Chapter 15
...
How long have they been fighting for? How do they feel.
They've been fighting for over two years, and killing people became a daily activity for them. Ishmael felt no pity for anyone.
1. At this point, Ishmael has been fighting for over 2 years. How has it affected him and his mindset?
killing people became a daily activity for them. Ishmael felt no pity for anyone.
2. While he's visiting Bauya, a truck comes ot the village. Who are the occupants? To whom do they speak?
four men in UNICEF t-shirts
they speak to Lieutenant Jabati
3. When the lieutenant has the boys line up, explain what he does and what he says to them.
The boys are lined up and Lieutenant Jabati chooses fifteen of them, seemingly at random. Beah and his friend Alhaji are chosen, while Kanei is not. The chosen boys are ordered to turn in their weapons and equipment;
4. As the boys are loaded into the truck, what are they feeling? Why?
The boys are loaded into the truck with several Military Police (MPs) - "city soldiers" whom Beah despises for their clean uniforms and weapons that belie no combat experience. Beah becomes increasingly anxious and angry at the seeming betrayal of his com
5. Where does the truck bring the boys?
After several hours, the boys are unloaded in Sierra Leone's capital city, Freetown. They are taken to a fenced compound and assigned beds.
6. When Alhaji asked the other group of boys where they were from, the atmosphere in the room seems charged with tension and hostility. Where is this group of boys from? What eases some of the tension and gets the two groups of boys talking to one another
Another group joins the boys and a fight breaks out as they attempt to learn whether each group has fought for the state or the RUF.
It turns out both groups are Sierra Leone military, so the boys become companions and the leader of the new group,
7. What is the fight between the boys about?
The united military boys head out to another group of boys sitting on the verandah. They want to know more about their situation and ask the boys if they know why their commanders gave them up to the civilians. The boys on the verandah refuse to answer, c
8. What does Ishmael say the foreigners didn't realize? Would you agree with Ishmael's line of thinking?
Perhaps the na�ve foreigners thought that removing us from the war would lessen our hatred for the
RUF. It hadn't crossed their minds that a change of environment wouldn't immediately make
us normal boys; we were dangerous, and brainwashed to kill. They h
9. What is the result of the fight?
After a brief skirmish, six boys are dead (two of the military and four of the RUF)
10. Where did the MPs take the group of boys?
The boys are separated and several are sent to Benin Home, a rehabilitation center on the outskirts of Freetown.
11. On page 128, the soldiers start singing the Sierra Leone national anthem. The words Beah reprints are "High we exalt thee, realm of the free, great is the love we have for thee..." Why does he include that line in his story? If most countries, despite
Ishmael reprints these lines because he thinks that people in Sierra Leone believe that they are free, even though their rights are restricted. To be a free person in a free country you must have freedom of expression, and be able to make your own life ch
12. Does it surprise you that Beah spends a relatively small portion of the book describing his time as a soldier in the war? Why might he have decided to devote much more time to his life before and after his time int he army?
He may have decided to devote his time to before and after the war because the war was too difficult to put down in words.
13. Consider the scene between the various groups of boys who are brought to the rehabilitation home. Would you consider these boys beyond hope of rehabilitation? Would the US juvenile justice system consider them beyond hope?
The riots at the UNICEF compound also demonstrate how deeply-rooted the boys' military "brainwashing" (as Beah terms it) truly is.
No
Who arrived at the village? Describe
Ishmael and his friends came to the village that they turned into their bases as they went along.
What did he considered his home and his family
The forest Ishmael slept in became his home. He considered his squad his family.
How long had he been fighting for
How old was he now? Ishmael had been fighting for over two years now, and he was fifteen years old.
What did he want to hear from Jumah
Does that surprise you? Ishmael was expecting Jumah to nod every time he spoke, This doesn't surprise me, because he had been brainwashed as a killing machine, and he wasn't himself anymore.
What did the boys chat about all night
Ishmael and Jumah chatted about how he killed the owner of the gun that he was holding.
Where are these men taking the 15 soldiers?
Who would you feel if you had to leave your friends at war?
