Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Finding Themo: December 8, 2015

Focus: What greater, thematic understanding of A Long Way Gone does Beah want us to have?

1. Warming up poetically: creating a found poem to understand themes in A Long Way Gone

2. Enjoying Fishbowl #5: Chapters 17 and 18 of A Long Way Gone

3. Wrapping up with big takeaways (thematic statements)

HW:
1. Finish reading and annotating A Long Way Gone for Thursday, which is our final fishbowl. I would recommend reading at least Chapter 19 tonight.

2. Please finish "Connecting Clauses, Take 2" on www.noredink.com by Thursday. It takes around five minutes.

3. Monday, December 14 will be the last day to turn in any revisions or make-up work for this class. NO WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THIS DATE.

92 comments:

  1. Why does Esther ask if Ishmael wants to be friends?

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    1. I think that each staff member is trying to form a relationship with a boy as a part of their rehabilitation. Also Ishmael seems to be pretty popular with the other boys so if Ishmael admits that the war was a mistake, the others will follow.

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  3. Do you think the sister figure that Esther resembles helps or makes Ishmael feel worse throughout his rehabilitation?

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    1. I think it makes him feel better because he said he never had a sister and it was nice having "family" to be able to vent to

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  4. That night we told all the boys about the tall buildings in the city,the noise, the cars, and the markets. Everyone was excited and wanted to go to the city after that." (Beah 148). What do you think is the motivation of these 3rd world country kids? What makes them happy and how does that compare to us?

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    1. They get happy because of things we see everyday such as cars, markets, tall buildings. But we get happy about chipotle and money and stuff they never think about.

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    2. All that the young soldiers have ever known is small village life. Their entire lives were centered around a couple of huts which is much different from young men like us because we have the ability to travel anywhere in our lives.

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  5. In the middle paragraph on page 168, Ishmael expresses his feeling about Esther. How and what does this help for the both of them?

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    1. It gives Ishmael a reason to trust, care, and have hope. Esther has shown him the affection he needs as a young boy and she is giving him some of the childhood that was stolen from him back.

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  7. On page 168 Ishmael writes, "I smiled back and forgot about my loneliness for the time being." Is he fully healed? What is the next step for him now that he is doing better?

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    1. Even though he had a moment of relief and understanding, I do not thin he is fully healed because he is still having constant outbreaks and it hurts to think about his past.

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    2. I think Ishmael needs to keep his relationship with Esther and keep opening up. Then eventually he could finally get over the fact that he killed many people, and learn that it was not his fault. This was the only way to survive to join the army.

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    3. I agree with Sully. This does not heal him, it just gives him a feeling of comfort for the time being. But this is big for Beah because he does not feel this relief often.

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  8. When the boys are being treated, they react in different ways when people say “This isn’t your fault, you know. It really isn’t. You’ll get through this.” Do you think that they know the magnitude of what they have done in their pasts and do you think that they blame themselves or the adults that influenced them?

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    1. I think that as soon as the boys realize that the war was a negative time in their life they would immediately blame themselves for the atrocities. That would lead them into depression and that's why the staff is making sure that the boys know that they are victims.

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    2. I think they don't really know what they did because it became such a regular occurance and all the drugs made it so much worse. They blame themselves because every time someone tells them it wasn't their fault they get mad because it is annoying and they know they killed people. Also when they first get to the rehab place they like attack other patients and even kill one of the guards so they are addicted to killing.

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    3. I don't think the boys realize what they have done because they were brainwashed so it's like second nature to them. War was the biggest part of these boys lives during that time. I think as time goes by the boys slowly learn what they were and how they became that way. But they probably blame themselves because they're so overwhelmed.

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    4. I think as time goes on, the boys will start to realize that they have done terrible things and like Graham said that would lead to depression. Once they realize what they've done, they will feel terrible.

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  9. They compare to us differently because they come from a place that has absolutely nothing and we come from a place that doens't expirience poverty in that type of way.

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  10. On page 156 Ishmael said "Some people were injured, but not so severely as to keep them from fighting; others, like myself, had received many bullet wounds that they ignored." Do you think that this will eventually effect Ishmael later on after the war?

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    1. He possibly could be affected by diasease if the injuries weren't cleaned the right way.

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  11. The cassette tapes haven't really been present for a while so when they come back, what does it symbolize, and how can the music and cassette tapes make a difference?

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    1. I think now the happiness that they bring him reminds him of the life he had before the war. Esther buys him a Walkman and some cassettes which Ishmael loves. They are a contributing factor to his healing process.

