A Long Way Gone.
Page : 6 paragraph 8
Dialouge between Ishmael & freinds
"You mean you saw people running around with guns and shooting each other?"
"Yes, all the time. "
"Cool"
Significance:
I thought that this quote really portrayed the life of the main character before Ishmael left his homeland. His friends seem to have the opposite reaction to the events Ishmael witnessed. Ishmael's friends in America think it is cool, while he clearly does not. I think that the most logical explanation for this is because they have never experienced anything like a war before, they cannot understand how horrible it really must be.
Personal Connection:
I relate to this quote because I think that I would have the same reaction to the story Ishmael told, and think it was cool as well. It's probably a bad thing that most would think that something so horrible could be fun, but for those of us who have not experienced anything like it, it would not seem all that bad.
Question:
Would you have the same reaction to Ishmael's story as his friends did? Why?
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Lit circles post 1
Quote 2: Page 13, Paragraph 2
"I will get you to the hospital,my boy, and everything will be fine."
Significance:
I think this quote relates to Ishmael's life back in Sierra Leone because it was his job to inflict death upon others. It is so horrible to think that somewhere in the world, children my age, are being forced to kill each other, and make fellow human beings suffer. Ishmael doesn't think about what he is doing, and it seems like it has desensitized him from violence. I can see this being a future problem later on in the book when Ishmael is being rehabilitated.
Reflection:
I felt bad for Ishmael while reading this quote. I felt that it is wrong for any human being to have to endure any sort of pain and suffering that could have been prevented. Since Ishmael is the one having to do all of the dirty work in the civil war going on in Sierra Leone, He has to bring pain upon others.
Question:
Since we are of course not using children as soldiers, what are some other things that desensitize young Americans from violence and other things?
Posted by Wade *-* at 9:04 PM
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3 comments:
Quote 1: I thought that was a great way to sum up the meaning of this quote. I th ink this is very serious and that the friends are taking all wrong. I would be mad if I was him, if my friends thought that was cool and it was clearly not.
Question 1: No, I would have felt sad for Ishmael that he had to witness this as a kid. His friends are very clueless of what he use to experience through his daily life.
Quote 2: That quote stood out to me too because it shows how children are being used to terrible things. I don't think that kids should be use to kill other humans for no reason. It is just unbelievable that this happening to kids not adults. it is happening to adults, but more to kids.
Question 2:
~Ethan~
Quote 1: I also think that you explained the quote very well, and I agree that it's hard to believe that most boys think that war is fun. It is unbelievable that someone would think killing is fun.
Question 1: I would, like Jailyn said, felt sorry for Ishmael because it's very hard to go through a war. If i was younger, I may have thought different because back then many people think war is cool. However, at my age, I understand the cruelness war has made the world.
Quote 2: I completely agree with your choice of quote. I think that this quote represents the killing machines the boys have become, the injuries the victims of the boys have sustained, and those who are still alive, clinging onto false hopes. (By the way, warn us when you have spoilers)
Question 2: I think that violent games and TV shows would desensitize young Americans from violence. Obviously, they have a violent influence. Obviously it doesn't have as much as an influence on kids as forced war, but it still has some influence.
Quote #1 & Question #1
Comment:
I agree with you. I think that his “friends” have a different reaction because they have never had to experience death. I feel bad for Ishmael. I would have felt sorry for him. Poor Ishmael!!!
Answer:
No I would not have growing up in the family life I have I would have felt pity for him. With the amount of books and stories I’ve heard about child soldiers and there lives I would have in a way felt sorry but also I would not like him because he had killed other children before.
Quote #2 & Question #2
Comment:
For the second time I agree. Poor kids. I really want to do something about that. I mean, it would be horrible to live with the conscience of someone that killed children. That’s one of the only reasons I feel pity for him. I wouldn’t kill any child no matter what
Answer:
OK I don’t fully understand your question. Number one what does desensitize mean? I think you mean Discourage so that’s what I’m going to answer. I think that the social standers here are different and our government is not AS corrupt as it is here. I don’t think many of the kids here would kill each other ether. Gosh most of us have never even held a gun before let alone shoot one!!
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