Week #5 Post

Question 1:

I think this book did a good job of showing us, family are the people we have grown to love. Even though Ishmael was taken from his village where his blood family lives, he met a new family. He wasn’t related to them, nor did he want to be with them in the begging. But he found out that in the end, they were his friends, and he grew to love them like a family.

Question 2:

I think Ishmael choose to include this in his story because he wanted to inform of us a part of the song that was important to him. The song probably meant something to him, considering the love he showed for his hometown of Sierra Leone. However, I think the topic “being a free person, in a free country” is debatable. But to me, it means living somewhere where you have rights as a person. I do think that the USA is an excellent example a free country. As US citizens we have rules to follow and laws to abide by, but as a nation we are powerful because of the freedom we fortunately have.   `

Week #4 Post

I think that some things do make us weaker with time, rather than make us stronger. Ishmael had lost his mother, father, grandmother, brothers, friends, and the whole village was broken. He was far from home with nothing to do but worry that the LRA would find him. Not only was he scared, he was helpless. He had no money, and little food. And although he was alive, this new life was breaking him down more and more each second he lived it. He wasn't living the life of a little boy anymore. He was living the life of a child solider. Before I read this story I was a believer in the quote "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger". Unfortunately this story has changed my point of view. While Ishmael did grow and get stronger, other people did not grow and became weak. Luckily for Ishmael he had what it took to get out and start a new life. But not all could simply grow stronger. They grew weaker and weaker and eventually became nothing.

Week #3 Post

I would like to say I can relate, but i honestly can’t. I have never felt like there was nobody out there I couldn’t trust. Throughout the novel you see examples of how he was mistreated because of the civil war. While Ishmael and his friends were running from the LRA they hid in many cities. At one of these cities Ishmael found a man who offered him a living space without the village knowing. After a few days of staying in hiding, there were caught and brought to the village leader. Most people thought he was part of the child army. Until his rap tapes were found, it was assumed that a little boy was there to kill.

Week #2 Post

Ishmael clearly had his childhood stolen away from him by Kony. Throughout this weeks reading pages, he talked about how looking at the stars was what he did during the night. It was basically the only thing that could keep him from thinking about his family. I think the stars consoled him because it gave him some time away from all the hardships he was dealing with at the moment and just relax. When I have hard times, like Ishmael, I like to get away and do something that takes my mind away from things.

~Marina

Week #1 Post

This week in class we watched the documentary "Solider Child". The film showed how unfortunate the children who have escaped the "bush" really are. This movie really showed me how much these children suffer. Before seeing the film, i knew about Kony and the LRA. But i didn't know how bad it really is for the children who are forced to follow in the Rebels footsteps. I truly felt empathy for the 13 year old, James, who had to watch the rebels kill his brother. Seeing anyone die is horrid, but can you imagine that person being someone who is as close to you as your brother? I know if I were James I would never be able to recover from loosing someone so important to you, to heartless killers like the LRA.

Author's Biography

Hi, my name is Marina Trolinger! This blog is for my thoughts on the book "A Long Way Gone"