Symbolism in A Long Way Gone: Memoir of a Boy Soldier Malcom X once said: “Power in defense of freedom is greater than power in behalf of tyranny and oppression” (izquotes) Freedom is fundamental to the growth of humanity. In A Long Way Gone: Memoir of a Boy Soldier, author Ishmael Beah examines the concept of freedom and oppression through illustrating his encounters as a child soldier during the Sierra Leone civil war in the 1990s. The dark influences of war strips Beah of his childhood innocence and transforms him into a senseless killing machine, until he is rescued and rehabilitated by UNICEF. Throughout the novel, Beah illustrates a clear image of his struggle for freedom against the oppressive influences of war. In his literary work,
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First, the moon, in Beah’s childhood, is a symbol of virtue, as he describes, “We must strive to be like the moon” (Beah 16), because everyone is happy when the moon is up. Specifically, “a woman cradling a baby at her breast” (Beah 17), the image he sees on the moon, evidently, symbolizes the moon as love, happiness and hope. Later on, when Beah drifts into the war, the moon guides his way and renders him hope, revealed in his description, “I looked into the sky and saw how the thick clouds keep trying to cover the moon, yet it would reappear again and again to shine all night long” (Beah 69-70). The emergence of the moon from the thick clouds represents the everlasting hope under dark forces. It motivates Beah to persist on his pursuit for freedom even in his worst adversities. However, when Beah fights in the war, the horror of which makes Beah believe the moon avoids seeing the atrocities, as he says, “the moon wasn’t in the sky; the air was stiff, as if nature itself was afraid of what was happening” (Beah 22). Accordingly, Beah’s belief of the moon as a role model and a loving character wanes, and his hopes are replaced by horror. Nonetheless, Beah never stops thinking about the moon, which continues to support him spiritually through his darkest times. Manifestly, the moon brings Beah hope in his pursuit of freedom, and guides him through the oppressing influences of …show more content…
When Beah begins killing with his gun, his mind “had not only snapped during the first killing”, but also “stopped making remorseful records" (Beah 122). The gun, though giving Beah the freedom to kill, obliterates Beah’s innocence as a child. Gradually, Beah’s gun plays a crucial role in transforming him from a kindhearted child to a merciless killing machine. When Beah fights on the battlefield, “The idea of death didn’t cross [his] mind at all and killing had become as easy as drinking water.” (Beah 122) Manifestly, under the influence of his gun, committing mass killings benumbs Beah’s senses and corrupts his humanity. He even describes the squad he once hates as “family”, the gun he once fears as “protector”, and his job he once despises as “ to kill or be killed.”(Beah 110) Evidently, the war leaves Beah with the only choice to survive---- to kill without remorse. The cruel reality of war only intensifies Beah’s killings for his own survival. Thus, Beah’s gun reflects the distortion of humanity and elimination of freedom caused by the war. In A Long Way Gone: Memoir of a Boy Soldier, through the symbolisms of the moon, rap cassette and gun, the author Ishmael Beah utilizes his personal experience to convey the traumatizing effects of war on one’s freedom. Despite the oppressive influences of the civil war, Beah remains persevered in his pursuit of freedom, which
First, the moon, in Beah’s childhood, is a symbol of virtue, as he describes, “We must strive to be like the moon” (Beah 16), because everyone is happy when the moon is up. Specifically, “a woman cradling a baby at her breast” (Beah 17), the image he sees on the moon, evidently, symbolizes the moon as love, happiness and hope. Later on, when Beah drifts into the war, the moon guides his way and renders him hope, revealed in his description, “I looked into the sky and saw how the thick clouds keep trying to cover the moon, yet it would reappear again and again to shine all night long” (Beah 69-70). The emergence of the moon from the thick clouds represents the everlasting hope under dark forces. It motivates Beah to persist on his pursuit for freedom even in his worst adversities. However, when Beah fights in the war, the horror of which makes Beah believe the moon avoids seeing the atrocities, as he says, “the moon wasn’t in the sky; the air was stiff, as if nature itself was afraid of what was happening” (Beah 22). Accordingly, Beah’s belief of the moon as a role model and a loving character wanes, and his hopes are replaced by horror. Nonetheless, Beah never stops thinking about the moon, which continues to support him spiritually through his darkest times. Manifestly, the moon brings Beah hope in his pursuit of freedom, and guides him through the oppressing influences of …show more content…
When Beah begins killing with his gun, his mind “had not only snapped during the first killing”, but also “stopped making remorseful records" (Beah 122). The gun, though giving Beah the freedom to kill, obliterates Beah’s innocence as a child. Gradually, Beah’s gun plays a crucial role in transforming him from a kindhearted child to a merciless killing machine. When Beah fights on the battlefield, “The idea of death didn’t cross [his] mind at all and killing had become as easy as drinking water.” (Beah 122) Manifestly, under the influence of his gun, committing mass killings benumbs Beah’s senses and corrupts his humanity. He even describes the squad he once hates as “family”, the gun he once fears as “protector”, and his job he once despises as “ to kill or be killed.”(Beah 110) Evidently, the war leaves Beah with the only choice to survive---- to kill without remorse. The cruel reality of war only intensifies Beah’s killings for his own survival. Thus, Beah’s gun reflects the distortion of humanity and elimination of freedom caused by the war. In A Long Way Gone: Memoir of a Boy Soldier, through the symbolisms of the moon, rap cassette and gun, the author Ishmael Beah utilizes his personal experience to convey the traumatizing effects of war on one’s freedom. Despite the oppressive influences of the civil war, Beah remains persevered in his pursuit of freedom, which