A Long Way Gone #2

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Fear

Ishmael Beach and the people of Sierra Leone are losing hope in their country. Throughout the first quarter of this memoir, Ishmael has encountered numerous people. “I felt someone was after me. Often, my shadow would scare me and cause me to run for miles.”pg.49 I underlined shadow to show how something simple can strike fear. Ishmael has a constant paranoia due to the fear of rebels, who feed on the innocence of others, and even the civilians, who are just as afraid of others as they are of them.

Finally exiting the forest, Ishmael runs into old schoolmates. They were heading to village run by the Sierra Leone Armed Forces and Ishmael joins them. After some time they encounter, an old man who was left behind by the villagers he was with. the village had cleared out because of rumors of Ishmael and his schoolmates were rebels that were going to take over their village. The fact a whole town can clear out because a group of young boys, oldest being 16, would pillage their village shows the fear the rebel fighters have put into the Sierra Leoneans. They had left an old man because he is unable to move at their significantly faster pace. This old man has also realized the changes that have been brought to Sierra Leone. “My children, this country has lost its good heart. People don’t trust each other anymore.”

Things I Noticed:

A common expression that can be used in this situation is THE SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST. Since there is yet to be a sense of struggle between the militant groups, power relies in weapons. The rebels can walk about as they please terrorizing villages and killing those who live in them. The place where the boys are traveling to is run by the armed forces. There they seek protection and stability.

What do you think can also affect power in 1990s Sierra Leone or war torn countries in general?

A Long Way Gone #1

“A Long Way Gone” is the story of Ishmael Beah’s life as a soldier of the national army. So far I have read Beah’s transition from a regular Sierra Leone civilian to a boy soldier fighting in his country's civil war. Beah starts his book with himself being at his utmost innocence.

Things changed rapidly in a matter of seconds and no one had any control over anything. We had yet to learn these things and implement survival tactics, which was what it came down to. pg29

This quote from Beah symbolizes how quickly not just himself but everyone in the country had to react and adapt to their incoming situation. He is with his friends rapping and dancing over American music. While in his adventures had never become dangerous this specific Beah and his friends took had been the trip that just avoided a rebel attack. This splits his family. This splits his country.

I see this book as a good standpoint of the unspoken heros called refugees. Beah is rescued by UNicef in his war torn land where he was terrorized and was forced to drugs and murder. In the United States the views of the innocent in their troubled lands are silenced. Currently, the United States is taking in new Syrian refugees. Syria is having internal conflict with ISIS having strong control and terrorizing specific Muslim groups. I have yet to hear the stories of any of the refugees that have come from Syria. Media has put attention to the fact that ISIS may be sending people as refugees.

Animal Farm

Animal Farm is an American book which criticizes the the ideas of the Russian Revolution.

1a.)The way Joseph Stalin rose to power with militants The way Stalin used his army to put fear into the civilians of the USSR.

1b.)Napoleon is referenced the way the pig uses his attack dogs to strike fear into other animals and hold his power. 

The animals (russians) didn’t want to live under the rule of the humans (Czar). The humans were murderous and the animals (russians) were not safe under human rule. So when Old Major (Vladimir Lenin), gave them a realization that they were being abused and they revolted (The Bolshevik Revolution). The humans come back and attempt to take t“Four legs good, two legs bad.”he farm(Russia) back over and fail (The Russian Civil War).

“Four legs good, two legs bad.”

This quote shows that all of the animals on Animal Farm can live in unity. they had a common hatred Two legs bad represented the humans as being evil. This quote shows irony. The pigs end the story by stand on their hind legs. So similar to the humans that their differences cannot be told apart. This is recognized and the animals are going to repeat this cycle of revolution rise in power then a fall  with another  animal being kicked from Animal Farm.

Since the pigs were in control, there socialist ideals that had been presented by Old Major had been been twisted to justify their actions. When Old Major died, the rules had been changed by the pigs. Which once was “All animals are equal,” becomes “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” They make a commandment that doesn’t make sense and puts the other animals down not knowing to question it. The pigs make this quote with its intention to confuse,

Boxer resembles Butters from the TV show South Park.

Boxer resembles Butters from the TV show South Park.

2a. As sweet and nice as butters is he will blindly follow the negatives around him such as Eric Cartman. Eric who demands a lot from Butters which is too unmentionable for a PG-15 blog.

2b. Boxer agrees with the ideas but cannot attribute deeper thought into them. He is devoted but is blind to the corruption that becomes of Napoleon and his following.

If I was in the book as a human i would have already killed an animal in order to show my dominance. If it were present day, I would already had cameras in the barn house. The first word of that meeting animals had, any animals that had replied to the story would have been sold or be  killed. I would of appeared with my weaponry and would have been ready to slaughter the animals. Since this is an animal reference and not talking about Russia it would be seen as that I am a dictator but farm animals would never be allowed to challenge my authority.

How do you think the story would of changed if the commandments were not changed and the pigs had to defend every decision according to the commandments? *Similar to Court*