A Long Way Gone

"Through our sunless lanes creeps poverty with her hungry eyes, and sin with his soddent face follows close behind her. Misery wakes us in the morning and shame sits with us at night"
--Oscar Wilde

A long Way Gone is a memoir of a young boy soilder, Ishmael, who exhibites all types of characteristics that of which include misery, shame, bravery, and fear. This quote applys to the life of a boy soldier in every aspect. There is no end to the negative feelings that flow through their bodies daily. They are with them when they lay their heads down to rest and the second their eyes open. Throughout this novel it is an ongoing struggle for his friends, family and himself especially to survive day to day tasks. To him everything is dim and depressing which is understandable during a time of war when he is very lonely. Now that he has been seperated from his brother and other friends, he no longer has the occasional smile from his older brother that kept his spirits up. His path seems never ending and there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel for him. they are extremly hungry, they even goes so far as to steal ears of corn from a little boy walking through a village. They are desperate, and shameful of their actions but realize that it is survival of the fittest and its what needs to be done. Poverty of these young boys have forced them to become numb to what is right and wrong. They have learned that what they belive is right is right, and what is wrong to them is wrong. There is no one to tell them that their opinions are wrong except the rebels. Ishmael is awakened every single morning by the memories of horrific war stories that haunt him. He is miserable, it never ends. I can only imagine what living in constant fear can do to oneself. Misery is by his side, day in and day out, and at night he surrounded by shame. Shame of leaving his family, Shame for stealing, Shame for not returning to their hometown to look for their family. This is a burden on his shoulders, along with the fact that he has seen many innocent lives taken and has not been able to do anything about it but run and be somewhat of a coward, afraid for his own life.