Thursday, November 19, 2015

The Great Outdoors: November 19, 2015

Shortened Class: Advisement Schedule

Focus: How does Beah use setting for a larger purpose?

1. Warming up with yesterday's activity on using setting and imagery to create meaning (click HERE for yesterday's Google doc)

2. Enjoying A Long Way Gone Fishbowl: Chapters 6, 7, and 8

3. Wrapping up with a question, observation, or take-away

HW: 
1. Book talks tomorrow! Woo hoo! If you have not given yours yet, you must be prepared to deliver your speech tomorrow (Friday).

2. Your next A Long Way Gone reading assignment is due Tuesday, Dec 1: Chapters 9 and 10 (29 pages--it's the long one, so divide the reading up in a way that works for you).

105 comments:

  1. How can things ever get better in Sierra Leone if everyone is afraid of the rebels?

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    1. I think there will be a group of people that will stand up against the rebels and try to take back Sierra Leone. Also I think that other nations could step in and help take out the rebels.

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    2. The only way they can figure things out, is if they get help from an outside country's military, or if everyone in the country is willing to stand up and rebel. I feel that if another country, that has a strong military sees the horrible things that are happening to this country, then their human helping instinct will cause them to help a country in need.

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    3. I feel like everyone will always be scared of people with guns that are willing to kill anyone on sight. Unfortunately, even if they accepted the rebels and let them run the country, it wouldn't be long until another rebellion broke out to overtake the new leaders.

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    4. Just like Ethan said, I believe Africa in general is never going to improve its living conditions unless other nations help them out by coming in and attacking the rebels.

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  2. "Even though we tried to convince them otherwise, the villagers grew certain the rebels weren’t coming, and so they ordered us from our scouting posts and out into the fields. It wasn’t easy"-pg 41 If you were in this position, would you stay or would you go?

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    1. Are you talking from a villager standpoint, or one of the six boys standpoint? If I was a villager, I would stay in the village with my family. If I was one of the boys I would stay too because the village is giving them shelter, food, and water.

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    2. I would stay because it said in the book that its hard to trust people, even ones that are close to you. Not to mention the fact that we know that the rebels are coming and they have already wrecked havoc in multiple villages, so prior knowledge would almost make it like common sense to stay and not go into the fields.

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  3. "Was there am end to all this madness, was the any future for me beyond the bushes?" (45). Ishmael makes a very good point because he spent most of his time hiding in bushes from the rebels. He also gives us a glimpse of his future, but will it be a good one?

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    1. I think there are multiple reasons why his future will be better. For starters, the back of the book... But if he survives the war (we already know that) then when the war is over life will be better for everyone in Sierra Leone

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    2. I think he is trying to show that even though he has been through these terrible things he found his way back kinda like in the Kite Runner" there is a way to be good again".

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  4. What kind of events lead the boys to be completely separated if they were all in the same house at the time of the attack? Did they just scatter and not find a way back together?

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    1. I think in their panic they all ran for themselves and some may have been caught or they didn't get lucky enough to end right next to each other a second time.

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  5. Do you think their music saved their lives?

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    1. I think it did save their lives, as Ishmael said. It raised questions that when answered, led to them being recognized by a town member.

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    2. "He remembered us from performances we had done" (Beah 39). The kid who recognized them because of their music, saved their lives.

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    3. On pg. 39 there is a good example on how music saved their lives. They got tied up mistaken as rebels and they proved that they went to school before the government picked them up and their music and performances that they did at school got remembered by a kid in the village so they were saved.

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  6. On page 53 Ishmael tells us the story of the hunter and the pigs why do you think he put this story in and what does this symbolize?

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  7. In response to graham in the inner circle War can unite a nation with people coming together forgetting about the small problems and focusing on the pride of your country but it can also destroys a nation because it brings fear to the country which can do crazy things to people and can destroy many relationships.

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  8. "It is difficult to explain how it happened, but I mounted the coconut tree quite fast and unexpectedly"-pg 47 He had struggled to get to this food his entire life but he was able to do it effortlessly one time but then couldn't a second time. What does this represent? His ability to come through when it is a dire situation?

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  9. Why doesn't the villagers believe that Ishmael is harmless? Do they not believe anyone anymore?

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    1. Its because the rebels aren't using men there using boys so when the parents sees a group of boys they automatically think it has to be the rebels.

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    2. They thought they were rebels because it was a group of six boys walking from village to village with guns and when rebels do that they go through all the villages and kill everyone there.

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  10. "Everything felt awkwardly brutal. Even the air seemed to want to attack me and break my neck" (49). The brutality of the rebels is beginning to stretch towards the land itself, giving off the feeling that everything wants you dead. How would you feel if you were put in the same position as Ishmael? Would you be able to power on or would you breakdown?

