everyone he loves is being taken away by death. In some senses I am wondering if he feels guilty about being the last one of his family alive. I think he feels very sad to think that everyone from his childhood has disappeared and he has nothing left except his memories. It's very sad that someone as young as him, has had to go through this much grieve and stress. No one should have to go through this much pain and suffering, especially at his age.
    Page 199, " What I have learned from my experiences is that revenge is not good. revenge will never come to an end..." Ishmael is realizing that revenge does not benefit anyone. It does not benefit him, nor does it benefit any of the people he is trying to seek revenge on. And that no matter what, there will always be people trying to seek out revenge.. it is human nature to try and get back at someone for what they had done.
    At the end of the book, I think he chose this story to end the book because it kind of explains his life. No matter what, someone gets killed, no matter the choice. Ishmael had lost everyone.

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