What happens to Ishmael at the rehabilitation center?
As a result, Ishmael and other boys are taken to the Benin Home Rehabilitation Center. The Benin Home is in Kissy Town on the outskirts of the capital …
What happens to Ishmael at the end of the book?
As a soldier, he survived because of his army family. At the rehabilitation center, Ishmael finds friendship and love from Esther and finally from his Uncle Tommy. This theme will continue for the rest of Ishmael's journey to survive and escape Sierra Leone. Previous Chapter 17 Next Chapter 19 Get these CliffsNotes as a PDF A Long Way Gone
How did Ishmael survive in Sierra Leone?
Summary and Analysis Chapter 16. Summary. Ishmael and the other boy soldiers in the rehabilitation center behave like caged animals. They attack the cook, throw bowls and silverware at the nurses and counselors, break into the medical supplies for drugs, and drag their mattresses out into courtyard in the rain so that they can sleep outside ...
What does Tommy do to Ishmael at the center?
In Ishmael Beah's A Long Way Gone, Ishmael narrates the true story of losing all his family when rebels attack his village. He is later forced to be a child soldier and given drugs so that he is...
What is the name of the rehabilitation center that Ishmael is sent to?
the Benin Home Rehabilitation CenterLesson Summary Ishmael leaves a UNICEF compound where he and other former army child soldiers fought former rebel child soldiers. They are sent to the Benin Home Rehabilitation Center. This is a place for the boys to recover physically, emotionally, and mentally from their trauma as child soldiers.
What does Ishmael perform at the rehabilitation center?
Observers from the UN, UNICEF, and several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) arrive to see the rehabilitation center, and the boys put on a talent show. Ishmael recites a monologue from Shakespeare and performs rap and dance.
What is the cause of the fight on Ishmael's first night in the rehab center?
Ishmael felt restless in the rehabilitation center, especially when the drugs began to subsude in his system. Ishmael threatened the boys that were trying to get crazy with his friends. The reason why the boy was fighting for the RUF, because the army killed his family abd destroyed his village.
What did the boys search for once they arrived at the rehabilitation center a long way gone?
Everyone feels better once they've got a little fight out of them. The army boys are loaded into another vehicle and taken to another rehabilitation center in nearby Kissy Town. This time, the MP's search them. The MPs finally realize these kids are sort of killing machines.
How does Ishmael feel about the rehab center?
At the new rehab center, things don't go so well. Ishmael and the other boys really don't like being told what to do by civilians. The boys are all going through drug withdrawal, too. They attack each other and they attack the staff.
What gift did Esther give Ishmael?
Esther gave Ishmael the cassette tapes and allowed him to listen to the music and write down lyrics.
What rank is Ishmael at the end of Chapter 14?
The corporal tells the boys that their guns are their source of power. After the lieutenant slits one rebel prisoner's throat, the corporal organizes a throat-slitting contest, with five prisoners as the victims. Because Ishmael's prisoner dies the quickest, Ishmael is promoted to the rank of junior lieutenant.
Who plucked a boys eye out at the camp?
At the top of page 135, Ishmael says that a change in environment won't immediately change them into normal boys; they were still dangerous and brainwashed to kill. top of pg. 135)? At camp, Mambu plucked a boy's eye out at camp with a bayonet.
How old is Ishmael in Chapter 15 A Long Way Gone?
In January of 1996, when Ishmael is 15 years old, his world is again changed. UNICEF men arrive to take the boy soldiers from the war zone. Ishmael and his friends are lined up, and the lieutenant chooses the youngest ones to be released from their duty.
What happened to Ishmael and Alhaji in the town of Bauya?
Where did Ishmael, Alhaji and Kanei go to? They left to get ammunition in Bauya, where Jumah and the Lieutenant were stationed. How much have the boys grown? They carry war guns and are unsacred by death.
What boy soldier did Ishmael make a new friend in the rehabilitation camp?
Mohamed: Ishmael's best friend from his home village, whom Ishmael is reunited with at the UNICEF rehabilitation center where Ishmael has already been for several months. Mohamed was meant to go with Ishmael to the talent show in the beginning of the story but had to stay behind to help his father work.
How did Ishmael Beah become a child soldier?
Beah wandered as a refugee from place to place for nearly a year, both alone and with a small group of boys who included his older brother. Shortly after his brother was killed, Beah was recruited as a child soldier in the Sierra Leonean government army when he was just thirteen years old.Dec 8, 2016
What does Ishmael promise Tommy?
