How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
One of the unsettling things about my journey, mentally, physically, and emotionally, was that I wasn't sure when or where it was going to end. I didn't know what I was going to do with my life. I felt that I was starting over and over again. […] At villages where we managed to find some happiness by being treated to food or fresh water, I knew that it was temporary and that we were only passing through. So I couldn't bring myself to be completely happy. It was much easier to be sad than to go back and forth between emotions, and this gave me the determination I needed to keep moving. I was never disappointed, since I always expected the worst to happen. (10.1)
It's tough to make good decisions when you don't know what tomorrow will bring. Ishmael decides the best thing to do is to not get his hopes up or be happy. If he just expects the worst, he'll never be disappointed. Compare this to a typical carefree kid, who generally trusts that the world is OK and he'll be taken care of.
Quote #5
"Every time people come at us with the intention of killing us, I close my eyes and wait for death. Even though I am still alive, I feel like each time I accept death, part of me dies. Very soon I will completely die and all that will be left is my empty body walking with you. It will be quieter than I am." […] Tears formed in my eyes and my forehead became warm, thinking about what Saidu had said. I tried not to believe that I too was dying, slowly, on my way to find safety. (10.3)
Saidu talks about his choice to embrace death only to escape it over and over again. Maybe that's why he dies just a few pages later. Once you've given up fighting and hoping, what's left?
Quote #6
That morning we thanked the men who had helped bury Saidu. "You will always know where he is laid," one of the men said. I nodded in agreement, but I knew that the chances of coming back to the village were slim, as we had no control over our future. We knew only how to survive. (10.114)
Knowing where your loved ones are buried is kind of comforting, but Ishmael and his friends know it's unlikely that they'll be able to stop by and put flowers on Saidu's grave. Just another option that's been eliminated from their lives.