Tuesday, December 1, 2015

A Long Way Gone (From...): December 1, 2015

Focus: What patterns are you noticing in Ishmael's journey so far? How do these patterns connect to the title?

1. Warming up by revisiting your initial brainstorming on the title. Here are the original questions I posed:
  • Have you ever felt a long way gone?
  • What do you think it means to be a long way gone?
  • Thinking about the front and back of this book, what are the possible multiple meanings of being a long way gone for Ishmael Beah? 
Beah references his own title on page 65. What new meanings of the title can you brainstorm now that you're about halfway through?

2. Taking the next steps:

Look at your specialized focus and start trying to establish some larger patterns. Write a thesis-like statement establishing the patterns you're noticing.

For example, yesterday you noticed that music tended to offer Ishmael a literal escape, a metaphorical escape, and a connection to his home and his former self.

Lastly, try to connect those patterns to the title, A Long Way Gone

For example, I might say that Ishmael's music was nearly taken from him in Chapter 10. With each person that treats him with distrust, Ishmael grows a long way gone from his former life and his very humanity.

3. Entering Fishbowl #3: Chapters 9 and 10

4. Trying out "Connecting Clauses" on www.noredink.com

HW:
1. Read Chapter 11 tonight with 2-3 annotations by tomorrow (Wednesday).

2. Finish "Connecting Clauses, Take 1" in www.noredink.com by Thursday; open-note quiz Friday. 

90 comments:

  1. Why does Ishmael Beah avoid using the word "died" in chapter 10? He never says that Saidu dies.

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    1. I think that he wants Saidu to live on in spirit because he will always be with them in spirit

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    2. Maybe because since he has seen all of the public murder, that is what he considers dying, and when Saidu dies, he does not want his death to connect to those public murders that he has seen before.

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    3. I think Ishmael doesn't say he dies because thinking about that will tear him down, he doesn't want to accept it so he avoids it.

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    4. Ishmael never says "died" because he doesn't want to believe it. He doesn't want it to be true so he tries to avoid saying that Saidu died.

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    5. I think because this is the future Ishmael writing this and his life has been plagued by so much death I think he avoids it so it doesn't bring up bad memories.

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    6. The word "die" doesn't actually mean to die, but it means to die down, or to take a chill pill.

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  2. In A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah, music is shown as an escape from the war both physically and mentally because of the way it reminds him of times before the war, it shows that he is only a kid, and it lets his mind drift elsewhere.

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    1. I feel like the cassettes have directly saved their lives more than once, the first occasion was when they caused a past village member to recognize the boys, on the second it let the chief of the village see them as who they are, innocent young boys trying to survive.

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    2. In their condition, being so weak, I do not think that they are able to defend themselves at this time. I mean we will never know because it has not resorted to that yet, so the tapes might have saved their lives

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    3. I think they need the tapes. It symbolizes who they are, and the culture that they come from. So I think they they need the cassette tapes to go along with heir journey.

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    4. I think the cassette tapes are vital to their survival. It has saved them from others but also the monsters inside of themselves. Seeing war, results in things like PTSD, as we have seen in men that have come back from seeing things like killings and bombings. These are kids so it has to be even harder on them, so the cassette tapes are a way for them to deal and handle with the situation not only with villagers they come across but themselves.

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  4. On page 67 the cassette tapes save ishmael again why do you think people change their mind once they hear ishmael rap?

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    1. For a young boy to rap, especially in this culture in the language of the white man, they understand that he could not possibly be any threat. So they understand and see that he is just a boy that means no harm.

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    2. I feel they finally understand that Ishmael is a child, and they can trust him because of this war trust is broken everywhere he goes and him bringing some happiness builds up that trust again.

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  5. Having read the book before I thought that the phrase “a long way gone” meant detachment from humanity. I think the phrase also relates to being so far gone that there is no way to return to what was before. In normal life you can anticipate the future but when Beah is “a long way gone” it was impossible to anticipate, he just had to react.

