Christina Houck - A Long Way Gone

Our literature circle focused on a memoir written by Ishmael Beah.  I actually read this novel in high school, and it is among my favorite reads to this day.  I wouldn't pass an opportunity up to discuss this novel.  This collection of memories comes from Beah's first hand experiences of the civil war in Sierra Leone as a child soldier.  He explains his role as “defending” the nation from the rebel force that was attempting to over throw the government.  However, from the age of thirteen he is tossed into a world of severe drug abuse, violence, murder, and then the harsh recovery from his experiences.  He survives through PTSD, the loss of his family, rehabilitation, and being tossed back into the war afterwards.   For a novel – memoir – that is written based on a true account of his life, there is certainly a lot of action that keeps a reader captivated. 

What was shocking to me was how beautifully written the novel is.  I found it interesting that he includes the childhood memories of stories that were told in his village and the hidden meanings behind each of them.  These stories create some of the most symbolic nonfiction literature I’ve ever read.  They teach life lessons, provoke frightening circumstances, and provide a moral basis for living. 

These stories are extremely symbolic as well.  One of my favorite symbols is how the moon is represented in the novel.   Ishmael recalls how his grandmother use to tell him that everybody should strive to be like the moon because nobody complains about the moon.  People complain about the sun because it makes everything hot and dry, but the moon gives them the light to see at night.  (I’d give page numbers, but I used a PDF with a weird formatting to reread the book)  Throughout the book, Ishmael mentions the moon and notices how it changes – which often correlates with the current events going on in his life.  For example, Ishmael is facing his first experiences with the war.  He is hiding outside of a town and notices how empty the town is.  He states, “The moon wasn’t in the sky; the air was stiff, as if nature itself was afraid of what was happening” (Chapter Three).  The moon’s absence is used to describe the condition of the town and for used to foreshadow as well. 

I have always had an interest in differences between my culture and those that belong to people around the world.   I appreciate the rich cultural stories there are throughout the novel.  These stories are incredibly important to Ishmael’s culture, but seem to lack a holding in our culture.  Of course we have stories, but none that have an effect on us like those that Ishmael has.