A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier Themes

You wouldn't think that in a book about war, devastation, and violence, you'd find a whole lot of art and culture. But it's exactly in a book about those horrible things that you need that stuff. I...

People love choices. For example, this morning Shmoop chose to have a nice big bowl of Multigrain Cheerios for breakfast instead of Pop Tarts. It was really great. But what happens when our choices...

Unless you're a hermit living on a remote desert island, everyone belongs to a community. Even that hermit probably has some marine life friends hanging around. In A Long Way Gone, Ishmael also bel...

Your family probably drives you nuts at times, but that's what families do and you love them anyway. Our families are the most important people we love and care for, the ones who take care of us. F...

Kids start out uncorrupted and pure. (Except for your annoying little brother.) If you've ever talked to a little kid, you've probably marveled at how naturally sweet, trusting, and innocent they a...

Nature is a beautiful thing. But it's tough to stop and smell the roses when you're being shot at or running for your life. In A Long Way Gone, Ishmael grows up with a strong connection to the natu...

Nobody wants to be manipulated. But that's the trick to manipulation—do it so your victims don't realize they're being influenced at all. Sneaky, right? When Ishmael first joins the army in A Lon...

War. What is it good for? Absolutely nothing. Yup, the song had it right. War is a terrible, no good, very bad thing, as Ishmael Beah finds out firsthand in A Long Way Gone. When Ishmael finally es...