Of Mice Of Tomorrow Analysis

Radiance of Tomorrow marks a striking transition in Beah’s style, moving from an autobiographical and often prosaic style in A Long Way Gone to a lyrical, expansive style in Radiance of Tomorrow that draws from both English and Mende modes of expression. Yet despite his use of Sierra-Leonean phraseology, Beah manages to convey complex ideas seamlessly and without confusing his largely American readership. That is, although his phrasing is abnormal and, at times, clunky, he seldom leaves the reader clueless—and instead leaves them pleasantly surprised by an unfamiliar interpretation of the world. Beah’s reversal in style is intentional, no doubt: In A Long Way Gone, he sought to convey the urgency of the Sierra-Leonean Civil War, and in doing so used descriptive, hasty language; in Radiance of Tomorrow, there was less urgency to inform the readership, and he thus let loose his imagination and natural inclination to use Mende phraseology. Beah addresses in the Author’s Note his decision to incorporate his mother tongue, Mende, in the novel. The benefit of doing so was being able to use the figurative nature of Mende, which, in writing Radiance of Tomorrow, was very important: “I want readers to get a …show more content…
But Radiance of Tomorrow, on the other hand, was formulated by him, and can help to define how he develops both plot and characters. Beah displays in his novel a deep understanding of plot development, using a conventional plot structure: the exposition—the description of war-torn Imperi and its destitute inhabitants; the rising action—the arrival of the mining company; the climax—Benjamin’s death; the falling action—Bockarie and his family’s migration to Kono and subsequently to Freetown; and the resolution—Bockarie and his family ending the story in a relatively auspicious