I've been reading A Long Way Gone, which is about child soldiers during the civil war in Sierra Leone. The main character, who is the narrator, is telling the story from his memory, it is all completely true. It's a really disturbing and depressing but it's also a strong and necessary wake up call to what we don't see of the world through watching TV and the rest of the media.
There are a lot of strong messages that I've noticed throughout the book. One of them is that war can change a person. The child soldiers become desensitized to the fighting and become unthinking killing machines. They lose everything human about them because of the horrible situations that they are put into. Another message is that family is important. Throughout the entire book, Ishmael is always searching for family. His real family, his friends that he meets along his travels, and even his squad in the army. It's a really powerful book and I think the messages in it should be heard by the entire world so that we can try and make a difference.
I loved reading this book, and I agree with you that it gives further insight into this important and relevant issue that most media can. I also agree with the two messages you found in the book. Good post!
ReplyDeleteethan, there is so much more you could say about this!
ReplyDelete