He embraces him and promises him a place to live and welcomes him to his family. Ishmael is hesitant at first, but Tommy's sincerity and emotions win him over. Tommy begins visiting on the weekends and, during their walks, Ishmael tells him about good times before the war.
What does Ishmael decide about rehabilitation?
The center's directors are so impressed that they ask if he'll become a spokesperson for the center. Ishmael decides that rehabilitation is possible and declares that children are strong enough to overcome what's happened to them in times of war, if they are given an opportunity to do so.
What is the story of Ishmael and Altai?
While in the rehabilitation hospital, Ishmael recalls a particularly bloody battle in which he and his friend Altai slaughtered an entire village by themselves.
What does Ishmael consider his treachery?
Ishmael considers his treachery a compliment and strives to live up to all that being a snake implies. Analysis. Ishmael struggles internally with his need for drugs and violence in order to feel "normal" again. Even with the acts of violence they commit against civilians, the need can't be satiated.
What do Ishmael and the other boy soldiers in the rehabilitation center do?
Summary. Ishmael and the other boy soldiers in the rehabilitation center behave like caged animals. They attack the cook, throw bowls and silverware at the nurses and counselors, break into the medical supplies for drugs, and drag their mattresses out into courtyard in the rain so that they can sleep outside where they are more comfortable. ...
What is Ishmael's nightmare?
Ishmael struggles with sleep and migraines. His nightmares cause him to wander the compound, and he often wakes in a nearby field. Each time he is wrapped in a blanket by a staff member and told that he'll get through the hell of his memories and that none of this is his fault.
Is brainwashing still effective?
This shows that the brainwashing is still effective in their confusion of reality. The boys have been programmed as soldiers who see the world in terms of "kill or be killed.". The confusion among them grows because they don't know how else to operate in the regular world.
What happens when UNICEF removes the boys from the war?
When UNICEF removes the boys from the war, they aren't prepared for the way the experience changed them. Ishmael narrates, 'It hadn't crossed their minds that a change of environment wouldn't immediately make us normal boys; we were dangerous, and brainwashed to kill.' Not only did the boys need to be taught how to act, the officials needed to learn how to rehabilitate them. At first, boys from both sides are thrown into one residential facility. The results are disastrous as fighting breaks out.
Who is Ishmael's foster mother?
During a visit to New York City, Ishmael meets Laura Simms, who later becomes his foster mother when fighting breaks out in Freetown. Ishmael realizes that if he stays in Sierra Leone, he will be drawn back in to the army. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. Create your account.
What did Ishmael do during the battle with the rebels?
During the battle with the rebels at the UNICEF camp, Ishmael recalls his lieutenant's instructions to kill any rebel he sees anywhere he encounters them. The brainwashing by the army still has control over him, and he's not able to understand his new freedom.
What does the UNICEF men do to the boy soldiers?
UNICEF men arrive to take the boy soldiers from the war zone. Ishmael and his friends are lined up, and the lieutenant chooses the youngest ones to be released from their duty. He tells them that the UNICEF men will put them in schools and find them new lives.
Why is Ishmael's dismissal from service so painful?
Ishmael's loyalty as a soldier is fierce when this chapter opens, which is why his dismissal from service is so painful. He admires the lieutenant and seeks his approval as a father figure. The theme of confusion and fear returns when the boys are taken from their squad.
What is Ishmael's only thought?
His only thought is to kill or be killed. His gun both provides for and protects him. His thoughts and actions have become so simple that days blend into one another, and he maintains no concept of time.
Where is Ishmael taken to?
Ishmael and the remaining boy soldiers are taken to Benin Home, a rehabilitation center, but they still can't understand why. Ishmael's headaches return as his body begins withdrawing from drugs. Ishmael's loyalty as a soldier is fierce when this chapter opens, which is why his dismissal from service is so painful.
Where are the boys taken to in Sierra Leone?
The boys are taken to a fenced compound in Freetown, Sierra Leone's capital. They are given food and beds with clean linens.
What does Ishmael's migraines symbolize?
Ishmael's migraines symbolize the memories he is trying to repress. Each time he thinks of his childhood, his head begins to hurt.
What did Ishmael get from the pain?
Ishmael fainted from the pain and was given cocaine. His lieutenant told him he would now be killing the men who had shot his foot and caused him so much pain. When Ishmael recounts this story to Esther, she cries in sympathy and tries to comfort him by telling him again that his soldiering is not his fault.
What is the breakthrough in Ishmael?
