Revenge In A Long Way Gone By Ishmael Beah

Revenge is one of the greatest evils. It is an aspect of humankind that can control the human mind. I don’t agree with the concept an eye for an eye, because revenge can be considered a domino effect. It only creates a cycle of retaliation. All it takes is one incident to duplicate into many more. In some cases, people seek revenge to clear the conscious of torturous thoughts and suffering. We believe as humans that revenge is the answer to happiness, but in fact it is not. We can lose control of ourselves and realize when it’s far too late. There has been a time in my life where I sought revenge and the outcome was not what I expected it to be. I was so caught up in retaliation that I reacted in a hostile way. Nevertheless, I was still accompanied by pain. In the novel, “A Long Way Gone”, by Ishmael Beah, he also had an appetite for vengeance. Ishmael was furious about the disgusting acts the rebels conducted. He wanted them to suffer the consequences. However, revenge was not the answer. Revenge is not a solution …show more content…
The psychological issues can create mental illnesses, which could lead to medications and therapy. The torture we feel can become overbearing. We build up our emotions and feel entrapped, but we shouldn’t take it upon ourselves to punish those who’ve done wrong. Ishmael was experiencing mental illnesses throughout the story, because of his urge for vengeance. He needed a sense of satisfaction to let go of the pain of losing his family. He filled this void by becoming a brutal soldier. It was a while before Ishmael was able to return to his humanity. He mentions how “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 asleep, I would stare awake less than an hour later” (Beah 149). Ishmael had been mentally drained to where he needed medications to function properly. This exemplifies how revenge is an unhealthy