A Long Way Gone #3

pg: 57 paragraph: 1 Old Man Quote: " Everyone ran when they heard of the 'seven boys' on there way here. I couldn't run at all. So they left me behind. No one was willing to carry me and I didn't want to be a burden," he said." 1. I chose this quote because it struck me to see how people were so concerned about there own lives that they would leave an elderly person behind to die. I was also surprised how the old man didn't really care that he was going to die it just seems like he was calm and had already accepted that he was going to die. I think that if I were in that situation, I would just have to take the old man with me and risk my own life because I would die with pride. 2. I think that he made the right choice to not put himself on other people and make them carry him and be a burden, he would rather spend the last days of his live happy than on the run putting other peoples lives in danger. I think that this man is very courageous to be able to make that choice to let himself die and not other people. I think that if I were in his shoes I wouldn't be able to make that important decision to let myself die I think I would just have to be a burden on other people. Question: What do you think you would have done if you were in the position of the old man? pg. 67 paragraph:4 Ishmael Quote: " I rewound the tape, mimed, and danced to "OPP" barefoot in the sand. I didn't enjoy it, and for the first time I found myself thinking about the words of the song, closely listening to the subtle instruments in the beat." 1. I chose this quote because I felt that I could connect to it a lot more than anything else that went on in the book. I think that it was very power full to see that this was the second time that he recited this rap and it got him and his friends out of being killed. It was also funny to see that the thing that you would think would help Ishmael the least in life ended up saving his life on numerous occasions. 2. I can connect with this because I really enjoy hip hop music and most of the time when I like a song, I don't listen to the actual lyrics of the song and what they mean and all I hear is the beat and words coming out that mean nothing. For example, I would be singing a song and say something and someone would be shocked that I actually sang that part of the song and the whole time I was singing the song, I didn't even know what the word meant. Then I would be embarrassed that I was sitting there singing the song the whole time not even knowing what I'm singing. Question: Was there ever a point in your life where you too could connect to how Ishmael felt when he recited the song?