Ishmael's breakthrough comes at the end of the chapter when he believes Esther for the first time that perhaps all that has happened to him and all the violence he's committed is not his fault. Esther's patience and kindness seem to be saving Ishmael from himself. Previous Chapter 16. Next Chapter 18. Book Summary.
What is the chapter 17 of Ishmael?
Summary and Analysis Chapter 17. Ishmael's first breakthrough in rehabilitation comes because his nurse, Esther, buys him a Walkman and rap cassettes. At first, it makes him angry, but then the music overtakes him and he begins opening up to Esther about his past.
What is the struggle of Ishmael and his brother?
Their day-to-day existence is a struggle of survival, and the boys find themselves committing acts they would never have believed themselves capable of, such as stealing food from children.
What drug did the army use to make the boy soldiers?
The boy soldiers become addicted to cocaine, marijuana, and "brown brown," which give them the courage to fight and the ability to repress their emotions in times of war.
Where does Ishmael return to?
After Ishmael returns to Freetown, Sierra Leone, a coup by the RUF and the military ousts the civilian government, and the war Ishmael has been avoiding catches up with him. After his uncle's death, Ishmael flees Sierra Leone for neighboring Guinea and eventually makes his way to his new life in the United States. Previous.
Where is Ishmael welcomed?
Ishmael is welcomed by his extended family in Freetown and is again saved by their support and kindness. Ishmael is invited along with other children of war to New York City to tell his story to the United Nations. He learns that others like him have suffered and survived.
Is A Long Way Gone a true story?
A Long Way Gone is the true story of Ishmael Beah, who becomes an unwilling boy soldier during a civil war in Sierra Leone. When he is twelve years old, Beah's village is attacked while he is away performing in a rap group with friends.
Summary: Chapter 15
Two years have passed since Ishmael became a soldier. He is now fifteen and his unit is based at a village northwest of Mattru Jong. Only three of the boys Ishmael arrived in Yele with two years ago are still alive: Alhaji, Kanei, and Jumah. Ishmael’s former corporal is dead, but the lieutenant is still in command.
Summary: Chapter 16
Angry and unable to satisfy their drug cravings, the boys destroy furniture and supplies at the new facility as well as physically abuse the staff. The staff’s gentle, patient response only enrages the boys further. When Ishmael injures his hand by punching a glass window, a kind nurse bandages him.
Summary: Chapter 17
Ishmael’s nurse, whose name is Esther, tries to befriend him. He accepts a Walkman cassette player from her, and in exchange, he reluctantly agrees to talk. When Esther asks how Ishmael got the scars in his left shin, he answers in detail, to shock her and make her stop asking questions. His unit, he explains, was ambushed by rebels.
Analysis: Chapters 15–17
Jumping ahead two years, Ishmael’s transformation into a child soldier is thematically complete, but immediately interrupted by his rescue. When he is ordered to go with the UNICEF workers, Ishmael’s new “family”—his squad—is taken away from him.
What chapter does Ishmael dream about his family?
In chapter 17, Ishmael describes "the first time he'd dreamt of his family since he started running away from the war". Paraphrase this nightmare, explaining how it differs from the many other dreams we've heard from ishmael. Also, explain how the dream illustrates his inner conflicts.
How long was Ishmael a solider?
at this point in chapter 15 Ishmael has been a solider for 2 years. In the town of Bauya ishmael, Alhaji, and a few others were chosen to stop fighting as soldiers and eventually go to school + begin a better life. They were taken to a rehabilitation center in the city, freetown by civilians.
Why does Ishmael get mad?
Ishmael gets very mad and tries to strangle him because of this. At village of Yele, a pivotal shift in this memoir begins when Ishmael goes from being an observer and victim of savage, war triggered violence to being both of these things as well as a perpetrator of such violence.
What did Ishmael realize about the presence of spirits?
Ishmael realized that it is the physical presence of people and their spirits they give a town life. The fact that the absence of so many people in his town made it scary and a bad place to be prompted him to observe this.........
What does it mean when Ishmael says he still sees the moon?
This saying means that he still has parts of his childhood embedded in him. As chapter 2 begins, we flash forward into Ishmael's new life in NYC.
Why is Ishmael's dream different from his others?
this dream is different from his others because in this dream he recognized war and pain as a negative while in past dreams he saw hurting others as a good thing. As he is leaving Benin Home, ishmael says farewell to his friend Alhaji, who salutes him while whispering "goodbye squad leader".
What chapter do the boys get white tablets?
They did have a choice to stay innocent and not kill but if they wanted to live then becoming soliders was the best choice. In chapter 13, the boys are given white tablets by their army superiors.