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  11. Bridging off of Clayton's comment, do you think that Ishmael's access to music throughout his journey helped save his humanity? What would have happened if he did not have the music?

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  12. "It was during that attack in the village of Kamator that my friends and I separated. It was the last time I saw Junior, my older brother"(Beah 43). According to the hero's journey, you have to reach your lowest low. Do you think the events on page 13, where he saw men, women and children dead, is his lowest low? Or is it on page 43 where he sees his brother for the last time?

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    1. I think losing his brother was his lowest low, because losing his family brought him down low, but losing the rest of the group brought him even lower, so I think that shows he is close to his lowest without any family or friends.

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  13. "One of the elders stood up and added to what my father had said: 'I pray to the gods ad ancestors that your family will always be together, even when one of you crosses into the spirit world. To family and community' The old man raised his open hands in the air. My father came over and stood by my mother and motioned for Junior and me to come closer. We did, and my father put his arms around us. The gathering clapped and the photographer took a few snapshots. I pressed my fingers on my eyelids to hold back my tears and wished that I could have my family together again," (45). This shows that the rebels have taken a lot away form not only Ishameal, but from his other family members as well. Why does this memory stick more than anything and how could it turn good again?

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  14. I think war unites a nation because through all of the tragedies and death that come with war, many people become stronger as a result of all this chaos. I think depending on whether you win the war or not can also unite a nation. War destroys nations because of death. Especially the death of family members, friends, innocent people. All of this is happening to instill fear. I think the war in Sierra Leone got more out of hand than it was intended to be. I think the R.U.F wanted to prove to the people that their government was corrupt, and they soon realized that the best way to do it was to kill villagers and recruit young boys as soldiers. I think that this wasn't their original plan, I imagined a war between government troops and the R.U.F. But instead, the war destroyed Sierra Leone more than it united it.

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  15. What do you think will Ishmeal's "call to adventure" be now that he has lost his brother?

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    1. I think his call to adventure already was that he was picked up by the government and forced to be a child soldier.

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  16. On page 48 Ishmael says, "I am from Mattru Jong and I have no idea where I am going." This is definitely a literal trait, but do you think that inside himself he is lost, trying to find his place in the world while the world is going on?

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    1. I definitely believe that his physical loss of direction shows his emotional because he's just a kid alone in a place ravaged by war. This would scar anyone, much more if you're a child who just lost the people you felt safer with.

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  17. If they didn't get separated then I think they would just work together and think of the positive and just find places to live and eat.

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  18. On page 43, at the bottom of the page, it says, "It was during that attack in the village of Kamator that my friends and I separated. It was the last time I saw Junior, my older brother." What does he mean by that? What happened to Junior?

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  19. " I had passed through burnt villages where dead bodies of men, women, and children of all ages were scattered like leaves on the ground after a storm. Their eyes still showed fear, as if death hadn't freed them from the madness that continued to unfold," (49). Why does he talk about the facial expressions of dead people? Why does he take the time to express on how other people felt bedsides how he felt

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  20. "...but the eye of my mind refused to be closed and continued to plague me with images," (49). Why do these images affect him so much? Why is always thinking of others?

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    1. He saw people being brutally murdered in his own eyes. That would be kinda hard to forget.

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  21. "I was hungry, but I didn't have the appetite to eat or the strength to find food."(49) This shows how much of a struggle it is to survive in the wild, and how everything really works against you.

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  22. On page 26, Beah tells us he decided to leave the hiding place to wonder somewhere else where there was a village he could possibly find peace in. What I don't understand is why he would leave...considering his situation he's facing now, I don't think there would be any village that hold peace within itself. Why do you think he would leave?

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  23. "These children now patrolled in special units, killing and maiming civilians." Chapter 6
    Using boys as soldiers was really to the rebels advantage because it's hard to fight against kids who are younger than you because they are to young to die. It is easier just to let them be because the guilt of killing a kid lasts forever.

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  24. ¨Often my shadow would scare me and cause me to run for miles.¨ 49
    What do you think he exactly means by this?

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    1. i think this just shows how frightened he was of the world around him

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    2. I think that he means that because he doesn't want people after him and also people are with him because he was scared the rebels were going to come after him.

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    3. Seeing all the times he tried to block out his thinking because it scared him, his shadow could signify the dark and horrifying thoughts his mind crept to causing him to be terrified and try and "run" from that kind of thinking.

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    4. I think, because everyone is showing their fear toward kids, Beah becomes afraid of himself. No one is giving the group of boys a chance so he is beginning to believe that he does not deserve a chance.

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  25. What symbols/motifs did you discover from Chapters 6,7, and 8?

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    1. Symbols that I saw were ones that Beah described on his experience of when he went through the village and saw all of the dead women, children, and men on page 49. He described the looks on their dead faces were still of terror and this truly describes how the rebels were. It shows the terror that the rebels brought and the horrific things that they did.

