Imagine you are captured by a group of rebels, then are forced to kill your parents to survive. This is what happens to Ishmael Beah and thousands of other children in A Long Way Gone. Ishmael is forced to kill hundreds of innocent people while on drugs. The three most important themes in A Long Way Gone are loss of innocence, the damages of war, and family.
Ishmael loses his innocence when war comes to his village. The author states, “Blood was coming out of her ears.” (Beah 12). Ishmael has never seen such gruesome scenes before. As time goes on, he becomes used to seeing such gruesome scenes, when he joins the army. When war comes to his village, Ishmael and many other children lose their innocence, because of the gory scenes that they see.
Ishmael loses his innocence when war comes to his village. The author states, “Blood was coming out of her ears.” (Beah 12). Ishmael has never seen such gruesome scenes before. As time goes on, he becomes used to seeing such gruesome scenes, when he joins the army. When war comes to his village, Ishmael and many other children lose their innocence, because of the gory scenes that they see.