A Long Way Gone Gender Analysis

Gender effect in the Sierra Leone War Through Ishmael Beah and Mariatu Kamara’s autobiographies, the world learned about the devastating war in Sierra Leone through the eyes of a boy and a girl. The civil war stripped children from their families and killed many innocent civilians. In A Long Way Gone by Beah Beah he says, “One of the main aims of the rebels was to force the civilians to stay with them, especially women and children” (Beah 37). The rebels used the civilians as either bait for the army or as servants. They took girls to cook or exploit and recruited boys as soldiers. Although, both Beah and Kamara survived the Sierra Leone War, their genders made their experiences different. Beah and Kamara were only children when the rebels attacked their village. They have seen people as young as babies get murdered. Nonetheless, they have survived the war by trudging on. They …show more content…
When Kamara and her cousin, Adamsy were caught by the rebels, they were not killed but Adamsy was dragged and pushed into a house by a soldier. Kamara also saw other girls being dragged around and treated badly by the rebel soldiers. She explains “A couple of the men grabbed the girls’ waists and kissed them as they passed” (Kamara and McClelland 33). The girls are being mistreated because they are weak and afraid. However boys were recruited as soldiers because they were easier to brain wash. Beah was made into a killing machine. When Beah was being trained, the corporal says, “‘Visualize the banana tree as the enemy, the rebels who killed your parents, your family, and those who are responsible for everything that has happened to you,’ the corporal screamed. ‘Is that how you stab someone who had killed your family?’” (Beah 138). The army leaders used the memories they had of the rebels killing their families and turned them into motivation to get revenge. They were exploited because of the