Descriptive Juxtaposition In A Long Way Gone

Words: 700
Pages: 3

Heirlooms of The Past
The novel A Long Way Gone, by Ishmael Beah, is a story of Beah’s dependence upon his family to survive through the difficult times of war. Beah’s value of the past and his family is juxtaposed with his “dreams and the experiences of [his] new life” (Beah 20). Memories of his past provide Beah with hopefulness when the world around him seems hopeless. His colorful tone and attention to detail allows the reader a vivid view of his life story. Beah’s life is filled with examples of survival and of hope found in the depth of his memories of what he valued most, his family. The story found in, A Long Way Gone, by Ishmael Beah, is told in the first person account through factual diction, hopeful dialogue, and descriptive juxtaposition
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The descriptive juxtaposition between the “wails of hungry babies” (Beah 12) compared to “the evening songs of crickets and birds” (Beah 12); as they listened to the unfamiliar sound of crying babies, the boys began to realize what the world was transforming into right before their very eye. Families were trying to survive another day, living to “be like the moon” (Beah 16) an explanation from Beah’s grandmother which gave a simple phrase, the meaning of what life should strive to resemble. “Everyone becomes happy and appreciated the moon in their own special way.” (Beah …show more content…
When fighting, for a home that may “no longer [be] a place to call home”(Beah 14). Ishmael Beah reminiscences of childhood events through the tragedy, to keep his hope that his family will remain deep within him. The story found in A Long Way Gone, is seen through the eyes of Ishmael Beah, who captures a colorful tone through his life’s experiences with factual diction, hopeful dialogue, and descriptive