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  6. “We started walking on the sandy beach… we saw a cluster of huts… there was no one in the village, mortars lay in the sand… fishermen”(59). I wonder why the fishermen are not moving away from the rebels like Ishmael, and why didn't the other villages move away? Couldn't Ishmael have warned them?

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  7. Why do everyone that the boys meet not treat them like the children? Why is needless blame put on them?

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    1. The people that treat them with hostility are the people that have directly witnessed the rebels. A large portion of the rebels consist of children who murder entire villages. People are scared of the power the young boys hold.

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    2. There is a war raging, and in times of war in such a volitile area you cannot trust anyone because everyone wants their village to be safe. There is also rumors of children terrorizing the local villages.

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    3. Ishmael explained that the rebels had used young boys to be a part of them and go into towns and kill. There isn't any trust amongst people and with the rebels acting the way they have you have to be cautious of any foreigners coming into your town.

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  8. "Every time people come at us with the intention of killing us, I close my eyes and wait for death. Even though I am still alive, I feel like each time I accept death, part of me dies."-pg 70 Ishmael tries not to believe that he too is slowly dying as he tries to find safety, but do you think this is the same case for Ishmael as it is for Saidu?

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    1. There is a pattern of the boys finding a small bit of happiness whether it's finding the hut and the food or news about their families, however, death always follows and I think that is what is slowly leading Ishmael into depression.

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  10. On page 70 Saidu says, "How many more times do we have to come to terms with death before we find safety?"(Beah 70). What makes this quote so important, knowing that Saidu died 15 pages later?

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    1. It could forshadow that some of the boys, like Saidu, never find safety on their journey. They may encounter death many times and never find safety.

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    2. It's important because it explains how the war is affecting each person. The war is killing people, and Saidu is saying that we have suffered enough and he wants this ordeal to be over.

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    3. I think it's foreshadowing that something bad might be happening and maybe even death. Also like Garret said, some of the boy will never find safety. They will never again find that comfort zone.

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    4. I think this quote is important because Saidu knows the dangers in this situation and he knows that there is a chance of dying and he understands that so it shows that he is okay with dying.

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  11. I think he thought about his future because he wants to think of it as happiness and he wants to be happy in his future.

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  12. “We walked fast as if trying to stay in the daytime, afraid that nightfall would turn over the uncertain pages of our lives”(88). Being nighttime or daytime in the past had not affected Ishmael that much, why now is he getting more worried.

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    1. I think it's beginning to worry him more now because he's starting to realize how fast unfortunate events can unfold and with nightfall the uncertainty increases and their ability to influence the outcome of events may decrease in their eyes.

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    2. I think its is because of what has happened to him because him and his friends try to block out what has happened to them but once it's night time they start to think about it.

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  14. On page 69, Ishmael Says, "One of the unsettling things about my journey, mentally, or physically, and emotionally, was that i wasn't sure when or where it was going to end." How do you think Ishmael will find this answer? If he finds his brother (alive or not) do you think that this will change his perspective on his journey?

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  15. Is language a source of hostility between members of different tribes in Sierra Leone?

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    1. I think that different languages can help tribes become allies and become hostile.

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    2. I think that some sources of language can be a sign of hostility because many tribes have their own language. But they are all similar, just a few different words. So some tribes can be rivals from one an other based on their language.

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  16. On page 62, it says, "Musa had a round face, and he was short and bulky, with tiny round ears that matched his face. His eyes were big and looked as if they wanted to leave his face. Whenever he wanted to convince us of something, they would brighten." Does this symbolize anything? What does this symbolize?

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  17. “I walked for two days straight without sleeping” (49) Is this a way for Beah to show that he is trying to find his family, or is he just trying to run away from the war?

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    1. Well at different parts, I think it could mean both. He has been trying to run away from the war since the first attack, but recently he started looking for his family

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    2. I think Beah has realized that he is going to get caught by the war at some point, he is just trying to prolong his capture/death.

