For this part
of the book I was hoping something good was going to happen for
Ishmael, and chapter 11 really gave me hope until the last couple of
pages. The chapters in the second quarter of the book are intense,
sad and horrifying.
In chapter 11
the boys find some sort of hope and I'm so surprised because of
everything they've been through. If I were in their position I would
not be as optimistic as they are. I think it shows how much faith and
will power these boys have and it really shows us how strong you have
to be to tolerate such misery at such a young age.
I think that Kanei
is a really positive character because he's the first to break the
silence by
saying that he has a feeling that they will find their families or at
least news of them. He even stretches his hands high as if he's
trying to reach the sun.
I can only imagine how happy the children are thinking about possibly
reuniting with their families in the next village and how anxious
they are.
I feel bad that Ishmael didn't get to see his family but at
the same time if he was with them he could have died and not been
able to write this memoir and tell us the stories that many people
who lived through the Sierra Leon civil war wouldn't be able to tell
because their luck had ran out. So I think of Gasemu as a blessing in
disguise although it is sad that Ishmael didn't get to see his family
and say goodbye. I
could never imagine my self seeing my family dead without feeling the need to kill myself, I wouldn't have the strength Ishmael had to continue on with his
life after witnessing such horrifying thing.
Through
everything Ishmael still manages to stay strong.
The second section of the book actually is the worst. It is the part of the book which the boy is suffering the most. About what you said of Kanei, I haven't realized all those things. After reading it, I can see that he was a very "positive thinking" guy. About the fact of Ishmael not seeing his family, it was a surprise for me too. I thought he would see him.
ReplyDeleteIt is sad that he did not have a chance to say good bye to his parents or see them since he left for Mattru Jong in the first quarter, but maybe not seeing them in chapter 11 was a blessing in disguise. He would have died if he had gotten the chance to see them and his story wouldn't have exsisted.
DeleteThat is a good point; he would have had to restart his whole process of forgetting his family and not thinking about them. The chances of them all surviving together would be very low. The outcome probably would not have been good. I would just feel so much regret either way. Especially since Ishmael rarely sees his mother.
DeleteMikayla
Even I was so excited for the boys to see their families too! I wouldn't have been able to wait an extra night. I think Ishmael would have been able to survive alone and find his parents, but then again I think everything happens for a reason so, like you said, it is possible he could have died with his family and we would have never got the chance to read his story.
ReplyDeleteMikayla