The lieutenant picked out 15 people to send them out. He told them that he will put them in school, and help them find another life. If my friends were left at war, I would feel really bad and sad at the same time, because I've gotten close to them.
How did ishmael feel when he was in the truck
What was thinking of doing? Ishmael felt really angry while he was in the truck, because he didnt quite understand what was going on. He was thinking of hijacking the truck and drive back to Bauya.
If they are all around the same age why would they want to fight each other
Even though they were all at the same age, they would still try to fight each other, because they were brainwashed to kill and had no pity for ANYONE.
Who were the men in the clean clothes
how can they tell? examples from chapter. The men in the clean clothes were city soldiers. You could tell, because they were well dressed in an army gear, and their brown polished panel of their AK's were shiny and new.
What did Ismael do to the man that tried to search him
Ishmael threatened to kill the man that was searching him.
How do you think Ishmael is feeling
I think Ishmael is feeling angry at what was going on. He thought he was going to be in the war until the end, and he felt angry that some of friends were left at war.
What did Ishmael see after passing the last checkpoint
At the last checkpoint, Ishmael saw a lot of cars going in every direction.
What happened after the new arrivals came in to the kitchen
Ishmael and his group got into a brutal fight after the new arrivals came into the kitchen.
What did the boy have a tattoo of
What happened after? The boys had an RUF tattoo on their arm which meant that they were rebels. Ishmael and his boys got into a fight with the rebels.
What cheered the boys up after the fight
Why. Getting into a fight with the rebels and talking about if after cheered the boys up. They needed some violence after a long boring day of travelling and contemplation of why their superiors had let them go.
Where did the military vehicles transport them to
The military vehicle transported them to Benin Home, which was another rehabilitation center in Kissy Town at the eastern outskirts of Freetown.
How did Ishmael feel in his new rehabilitation center
Ishmael felt restless in the rehabilitation center, especially when the drugs began to subsude in his system.
What did Ishmael do that scared the other boys that were trying to get crazy with Ishmaels' friends
Ishmael threatened the boys that were trying to get crazy with his friends.
What did the little rebel boy say was the reason he was fighting with RUF
The reason why the boy was fighting for the RUF, because the army killed his family abd destroyed his village.
Was the refugee camp helping the boys 'rehabilitate'
The rehabilitation wasnt at all helping them, because they were dangerous and were brainwashed to kill.
What happened to people trying to break up the fight
The people that were trying to break the fight were wounded.
How many people were killed during the fight
Which sides were they from? Six people were killed during the brutal fight, 2 from their side and 4 from the rebel's side.
Chapter 16
...
1. Even though most of the boys have finished going through withdrawal, they still exhibit symptoms of being traumatized. Give at least 2.
It had been more than a month and some of us had almost gone through the withdrawal stage, even
though there were still instances of vomiting and collapsing at unexpected moments. These
outbreaks ended, for most of us, at the end of the second month. But
2. What did they do with the school supplies?
How did they get them?
It was also during this time that we were given school supplies�books, pens, and
pencils�and told that we would have classes from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on weekdays.
We made campfires with them, and the next morning another set of supplies was handed to
3. Sum up the boys' trip to the center of Freetown, including what they did and what their reaction were to the sights.
Freetown astounds Beah and Alhaji, who have never seen the city before. The boys enjoy it thoroughly, although they fall into their former military formation of Beah in front while Mambu and Alhaji walk behind.
4. Why did the boys begin attending classes?
The UNICEF staff are forced to schedule regular trips to Freetown to prevent the boys' desertion, but tie participation in the trips to attendance in classes, thus finding a way to keep the boys in the compound and their classrooms.
5. At the end of the chapter, Beah writes, "in the morning I woudl feel one of the staff members wrap a blanket around me... He would then pull me up and walk me back to the hall." Where is Beah when the staff member finds him? Why is he here?
In the morn
It took several months before I began to relearn how to sleep without the aid of medicine.
But even when I was finally able to fall asleep, I would start awake less than an hour later. I
would dream that a faceless gunman had tied me up and begun to slit
6. Why did it make the child soldiers so angry when the staff repeatedly told them the things that happened weren't their fault?