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  18. On page 76, Beah's grandmother describes Beah's birth, mentioning that the priest who was blessing him decided to name him Ishmael. How do you think the priest comes up with names for each child he blesses?

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    1. I think that at the time he appears to have a god speaking to him, but it also could just be the first thing that comes to his mind.

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  19. What did you think the significance of the Bra Spider was?

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    1. I think the significance of the story was that they can't escape the past but they can still look forward to the future changing

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  20. I think thhe significance of the quote Zach said on page 68 is that the past i always creeping up on him.

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  21. Page 65, the author elaborates on when the men capture the group of boys. Do you think Ishmael is silently mad/upset that the men fail to see that they are just a group of 12 year olds being mistaken as rebels?

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  22. It seems that right now Ishmael is kind of losing his inner hope if you will because of what his mentality its all bad from his dreams-reality

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  23. On page 68 it says "As we walked, we examined the rope marks on our wrists and laughed about what happened to avoid crying." Would you have done the same thing? What does this really say about what is happening to them?

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    1. I think this shows that they are trying to be strong. They are trying not to break down so they choose the better option, trying to seem happy

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    2. I feel like they are so beaten up mentally and physically that they will do anything in order to not think about the bad. In this instance laughing is a way for them to mask the pain and I believe that if I were to endure all of this I would probably do the same because laughing is a way to escape pretty much all emotions.

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  24. I agree with Chris when he said that he isn't looking for the good but avoiding the bad.

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  25. "'I feel like every time I accept death part of me dies, very soon I will completely die and all that will be left is my empty body walking with you.'" (70) This is a quote that was said by Saidu before he died. How do you think this relates to his death? What does Saidu fainting have to do with it?

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  26. I think it is very difficult for Ishmael to forget his past. Ishmael manages to forget it for a little while but he is living a very difficult life and every time something bad happens he begins to struggle with trying to forget his past.

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  27. I believe that ishmael may be slowly losing his hope. but he doesn't let himself show this vulnerability.

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    1. I agree with you, it's noticeable that his hope is gradually decreasing every step he takes on this journey. Although we don't know specifically how he turned into a soldier for the rebels later on, him giving up could be one of the reasons why he turned into a rebel.

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  28. "it was the Atlantic Ocean." (59) How do you think the new setting changes their journey? Do you think it symbolizes something?

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    1. I wrote about this in my journal also, on page 59 it said "... my eyes widened a smile forming on my face." as he saw the ocean, I immediately was kinda relieved when reading this. I think reading about him seeing the ocean was a relief for the reader.

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  29. On page 70 Saidu pitches the question, "How many more times do we need to come to terms with death before we find safety?". My question to you is exactly what he said, but also when will their luck run out?

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    1. I think that their luck is going to run out soon if it hasn't already. The boys keep coming closer and closer to death and now that they have lost one I think they understand the reality of the situation a lot more.

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  30. Ishmael thinks that he is handling these events well but he is obviously struggling because he is a young boy in a harsh adults world.

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    1. I agree, there is no way that a child his age could properly handle a situation like this one.

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    2. I agree with Collette, it's nearly impossible to expect Ishmael to handle the issue properly because he's only a young adolescent. He's inexperienced with these situations (like everyone in the book) and so it's inevitable that he will struggle throughout his whole journey.

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  31. " To survive each passing day was my goal in life" (69) what connection can you make with that

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    1. I think this is the mindset that they have to have. Like here in America most people don't fill their minds with the worry that they maybe won't survive that day.

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    2. I agree with Lizzie's opinion. I think Ishmael hopes to find light at the end of this adventure he's forced to go on which is why he tries to make positive goals to focus on so it distracts him from all the negativity and dark thoughts that have built inside his head.

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  32. On page 70 it says" I feel like each time I accept death, part of me dies." Do you feel like Ishmael will ever get to the point where he does get brainwashed and does think that doing bad is good and does try and kill people because he's so used to it?

