A Long Way Gone #6

Page: 209 Paragraph: 3 Ishmael Quote: " I had to leave, because I was afraid that if I stayed in Freetown any longer, I was doing to end up being a soldier again or one of my former army friends would kill me if I refused." Significance: This relates to the question that asks why the character in my book moved to America. I feel that he shows this very well in this situation and that it was a good quote to go along with that question. I also chose this quote because it really struck me to see that Ishmael was basically being forced out of his own country with out any family or friends. Character Judgment: I think that Ishmael was going to miss all of his friends and his family that he was going to have to leave behind in Sierra Leone, however, he knows that if he stays there he will end up dieing before he reaches his adulthood. I feel that the journey that lies ahead of him will also put his life in great danger but he has to take the risk in order to be free from worries of the war. Question: Do you think that Ishmael made a wise choice to go to America if he knew he could die on the way? Page: 215 Paragraph: 1 Ishmael Quote: "At one of the road blocks the so;doers tool me into a room and make me undress. At first I didn't want to take off my cloths, but I saw them kick a man to the floor and rip his shirt and pants." Significance: This has to do with how his journey was coming to America. His journey took a very long time just to get to the airport so that he could get on the plane to America. At every checkpoint, they would make the people get off the bus and they would search them. The soldiers weren't nice at all and they often times threatened to kill the people if they didn't listen to what they said to do. Character Analysis: I think that Ishmael was nervous the first couple of checkpoints but then he became used to getting stopped. If I were in Ishmael's position, I think that I would not be able to be as brave as he was throughout the trip. I don't even think that I would want to go on that trip all alone. I think that Ishmael knows in his heart that he will make it to where he needs to go safely. Question: What did you think about the ending of the book? Why?