Beah and the other boys become exasperated with the common refrain "It's not your fault." They abuse their teachers, medical workers, and other volunteers at the compound when they hear the statement.
When the boys hurt the UNICEF workers, the workers res
What made him infuriated? why?
Being told by civilians infuriated Ishmael. Their voices makes Ishmael angry that he would make him punch his locker or anything that he standing next to.
How did they feel about attending scheduled medication checkups
The boys hate attending medication check ups that they would throw bowls, spoon, food, and benches at the nurses and staff members.
What was the result of them not having drugs
The boys were craving cocaine and marijuana. They got upset day by day resulting in violence.
What do they do to the cooks? why?
The boys would place a bucket over the cooks head and pushed him around the kitchen until he burned his hand on a hot boiling pot.
Have you ever bullied anyone, what did you do
I've bullied my little brother and cousins before. I would tell them what to do, yell at them, and hit them.
What was happening to the drugs in his system?
What did he do because of it?
The drugs in his system was wearing off that he would roll a plain sheet of paper and smoke it. Sometimes he would search in the pockets of his army shorts for crumbs of marijuana or cocaine.
Can you relate to his cravings? what have you craved so badly that made you do something crazy?
I craved for some things before, which would often lead to bad consequences. Never in my life have I done anything crazy just because I'm craving something.
what do they do in between meals?
give me examples from chapter of what they would do
. The boys would fight for hours in between meals. During the fights, the boys destroyed most of the furniture and threw the mattresses out in the yard.
Why do you think the staff members would come back after getting beaten up
After the staff members got beaten by the boys, they would completely avoid them for awhile.
who is Poppay? and what did they want from him? why?
Poppay was the man in charge of storage. He was an ex- military man with a wandering eye. The boys wanted dry mattresses, because theirs were wet.
How would you feel if you were a staff member and had to go through this every day
If I was a staff member working in a facility with violent and dangerous boys, I would never go back to that place again.
Why was he getting so many migraines
Ishmael was getting so many migraines, because he hated the civilians and the drugs were really wearing off his system.
what did they do to the classroom
what happened to him because of it? The boys and Ishmael wanted to break the glass windows in the classroom. Instead of using rocks, Ishmael punched the glass with his fist. He had managed to break several panes before his hand got stuck in the glass. His
Where did they go after breakfast
After breakfast, Ishmael and his friends would go to the city.
When they went to villages what are they scouting for
When they went to the villages, the boys would scout for food.
tell one incident that happened at a village.
The boys attacked the village where the rebels were at and killed everyone there.
What famous movie do they refer all their war moves from
The famous movies they had refer all their war movies was from Rambo.
What do you think of them now? what disguises out about what they are doing?
I think the boys are killing machines.
Did they let anyone live in the village
The boys didn't let anyone in the village except for them.
who got the name little Rambo
Alhaji got the name "Little Rambo
What was the nickname Ismael got? why?
Ishmael got the nickname "Green Snake", because he would situate himself in the most advantageous and sneaky position and would take out a whole village from under the tiniest shrub without being noticed.
describe the city.
People in the city were hurriedly going about their daily lives as if nothing were happening in the country. There were big shops on both sides of the street, and vendors crowded the tiny sidewalks.
Describe what the informal school was like
For mathematics, the boys learned addition, multiplication, and long division. For English, they read passages from books, learned to spell words, and sometimes the teacher read them stories out loud, and they would write in their notebooks.
He tried to sleep without medicine, what would happen to him? what were some things that kept him up or wake him up?
If Ishmael tried to sleep without medicine, he wouldn't be able to go to sleep, and he would often times get headaches.
Tell the seasons for Sierra Leone.
The rainy seasons in Sierra Leone falls between May and October with the heaviest rainfalls in July, August, and September.
What did they do when they didn't have enough money to get home
When Ishmael and his friends didn't have enough money to get home, they ran off the bus when they got to their destination.
What were some of the things they did at night
The boys would watch over the village and attack rebels that tried to take the villages away from them.
Why do you think they couldn't sleep
I think the boys were too drugged, paranoid, and traumatized.
