Chapter 1:"No Longer a Home"- In the beginning of this chapter no violence is taking place Ishmael and his brother are just playing around and we see his family life. After Ishmael and Jr. leave to go on their trip news comes of the war approaching, told not to leave to go home they then see the people running for refuge some shot, some cover in blood, and their were those that wouldn't let go of the dead bodies. The have to fight the urge to go back in look for there families because it is not safe and no longer a place they could call home.

Chapter 2: "Anxiety"- After realizing there was no hope in his home and seeing all the horrible things happened to people that escaped Ishmael could not handle all this at one time. His head hurt, he physically was weak he could not even think of his memories they only terrorized his sleep, "I was afraid to fall asleep...I stayed awake anxiously waiting for daylight so I could return to my new life." (20)

Chapter 3: "One Love- Before the rebels move in on the village a RuF messenger is sent to them, he is marked as a captive, he had his thumbs cut off formally known as "One Love'' and because of that he chance of survival is threatened. The rebels mark their victims messengers to give them no hope, if they do not stand by the rebels then anyone else that sees the 'One Love' symbol or the RUF craved in their skin will kill them at the first chance they get.

Chapter 4: "Drop the bag and hurry": Starving with no food or money some of the boys and a few other people decide to go back to the village and try to find some food, money anything of value that they could use later. When they get there they are able to get into the houses and look around but not much can be found on the way out however Ishmael bearly escaped death. When they are leaving the field the soldiers on post see them and fire at will killing some people, they pretend to be dead and then run again at the first chance. Their is this boy following behind carrying a large bag of his families belongings that he was sent back to get unfortunately even with every ones encouragement he never drops his heavy bag when running this being the reason he did not make it out alive.

Chapter 5: "Kill Them":- after continuing on into another village the six boys run into two rebels that capture them and say they will be recruiting new members out of the bunch at first pick Ishmael is picked and told to kill his brother then put pack and they reselect and Jr. is picked. After the rebels finally picks are made they tell the new recruits in order to join they have to kill those before them and if they don't kill them then they themselves will be murdered. The fear and tension amongst the group is extremely present fortunately firing is heard in the distance and everyone was Lucky to flee and stay alive.

Chapter 6: " Rumor has it"- Rumors spread that a group of six young boys were rebels roaming from place to place, causing many problems for the boys they we no longer accepted in villages and were often chased out by those fearing attack and threatened. "People stopped trusting people and every stranger became an enemy." (37)

Chapter 7: "Fear takes over"- After the last attack on the boys everyone became separated and Ishmael was alone, he could not stand it he was so afraid and scared of what was to come. So to find peace he decided to head to were they originally planned to go to keep some peace of mind. "My goal was to avoid walking in the direction from where I had come."(46)

Chapter 8: "Paranoia takes over"- "air seemed to want to attack ,e and break my neck... My body twitched with fear, and I became dizzy."(49) Loneliness is starting to get to Ishmael he is walking through a forest that he eventually gets lost in and although he is much safer by himself lost madness is caving in. And in his isolated he is fearing his imagination.

Chapter 12: "Refuge for how long?" Ishmael was welcomed into the Yele village were he finally had some kind of peace of mind. But it didn't last very long as the rebels kept pushing back the government troops front line the more soldiers Ishmael saw leaving the village day after day and till eventually the time came when the refugee's were given the option to stay and fight to revenge the death of your families and loved ones or leave the camp altogether, which you would die trying to do. With Ishmael's options laid out before him he choose the more realistic route and decided to stay and help fight.

Chapter 13: "Brutality"- The troops were trained to hate the enemy, tor tour those that killed your family, raped your sister and left everyone to burn. Ishmael became exactly that is went into the villages destroying them and saw his weapon as his protector and provider. "I felt no pity for Anyone."(126)

Change..

From my own perspective Ishmael Beah has changed drastically since the beginning of the story. Now he is physically stronger, he is emotionally ice cold due to being a soldier and his over all mentally is centered around his own survival. In the beginning of the story he is amazed by rapping and wants to be a rap performer as the story goes on the more he progresses away from the old life style the more stern and determined Ishmeal becomes.
In Chapter 20 Ishmeal is a guest at the UN Economic and Social Council chamber where kids from all over the place had a chance to speak on the volience and the experience for many as a child soldier. Ismeal explains the repeated pattern of being a soldier and how it would never absoulutely stop. "I've come to learn that if I am going to take revenge, in that process I will kill another person whose family will want to revenge, then revenge and revenge and revenge will never come to an end.."(pg 199) He acknowledge's the problem many children face in the country some by choice and some without any choice and he decides it would be worth the risk to hopefully change someone's mind on the conflict, or move and organization to participate in some way, to save some child's life and to note his words in history. " I was sad to leave, but I was also pleased to have met people outside of Sierra Leone. Because if I was to get killed upon my return , I knew that a memory of my existence was alive somewhere in the world."(pg200)

Isolation within a community

Once Ishmael was able to find his way out of the forest , he encountered a group of
teenage boys that where traveling along the road. These boys were brought together to
survive. Last week in class we questioned the formation of community. Do we choose our community? Or does it choose us? In this situation the boys have chosen each other,in their situation 'yes' would be answered to both questions, Ishmael and the boys choose each other in order to survive, they have protected each other while traveling, cared for one another while ill or sad, found food to share wheter it was stolen or brought, and Ishmael himself saved the life's of his group a multiple times when captured.
This idea of 'isolation' within a community is exhibited again when a clash of values and beliefs occur within a set community. When Ishmael and his friends are being care for by the Sherbo fisherman for a couple of weeks, the man choose not to report the boys because he truely believed they were young adolsent boys whom needed help! Suddenly their safety changed when the mother of the fisherman comes to warn the boys that her son was accused of lying to portect the enemy and the men from the village were on their way to capture and punish them.
Fortunately, the boys knew of dangerous risk the fishermen was taking by helping them, so they were sure to place no connectin between themselves and the fisherman when they were being interragated by the tribesmen. At this point and time it is possible to distinguish the fishermens view and sititution within the community, which is becuase he beliefs the Ishmael and his friends are innocent he is risking his life by perhaps being accused of abedding a spy or rebel. That as a result of his following own beliefs and moral vaules, to help the strangers, put his life in jeopardy because his secret actions were overriding the larger power of the community.

"Strive to be like the mooon" -Kelly K

Is Ishmeal striving to be like the moon?

Ishmael grandmother explains the meaning of the old man's 'adage'. "We must strive to be like the moon."pg. 16 By appreciating the time we have on earth together. "Children watch their shadows and play in its light, people gather at the square to tell stories and dance through the night." pg.16 Ironically once Ishmael Beah is able to fully comprehend 'the moon's' meaning, his chance at a peaceful, innocent life is immediately taken away from him. Ishmeals innocence is in jeoprady due to future experiences and situations which he has no control over, yet. Such as witnessing destruction of homes as well as personnel property, the slaughter of families and hearing stories of rape and torture.
The chapter begins with Isheal Beah planning to head to Mattru Jong with Junior, his brother to meet up with the rest of their rap group. Ishmeal would normally spend his days listening to American rappers and teaching himself to mimic their style, songs and technique while enjoying himself. The boys would attend talent shows, they danced, swam in near-by rivers, horsed around with each other, and spent time with friends.
Unfortunately, the last trip they took to meet up at Mattru Jong with their friends would change the course of life forever. Which is for shadowed by the dead body experience at the beginning of chapter two.