Violence in A Long Way Gone, a Memoir of Ishmael Beah

The motif I have been following throughout the memoir was violence. In the beginning of the book, violence only occurred in Ishmael’s thoughts and fears. As the war became more apart of Ishmael’s life, it changed his view on life and who he was as a person.

Violence changed in different ways over the long journey Ishmael experienced, not only by changing him but changing his thoughts. Along with Ishmael, the other soldiers also got caught up in the violence from the war and the violence they created themselves.

I think that the author has an implied message from the motif. The message may be that violence and revenge will never solve anything. While reading the memoir, it’s easy to understand that Ishmael’s life now revolves around violence and it never fully comes to an end. The message may also be to inform the reader that violence is unnecessary and a waste of time.

For example, Ishmael spent several years of his life fighting and causing violence, when in the end he was never satisfied.

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He realized that there is much more to life than the war life he used to live. I think the author may have thought this motif was important to include in the memoir to give an insight to the reader on what others are going through in another part of the world. It is important to know how much violence has affected people’s lives during the war and how others are joining in this violence. The frustration of escaping from the two groups of people causing violence and trying to find peace instead is what Ishmael has gone through multiple times, and the author included the message of how serious this violence is occurring.