Why do you think the staff member would always say "This isn't your fault
I think the staff members would always say "This isn't your fault", because it wasn't the boys fault why they turned into killing monsters and why some parts of their country were going through hell.
Chapter 17
...
1. Explain why the gift Esther gives to Ishmael is perfect for him. What does it allow her to do?
The nurse gave Ishmael a Walkman and cassettes. It allowed her to examine him.
"I have to examine you while
you listen to the music." I agreed, and took off my shirt, stood on a scale, and she checked
my tongue, used a flash-light to look into my eyes...I
2. Why does Ishmael begin to tell Esther about his past as a soldier?
You have to tell me what happened so I can prescribe treatment." At first I was reluctant, but she said she would be able to treat me effectively only if I told her what had happened, especially about
how my bullet wounds were treated. So I told her the
3. Explain how Ishmael is injured, and where. Also, what does his recovery consist of?
. I was hit three times on my left foot. The first two bullets went in and out, and the last one stayed inside my foot. I couldn't walk, so I lay on the ground and shot into the bush where the bullets that hit me had come from. I released the entire round
Describe the nurse in your own words.
The nurse had white teeth which contrasted with her dark, shiny skin, and when she smiled, not only her face increased in beauty, but also glowed with charm. She was tall and had big brown eyes that were kind and inviting.
Why were Ishmael's friends teasing him about
Have you ever been in that situation? What did your friends tease you about? Ishmael friends were teasing Ishmael, because it seem like the nurse liked Ishmael after she handed him a soft drink. I've been in that situation before, when my friends would te
What did the nurse tell Ishmael about them being friends
The nurse concluded if Ishmael wanted to be friends with her, he would have to ask her first, and she will have to trust him.
When he was talking to the nurse he was quiet in the beginning, and he stated he didn't trust anyone in his life. Why does he feel this way
Give me examples. Ishmael didn't trust anyone in this point of his life. He had learned to survive and take care of himself. Ishmael came to believe that people only befriended only to exploit one another. Why would Ishmael trust someone now when he didn'
Have you ever been in a situation where you feel the same as Ishmael
It was really hard for me to trust people, because of the past. I've had friends and family back stab me, so then I was careful at the new people I meet. I don't fully trust them, but a long the way, they slowly start gaining my trust.
What did the nurse give Ishmael
The nurse gave Ishmael a Walkman and cassettes.
How does Ishmael respond when he unwraps the gift? Why??
Ishmael jumped up and hugged Esther after he unwrapped the package. He then suddenly held back his happiness and asked the nurse why she got him the Walkman and cassette if they werent eve friends.
Describe when Ishmael shot the prisoners that had allegedly shot him.
The captives were all lined up. There were six of them, with their hands tied. Ishmael shot them on their feet and watched them suffer for an entire day before finally shooting them in the head so that they would stop crying. Before Ishmael shot each man,
What was Esther's response to Ishmael's story
Esther had tears in her eyes, and she couldnt decide whether to rub his head or hug him. She neither did any of those, but instead she told him that it wasnt his fault, he was just a little boy, and if he wants to tell her anything, she'll always be there
Why didn't Esther want Ishmael taking the walkman with him
Esther didnt want others to envy him and steal his Walkman.
What stood out to you the most about his story of his past
Why? The most that stood out to me was when Ishmael shot the prisoners foot and watched them suffer until he shot them in the head so they would stop crying.
What do you think about his lieutenant
I think his lieutenant was nice to all his boys, especially when he did everything just to save Ishmael.
Has he ever been injured
Tell me what happened.Ishmael had many bullet wounds that people would often ignore. As Ishmael was filling his backpack with ammunition from the hut, bullets started to pour down from the village hitting him three times on the foot. The first bullets wen
What did Ishmael see when he tried to remember his child hood
Ishmael tried to remember his childhood, but instead he would get flashbacks his first time slitting a man's throat. The scene kept surfacing in his memory like lightning on a dark rainy night.
Explain his surgery, how did the doctors fix him up. Detail
As they got back to the base, the sergeant doctor began to work on his wound. Ishmael was injected with something. He had no idea that they had needles at the base, but in his condition he couldnt ask what was happening. He was given cocaine upon his requ
What is the worst thing you have ever endured
explain. I've never endured anything painful physically but one of the worst was when I tripped really hard.