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  26. "once again i was with a group of boys." (55) do you think its just the boys he doesn't like or do you think he just doesn't like being in a group?

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    1. I think that he might be thinking whether or not he is better off just to go on his own, but I don't think the gender of the group has an impact.

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  27. In which way do you believe music saved his life? Reference around page 39.

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    1. The person from the village recognized the rap music they played, so they were not killed because they then knew they weren't rebels.

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  28. The boys may be hiding in the bushes simply because they are boys. A child without an adult in this time raises concern. At this time tribes and cultures need to stick together, any insiders are seen as a threat

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  29. Chapter 7.
    When the rebels came out of know where it would be hard to fight back because they dont have much weaponry and know one was ready so they were caught off guard.

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  30. living in this time, how does one become happy? How does he find his way out? How does he know how to relive his life, when he keeps coming back to these days? How does he fall asleep at night? When does he find himself? How does he know he's not what they make him?

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  31. ¨Often my shadow would scare me and cause me to run for miles.¨ Page 49. This quote is really meaningful to how he acted. He was basically scared of everything and had to be on high alert at all times.

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  32. i agree with katie. I think that if your life is in danger that your body will allow you to do everything you can to save your life. this includes him climbing the coconut tree. its just natural survival instinct.

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  33. On page 48 Ishmael had just dove into a river to wash off when he asked a dad, "Where are you and your family headed? He ignored my question and pretended he didn't hear me." Why do you think that the man didn't answer Ishmael's question?

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    1. i think its because nobody trusts anyone at the point in time

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    2. He didn't answer his question because all trust was lost throughout every village. Meaning, he assumed that Ishmael was either a spy or a rebel. So, on instinct he tried to stay away from Ishmael simply because he wanted to protect his family.

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    3. He probably was afraid to tell him, because in the war, it can be rough emotionally to trust people

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    4. I think the man didn't answer him because he was afraid of Ishmael.

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  34. "Being in a group of six boys was not to our advantage."-37 Why do you think being in a group of boys would be a disadvantage? What qualities do boys have that would make them not work well in a team?

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    1. It was not their advantage because in others' perception, they only see those group of boys as a group of rebels or spies.

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    2. Boys tend to be more aggressive, so that could just cause problems on who gets things like water and food. That could possibly start things like fights.

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    3. I think that one of the disadvantages that they could face are that they are a group of guys and people could assume that they are rebels. " One day, as soon as we had left the forested area of a village we had bypassed, a group of huge, muscular men sprang from the bushes onto the path in front of us. Raising their machetes and hunting rifles, they ordered us to stop". they could be in a lot of trouble or they could look like they are rebels the example they had to get stopped to make sure that they were not rebels. So that is what the disadvantage is. They would all think that they all have the right idea because they are in life saving experience. They can argue. They need to sick though because they don't have anyone else with them.

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    4. I don't think that because they were boys it caused an issue. I think that the size of the group made it easier for the boys to get caught, and all of the food that the group got would have to be split among five people.

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  35. "I looked at Junior, whose face was sweating. He had been so quiet lately. He looked at me and smiled a little before his face resumed its dullness." (39) Why did Ishmael notice Junior's quietness more that the others? Is it because they are brothers? Because everyone else just seemed the same as before everything happened? Or because Junior was going a longer time without saying anything and his silence was deafening? Why was Junior more noticeable than the others? Was he quiet because he has nothing to say? Or is he just in shock with everything they have experienced so far? Or is he thinking about their family and what they could be going through at the time?

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  36. "These days I live in three worlds: my dreams, and the experiences of my new life, which trigger memories from the past." (20) What can you relate to that quote?

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    1. Well I think you can relate to this quote because it resembles thinking about your past, present, and future.

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  37. On page 55 Kanei says "Circumstances will change and things will be fine, just hold on a little more." Why do you think Ishmael included this quote in this part of the book when he was at such a low point?

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    1. He probably added this in the book to allow the audience to look forward to the shed of light that will soon happen in the book.

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    2. I feel like where things get tough you feel like it's going to be like that forever. But he just needs a push and some help and he will get over the lows and things will eventually get better

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  38. "People were terrified of boys our age. Some had heard rumors about young boys being forced by rebels to kill their families and burn their villages" Page 37. Why do think that people just assume that all boys his age are bad? Is that a stereotype or is it people are just terrified of everyone?

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    1. It's not a stereotype. Your second estimation is actually somewhat correct. Also, they are aware that boys around their age were captured to become a rebel and so the people were scared that Ishmael and the others were one of the rebels.

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  39. 'After seeing all the things he went through, how come at any point he hasn't just given up? I don't think I could last that long.