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    2. I think the cassette tapes symbolize hope because It could bring back the old Ishmael. Also I think the cassette tapes will make a huge difference or it will have a big impact on Ismael.

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    3. I think the music coming back is also a sign of Ishmael coming back. Once he went off to war, he became a new person. Ishmael said on page 153, “I liked being alone." We saw earlier in the book when he went and jumped in the river with all those strangers, that he was disappointed when they didn't want him there and didn't trust him. We have seen the cassette tapes save his life during near death experiences but I think this is another case where the cassette tapes save his life.

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  12. During chapter 18 Ishmeal meets his uncle and he learns more about his dad. Will this be enough family for Ishmael or is this another start for an exploration for his family?

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    1. I think that he will need to meet all the family members that he can because it help him heal and learn to love people again.

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    2. I agree with Dawson, the best thing to do is get close to all of the family he has left. That will help him heal and build strong relationships that he needs.

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    3. I think it will definitely bring hope to his life and spark that motivation again

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  13. "We fought all day in the rain. The forest was wet and the rain washed the blood off the leaves as if cleansing the surface of the forest, but the dead bodies remained under the bushes and the blood that poured out of the bodies stayed on top of the soaked soil, as if the soil had refused to absorb any more blood for that day"(144) Is this showing how the entire country is tired of the war? do you think that this is hinting towards the end of the war?

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    1. I think it is showing how often and common the war is; "-as if the soil had refused to absorb any more blood for that day."

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    2. I think this symbolizes more of the country bleeding with the chaos. The war was hurting the ground just as much as the citizens.

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    3. I think this symbolizes hope and how the soil is kind of tired of all of the death and killing and it hopes for a new life and the country returns to its normal state.

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    4. I think this is telling us that the war was getting so out of hand to the point where not only the people were tired of it, but the "soil" and environment was getting tired of it too. This quote says that the war was becoming pointless.

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  14. Jack brought up a great question. The kids don't experience what we experience in America, and what we are exposed to as children and young adults.

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  15. "None of what happened was your fault. You were just a little boy, and anytime you want to tell me anything, I am here to listen" Is Esther the most supportive to Ishmael? Is she like family to him?

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    1. Yes, Esther has totally taken Ishmael under her wing and has totally changed him. Her constant kindness is exactly what Beah needed. Even when he doesn't accept it at first she doesn't quit.

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    2. Most of the boys that were rescued are orphans so the only people that they could connect to in their younger lives were soldiers. This leads to them finding it hard to express themselves and vent to other people.

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    3. Ishmael probably feels like Esther is in a way family or a good friend. I just wonder if Ishmael will feel betrayed if Esther leaves without contacting him, because she meets with many of these boys so I don't think she will stay in contact with all of them so Ishmael could just be a patient.

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    4. I dont know if she is family but she is the key to his recovery and without her he might not be as stable as he is now

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  16. What if Ishmael never told Esther about his past? How would that effect him?

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    1. I feel that if he didn't tell him that his emotions would be bottled up and he wouldn't have an outlet.

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    2. He would still be isolated and the recover process would not be as far as it is now.

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    3. I believe it would make his recovery into a civilian life would be much more difficult for him.

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  17. "I was quiet for a bit, as I didn't know what to say and also didn't trust anyone at this point in my life." Given the insanity that Ishmael has been through, and how Ishmael's future turns out (As seen in the prologue), how do you think Ishmael works his way back to a normal life full of happiness and trust?

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  18. Do you think Esther will play a major role in Ishmael's life overall or do you think she will just be a mentor for a short part of the book?

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    1. I think Esther will be there for a longer period of time than most of the people that were in his journey. I think she will teach him a lot.

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    2. I think Esther will play a large roll in Ishmael's rehabilitation and life overall whether or not she is mentioned again.

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  19. If Ishmael never told Esther about his past, do you think that would have affected him? Or do you think it wouldn't have made much of a difference.

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    1. I think it helps everyone to be able to express what is bothering them on the inside. I also think it is good that she is so understanding or it would make the issue much worse.

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  21. How long do you think the rehabilitation process will take for Ishmael? Will he ever beable to recover?

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    1. I think he will. We see Ishmael in the prologue living in New York, escaping the war. I think he will have some serious PTSD, but I believe he will be normal again someday.

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    2. It definitely won't be a quick process. I think eventually he might be able to heal, but I feel like this is something that isn't easy to heal from.