What did he do right after he gained consciousness
Ishmael asked for his weapon, and the sergeant handed his G3 that was on top of the mortar, and he began cleaning it. He shot a couple of rounds against a wall, ignoring the bandage on his foot and everyone else.
What did he do to the "people responsible for his foot
Ishmael shot the people, whom were responsible for his foot, on their foot and watched them suffer, then shot them in the head ending their cries and miseries.
When he gets flashbacks, how does he feel
Have you ever received flashbacks, what are they of? Everytime Ishmael gets flashbacks, he would hear a sharp cry in his head that made his spine hurt. I've recieved flashbacks before, but nothing like Ishmael of course. I've get flashbacks that would mak
Why did Esther come on her Day off
Esther came on her day off, because they are going to the hospital for Ishmael's examination and she wanted to tour him in the city.
What cassette did the field worker buy him at the market
The field worker bought Ishmael a Bob Marley cd.
Why do you think song writing is a passion for Ishmael
Ishmael loved music even before the war had begun. He would listen to rap music and dance to it.
Have you ever written a song
Why? I've tried writing a song before, but stopped because it was too hard. I cant even write a simple poem. My mind isnt creative when it comes to words.
Why did Ishmael like the story of Rastafarianism and King Solomon and the queen of Sheba
Ishmael related to the long distance they traveled and their determination to reach their chosen destination. he wished his journey had been so meaningful and as full of merritment as theirs.
He listens to Bob Marley to avoid nightmares, what is your favorite song from marley
Why? I dont have any favorite songs from Bob Marlet, because I dont listen to his music.
What phrase did Ishmael start to believe
The phrase that Ishmael started to believe in was, " None of these things are your fault.
Ester is like a savoir for him, who is your person that has helped you out of your rut
My friends, and this special someone has helped me out.
Why did Ishmael like talking to Esther
Ishmael liked talking to Esther, because he felt that she didnt judge him for what he had been part of; she looked at him with the same inviting eyes and welcoming smile that said that he was a child.
4. Explain the execution.
These are the men responsible
for the bullet holes in your foot. It's time to make sure they never shoot at you or your
comrades." The lieutenant pointed at the prisoners. I am not sure if one of the captives was
the shooter, but any captive would do at
5. HOw does Ishmael act towards Esther after telling her his story? Why?
I became angry and regretted that I had told someone, a civilian,
about my experience. I hated the "It is not your fault" line that all the staff members said
every time anyone spoke about the war
6. Who is Leslie and how does he help Ishmael?
field-worker
Leslie bought me a Bob Marley cassette.
Leslie took this opportunity to tell me that he had been assigned to me and a few other
boys. Part of his job was to find a place for me to live after I had completed my rehabilitation.
Leslie found his
7. What keeps Ishmael from thinking about his war experiences?
had not slept well for months now, and so far I had been able to avoid my nightmares by busying
myself day and night with listening to and writing the lyrics of Bob Marley's songs.
8. What is Ishmael's nightmare significant - meaning, what's important about what (or who) his nightmare was about?
He has another nightmare, full of killing and blood, in which his family appears, unharmed. It is the first time he has dreamed of his family. He tells Esther of the dream, and he starts to believe for the first time that what she says�that it is not his
9. Explain how Ishmael feels about Esther and about talking with her.
The more I spoke about my experiences to Esther, the more I began to cringe at the gruesome details, even though I didn't let her know that. I didn't completely trust Esther. I only liked talking to her because I felt that she didn't judge me for what I h
Chapter 18
...
1. Describe the relationship between Ishmael and Esther.
Ishmael enjoys the companionship of Esther and has become fond of her, although he does not like to show it.
2. What was the purpose of the visit from the UN, UNICEF, and NGO representatives? What did they do during their visits?
Observers from the UN, UNICEF, and several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) arrive to see the rehabilitation center, and the boys put on a talent show
To see the results of the rehabilitation efforts.