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    1. Humans are very resilient, especially when they're desperate and stuck, they always do amazing things

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  40. "Their eyes still showed fear, as if death hadn't freed them from the madness that continued to unfold." Chapter 8
    I love this quote. It shows that the terror the people were experiencing, the way they died, was not right and them being dead did not change the way there bodies felt. The looks on there face was to be the fear of there village, there loved ones, there friends, that they died to soon to know if they were okay. They didn't leave peacefully and even when they did pass, there fear stayed with them.

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  41. "I pressed my fingers on my eyelids to hold back my tears and wished that I could have my family back together again." (Beah 45) He has tried to hide or mask his sadness and his fear of being alone. He knows that he can't go on this journey alone and needs someone to walk with.

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    1. I somewhat disagree with you. Your analysis makes perfect sense except, this would lead to the questioning of why Ishmael left the hiding place alone to go find peace in another village.

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  42. "...a group of huge, muscular men sprang from the bushes onto the path in front of us." I think this resembles the pictures that we looked at yesterday. He sees his past so clearly and when he closes his eyes he feels every emotion that his body felt at the time.

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  43. "When we went to the river to wash our faces, mothers would grab their children and run home." pg. 57 This shocked me a lot, because he talks about mothers grabbing their kids because they are terrified... But he is a kid also!

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    1. I think that mothers that still have their kids are just extra careful around anyone. He is a kid but he doesn't have any parents but I think that it is difficult to tell if they are terrified or not.

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  44. Survival instincts are key in this book. You have to learn how to take care of yourself, with no questions asked. How did this affect Ishmael? Was he worried that he couldn't do it without his family? Was it easier or harder than he thought it would be? Was dying or killing himself an option for him? How long would it be until it was?

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    1. i think its just hard for him because he was kind of forced to take care of himself in a short period of time with not much preparation. Us as kids have our parents until we are able to think for ourselves and we aren't just forced to take care of ourselves because most of the time we have the 2nd hand support of our parents.

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    2. I thought a lot of these same questions when reading... I know if I was put into his place as such a young kid, I would absolutely be scared to do it without my family. Above I also asked if giving up was ever on his mind... What drove him to continue on and battle?

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  45. Will Ishmael ever find a stable village to live at? Do you think eventually he will not stop at any more villages?

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  46. I agree with the inside circle when they said Ishmaels call to adventure is survival, thats really all he can try to do. He has to do everything in his power to stay alive under the worst conditions.

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    1. I also agree. We can count the countless times the he has had the will to survive and how it has kept him alive. Everything seems to go in his favor of survival.

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  47. "He remembered us from performances we had done" (Beah 39). If he hadn't discovered music in the first place he would have never been noticed and helped. His life was saved because of music in a way.

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  48. Music has an impact on Ishmaels life. But is music the biggest goal or motivator for Ishmael?

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    1. I think his biggest goal and motivator is just survival.

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    2. No, I don't think its neither his goal or motivation. His goal is probably to survive and not get captured by the rebels. Then his motivation would probably be as long as he keeps walking far away from everyone else, it'll decrease the chances of being caught by the rebels.

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    3. I think that music is a calming method for him

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  49. I think that music does something great for Ishmael. Rather than being in a violent world, he can escape and drift off thanks to his music.

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    1. Isn't some rap music violent?

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    2. @AngieH That's true but the rap music Ishmael carried did not hold violence. It consisted of joy and happiness.

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  50. Going back to Kite Runner, Hazans kid tried to kill himself after Amir told him he had to go back to an orphanage. When is Ishmael's breaking point? What will drive him to the edge and how will he rise from it?

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  51. "It was the last time I saw Junior, my older brother" (Beah 43). At this point, after losing his brother, what is motivating him to go on?

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  52. How do you think Ishmael will change by the end of the book?

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  53. Bridging off of Clayton's comment, do you think that Ishmael's access to music throughout his journey helped save his humanity? What would have happened if he did not have the music?

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  54. I think, because everyone is showing their fear toward kids, Beah fears himself and his decisions. Along with that, no one is giving the group of boys a chance so he doesn't give himself one.

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  55. If music helps Ismael a lot now, what else is it going to do for him? What other situations will it help him with? Is music like a motivation for Ismael?
    Being a group of boys could be dangerous for the friends because people could likely confuse them for child soldiers. This is bad because it can lead to them getting hurt or even worse.
    I think Ismael's call to adventure is to find his family and protect his friends.

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  56. If music helps Ismael a lot now, what else is it going to do for him? What other situations will it help him with? Is music like a motivation for Ismael?
    Being a group of boys could be dangerous for the friends because people could likely confuse them for child soldiers. This is bad because it can lead to them getting hurt or even worse.
    I think Ismael's call to adventure is to find his family and protect his friends.

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