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  22. "I looked into the sky and felt as if the moon was following us." (p166) The sky and the moon are no longer angry or scared. Previously in the book, whenever the sky was mentioned, it mirrored Ishmael's feelings of anxiety, but now the sky is at peace. That could lead the reader to believe that Ishmael is now on the path to peace.

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    1. I agree with this. He sees more of the beauty in the world now instead of all of the downsides of life. This is a sure sign that his depression is being cured.

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  23. His nightmares symbolize how he has changed and has his mind is comprehending his current situation and how he views it and that it is to much to process so thats why he has nightmares.

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  24. Will his migraines last forever?

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    1. Once he stops going through withdrawal and rehabilitates, they'll probably go away and only come in increments if even

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    2. I think that as conditions improve for Ishmael he will heal physically and mentally. Things like this take time.

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  25. Does the dream in chapter two represent Ishmael now?

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    1. I think his dreams symbolize what he is feeling. So maybe.

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    2. I think his dreams have progressed throughout the book based on his current state.

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  26. "I was quiet for a bit, as I didn't know what to say and also didn't trust anyone at this point in my life." Has Ishmael lost everything he cares about in his life? Do even the smaller things like his music affect him?

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    1. I really think that he has lost everything. I don't think he understands how to trust because he is so afraid of the trust being broken. He has lost so much in such a short period of time it was scared him in a way so he no longer is able to get close to anyone or trust anyone.

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  27. There has been no use of music in these last few chapters, when he gets to listen to it again will this make him feel more like a kid and how he used to be?

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    1. I think music always represented that hope that there is something better, and while he was a solider he didn't have any of that hope. Now he is in a rehabilitation center and that hope is coming back, along with music.

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    2. I agree with Collette. Music is a way of hope for him. And the times where he has had no hope and not been himself, there hasn't been music. But I think now that his humanity is slowly coming back, the music will come back in too.

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  28. "'None of what happened was your fault. You were just a little boy'" (160) Why do you think they keep using the phrase, "Its not you fault"? Do you think it's a form of classical conditioning?

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    1. I think it's just to keep the kids in a halfway decent mental state. Guilt would only make things worse.

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    2. After trauma, lots of people blame themselves, even when it is truly out of their control, so therapists have to repeat to work it into the patient's mind

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    3. I understand why Ishmael gets aggravated whenever someone says that to him, however I do think it is a form of classical conditioning. He had the same reaction to the phrase until Esther genuinely said it to him, so now he is beginning to believe it.

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    4. I think it is a way for him to recover from classical conditioning in his past. This phrase is used as a recovery it is very similar to children who are afraid of loud sounds because of their past and parents reassuring them and showing them the source of their fear.

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    5. I think it is a form of classical conditioning. You have to let them know that what happened isn't their fault, they aren't monsters, and slowly bring the humanity back.

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  29. Doesn't have amazing people skills in trust and to get close to someone because of how isolated he was and for how long and what he has been going through non stop moving, going village to village take sometime to get some what trust worthy of people again.

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  30. Esther is playing a bit of a mother-figure in these chapters. Do you think that she will end up being a more permanent mother-figure in his life?

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    1. I am not sure if she could ever be a permanent mother-figure but she could still be a great influence in his life.

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    2. I think that they will still talk later on. I think she will become less of a mother figure and more of a friend and mentor. I think most people who go though things like this tend to stay close with the people who went though it with them

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  31. Why believe it never happened when he is plagued with memories of war?

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  32. What do you think Ishmael's recovery would have looked like without Esther?

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    1. I don't think he would have had a recovery without her

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  33. "How did you know I like rap music?"
    How did she know that he liked rap music?

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  34. I think that we can only understand PTSD for an amount of time but then we expect everything to go back to normal and for that person to be the same as they were before they lost part of themselves to war.

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  35. "She had the most beautiful and open smile, and she was laughing a lot" I think that he is seeing that he can have emotions more now then he knew when he was in the war. What do you guys think about this statement?

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  36. In order for Ishmael to heal he has to be patient and accepting of his past.

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  37. I think that if he found his way back to his family they would take him back with open arms because they know what he had gone through. I think he would have not wanted them to forgive him.

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  38. On page 153 Ishmael has just met Esther. Esther said, "My name is Esther and we should be friends." How would Ishmael's recovery look different without Esther, and why do you think Esther is important to Ishmael?

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  39. Ismael is very unhealthy at this point, how much time will it take for him to recover?
    Something like this is very hard for Ishmael because ever since her was a small child, his brain has been filled with horrible war images. I think the readers can know this because of the nightmares he has.
    How will Esther be apart of Ishmaels life from now on?

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