They know now that it is possible for you boys to
3. Why is Ishmael hesitant about feeling happy having found out that he has a family?
When his uncle is found Ishmael is still hesitant to be happy because of all the bad that had happened to him.
I was still hesitant to let myself let go, because I still believed in the fragility of happiness.
4. Describe how Ishmael has changed in this chapter.
Ishmael's rehabilitation is fueled by hope in this chapter. He begins reaching out to his uncle and accepting the future he's offering. He feels fortunate to have found family he didn't know he had, and their kindness connects him with the happy childhood
Why does Ishmael believe he has nothing to live for anymore
Ishmael believed he has nothing to live for anymore, because he has no family.
How does Ester treat Ishmael? What does she do to comfort him?
Esther treat Ishmael like family. She put her arms around Ishmael and pulled him closer to her to comfort him.
Who is Abigail
Describe her. Abigail is a girl he had seen during Ishmael's first two semesters.
Who are the visitors that came to the center to visit
Describe their appearance. The visitors that came to the center to visit were from the European Commission, the UN, UNICEF, and several NGOs who arrived in a convoy of cars. They wore suits and ties and shook hands with each other. All of the visitors wer
Do you think these visitors made him nervous
I don't think the visitors made Ishmael feel nervous.
What did Esther want Ishmael to do for the talent show
Esther wanted Ishmael to sing his reggae songs for the talent show.
What did the Mr. Kamara tell Ishmael after the event
Mr. Kamara told Ishmael that he and his friends did really well at the talent show. He asked Ishmael if he would like to be the spokesperson for the center. He wants Ishmael to write his own speech about child soldiers whenever he feels comfortable to do
What would he tell people at gatherings in Freetown
Ishmael would talk about child soldiering and how it must be stopped. He would always tell people that he believes children have the resilience to outlive their sufferings if given a chance.
Who do you think Ishmael felt when he saw Mohamad
And why? Ishmael was shocked to see his childhood friends Mohamad at the center when he was on the end of his sixth month. The last time he saw him was when he left Mogbewmo with Talloi and Junior for a performance in Mattru Jong.
. Who is Tommy
Describe. Tommy was his uncle who lived in the city. Ishmael's father told him that he was a carpenter.
What does "repatriated" mean
Repatriated means the process of reuniting ex- child soldiers with their former communities.
Describe Tommy as he walks inside and first meets Ishmael.
The man walked over to where Ishmael was sitting, and bent over and embraced him long and hard. he then began to cry. Tommy crouched on his heels next to Ishmael and apologized that he had never came to see during those years. He wished he had met him bef
Tel me a time where you reunited with someone you haven't seen for a long time. What was it like.
Well I've been reunited with a lot of people that I haven't seen for a long time. Its great, because there was a lot of things to say and catching up to do. It was weird too, because they all changed.
How often was Tommy going to visit
Tommy is going to visit Ishmael every weekend.
Why do you think Ishmael would feel guilty if he told his friends about his uncle
Ishmael would feel guilty if he told his friends about his uncle, because no one from their families had been found. He also didn't want to destroy the silence that had returned after the ambulance's wailing died down.
Why did Ishmael love the walks with his uncle
Why were those walks important to him? Ishmael loved the walks with his uncle, because he had a chance to talk about his childhood, about growing up with his father and older brother.
How would you feel meeting your new family in his situation
I would feel really happy and relieved to meet my new family especially in his situation, because hes at the point when he needs support from a family.
Where does uncle live
Describe it. Ishmael's uncle lived in New England Ville, a hilly area in the western part of Freetown. His house overlooked the city, and from the verandah you could see the ships in the bay. His house had no electricity or running water, and the kitchen
Describe his aunt.
Ishmael's aunt was a short woman with very dark skin, round cheekbones, and bright eyes.
How do you think she feels about Ishmael coming to stay with them
I think Ishmael's aunt felt OK about him staying with them.
What did Ishmael learn about his grandfather
Ishmael learned that his grandfather had many wives, and that his father had brothers he never talked about.
Tell me one thing you learned about your family.
One thing I learned about my family, is most of them have anger issues like me. Another thing is that I had family members that I never knew about or existed.