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    1. I think Ishmael will experience a time period where he is brainwashed, but there will be a trigger that will bring him back. I think this trigger will be the sun or moon because they seem to be significant in this book.

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    2. Yes, I do think he will eventually be brainwashed because assuming that the rebels are capable of doing whatever they want to people, it's most likely that they will use various techniques to change Ishmael's perspective on murder.

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    3. I honestly think that you cant get used to killing people its just something that humanly you cant get used to

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  33. "Even Kanei, who sometimes had answers, couldn't tell us what we were hearing. We all looked at him and his face contorted with confusion. 'We have to find out it is...'" (58) What other reasons were there for going towards the sound other than what Kanei said? What would they have done if it wasn't the ocean, if it was a village or a rebel base? Did they consider if there were rebels hiding in bushes waiting to ambush any one who was on the beach? Why did they not consider all the possibilities of danger? Did they know what part Africa they were when they were on the village's beach?

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  34. I think the lyrics "When I'm alone in my room sometimes I stare at the wall and in the back of my mind I hear my conscience call" relate to Ishmael Beah in the moments when he focuses on the sun, moon, trees, paths, and rivers because he begins to think of his past. Hope and his family represent his conscience calling because he no longer feels pain or emotion, so he has to take a moment to himself in order for him to feel fulfilled again.

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  35. page 70 it says" I feel like each time I accept death, part of me dies." if ishmael is surrounded by death all the time, does he simply not accept it? Because if he accepts it then he slowly begins to waste away? Is it worst wasting away, or accepting death and slowly dying

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    1. I think its better to accept death and slowly dying because once you accept something it makes it much easier to get past it.

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  36. Like they are saying in the inner circle, does he ever feel like killing himself is a better option? How long does he think he'll be doing this and does he still have hope?

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    1. I don't think he ever puts the option of death in consideration. I think he refuses to give up , despite the fact his hope is slowly dying, because in the beginning of the book he assumed that the war would be over in no time. I think that's a small part of his motivation because he could believe that if he hangs on a little longer, the war will be over and him suffering will be worth it.

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  37. What do you think would happen if Ishmael accepts that he could die? How would that change his journey?

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    1. Ishmael won't accept that he can die. He believes in something and that thing will keep him going.

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    2. Im sure that always crosses his mind, but he continues to have hope and fight. Which is my big question, why? After all this just happening to him and his freedom just taken away, why does he continue to battle through this situation?

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  38. On page 60, why did they decide to bring pain to the boys instead of just chasing them out and let them have their shoes? Why would the rebels want the village? Do the rebels really have a reason to attack or are they just random attacks? Why didn't the villagers search the boys for weapons or evidence of innocence the first time they were in the village?
    What would the chief have done if they told the truth and said the guy let them in his hut? How did the villagers find out about them hiding in the guy's hut? Did the guy tell them someone broke in his house? Did the mom tell them?

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    1. I think that he would stop fighting away the bad and it would take him over and he would always be that way and probably die.

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    2. I feel like all of his motivation will be lost and his will to survive will be totally gone. If that were to happen and he would to run into another group of people looking to kill him, then he would just accept what they want whether it be death because he knows that death has going to come soon anyways.

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  40. Thats why I think Ishmael never stays in a village for a long period of time because of this war and how if he gets really close to someone and then ends up losing them he will hurt even more inside then he already does.

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  41. On page 70, the group of boys Ishmael is with is welcomed warmly in the village they visited. How come the people didn't cower in fear from them? Didn't they think that the boys were secret spies for the rebels?

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    1. I think it might have been because the area they were in was not as taken over by the rebels. I think the people in the village didn't know that they should fear them.

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  42. Can Ishmael gain "the same personality" back after everything he has been through.

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  43. Going off of what Ms. Leclaire said on page 85 "But Saidu didn't move" then you know that he had lost yet another thing our of the few things that have been going in his life.

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