Quotes

"If you are alive, there is hope for a better day and something good to happen. If there is nothing good left in the destiny of a person, he or she will die." --- Ishmael's father (p.54, A Long Way Gone)

       

 The candle represents hope, and how there is always hope.
                                                                                

The sunset represents one day ending, and the hope that tomorrow will be a better day.    

I love this quote from the book because it is true. There is always hope that another day will be better. I also like the quote because I think that it is saying that if you are alive, your life can get better and that if it was not going to get better, you would die. To me, I think that this quote means that if you are alive, God still has plans for you. 

"I've come to learn that if I am going to take revenge, in that process I will kill another person whose family will want revenge; then revenge and revenge and revenge will never come to an end..." --- Ishmael Beah (p.199, A Long Way Gone)



This picture represents forgiveness. We must forgive, instead of plotting revenge.

I like this quote because it is true. People are constantly plotting revenge and that gets us nowehere because it will lead to an ongoing circle of revenge. One person takes revenge, then another person takes revenge, then another and another and it will never end. This quote is saying that we need to forgive, because if everyone keeps taking revenge, eventually the revenge cycles will never end and the whoel world will be full of vengence instead of love and forgiveness.

"My children, this country has lost it's good heart. People don't trust each other anymore, Years ago, you would have been heartily welcomed in this village. I hope that you boys find safety before this untrustworthiness and fear cause someone to harm you." --- An old man (p.56, A Long Way Gone)



This picture of two hands letting go of each other, represents people not trusting each other anymore. It represents people letting go of trust.

This quote was said to Ishmael and his travelling companions Alhaji, Musa, Moriba, Kanei, Jumah and Saidu, by an old man in a village they had stopped in. At this time in the book, people have started a rumour about the seven boys, Ishmael and his companions. The old man was left behind in the village when the rest of the villagers left because they heard the seven boys were coming, because he could not run and no one wanted to carry him. The old man is talking about how, because of the war, people no longer trust each other.

"I began to worry, because last time I had found someone in the village who had gone to school with us and saved us. This time we were a long way gone from Mattru Jong. A long way gone." --- Ishmael Beah (p.65, A Long Way Gone)



This picture of footprints represents how far Ishmael has come from Mattru Jong. It represents his journey. He has come a long way. He is a long way gone form where he started.

This quote is said by Ishmael when he and his travelling companions had been captured again by a village. They were afraid they would die. In the last village they had been captured in, someone had been there from Mattur Jong and had recognized them and was able to help prove that Ishmael and his friends were telling the truth when they said they were from Mattru Jong. That person had saved their lives. This time, they were very far from any village where someone from Mattru Jong would be taking refuge in. It was very unlikely this time, that someone would be there from Mattru Jong who recognized them and could save them. Ishmael is realizing just how far he has come from Mattru Jong.

"We must strive to be like the moon." --- An old man in Kabati (p.16, A Long Way Gone)

                        

This quote was said by an old man in Kabati. Ishmael is remembering him saying this as people would walk by his house. Ishmael asked his grandmother what the quote means, and she said that a lot og good things happen when the moon is out, and that no one complains about the moon. I think that this quote means that you should try to be good, just like the moon (no one complains about the moon, everyone likes the moon).