Question: How did Ishmael character change throughout the course of the book?
Answer: Jasmine- At the beginning Ishmael is a normal kid who loved music, fun and games. When the war reaches his village, he sees the impact of the war and becomes fearful for his life. When he joined the government force he was told to take drugs to heighten his energy and made him numb (numb emotions) and made his pain go away. When he got to the rehabilitation centre he learns who he is again, learns to love, feel again, and forgive himself. In the end he becomes stronger and a better man.
Vanessa- No war: Ishmael is a normal kid with no worries.
On the run: Ishmael becomes unable to trusted and more on guard.
Rehabilitation: With time Ishmael becomes caring, feels guilt and becomes more understanding.
In the end: Ishmael becomes a stronger person
Question: What influenced Ishmael change/changes in character?
Answer: Jasmine- In the beginning: Ishmael's family and friends kept him young, happy, and ready to have fun.
War: When the war reaches his village, the bloody, gory scenes laid in front of him as well as loosing so many loved ones made Ishmael fearful for his life.
Government force: The drugs they gave the kids for energy boosting changed Ishmael, they made him numb and emotionless. Also the killing he had to do made him loose all humanity and loose himself.
Rehabilitation centre: At first he was violent, unhappy not to have the drugs and frustrated with the kindness of the workers and the return of the migraines .
Vanessa- Traumatic events: Acts of violence in front of him and family dying.
Army: Drugs and killing.
Rehabilitation: Helped in the end.
Question: Who had the influence in helping Ishmael become the man he is today?
Answer: Jasmine and Vanessa- Esther : She never have up on him, never gave up helping him
Laura: little affect ( we don't know a lot about her). He ends up living with her in New York.
UNICEF: Everyone in the rehabilitation centre and at the meeting in New York all cared and wanted him well again. They all helped him accept and forgive himself.
Uncle Tommy: The love he gave him, and the forgiveness helped Ishmael learn to be himself again.
All these people all had one thing in common, they never held his past against him.
Question: How did where Ishmael live impact his life and who he is?
Answer: Jasmine- Sierra Leone: Is not a very developed country, so it's pprobably not the best place to live. They don't have the schools and education we do. When someone gets sick or hurt they don't have the medical equipment, treatment or knowledge we do. The water there is probably not the cleanest and causes many of the sicknesses the people get, also the lack of food. And the war that happened there doesn't make it the safest place to live.
Living in Sierra Leone, Ishmael experiences all this hardship and fear of the war. He needs to put in a lot more effort to survive and live there than we do in Canada. Without all the hardships and different challenges Ishmael would of never became who he is today without them. Today he helps educate people on the difficulties he faced and many others face.Without these events in his life he would never be able to help and be the man he is today. Even though where he lives is dangerous and there were ups and downs in his life, Ishmael learned and became stronger thanks to the place he lived.
Vanessa- Sierra Leone: Not the best place to live for it lacks education, medical treatment and knowledge, and nutrition. Where he lived gave Ishmael the chance to help other people, notify them on what's happening on the world and his experiences.
Question: If you were Ishmael what would you do differently?
Answer: Jasmine- I would help those who were suffering from the war. The people who were shot and bleeding I would go over and try to help them. I couldn't and would never kill anyone no matter what the situation is. I would rather die than kill someone. I would refuse the drugs and pretend to take them. At the rehabilitation centre I would be less resisting to the treatment.
Vanessa- Help those who are hurt or suffering from the war. Wouldn't kill anyone and more willing for the treatment at the rehabilitation centre.
I have a further response for the first question. During the war, Ishmael was emotionless. He completely lost himself.
ReplyDeleteFor question number tow, I also think that the people he grew up with influneced him (i.e. his grandma who lived in Kabati, his friends and his mother and the rest of his family. Also during the war, the lieutenant and other government soldiers influenced him negatively, and turned him into an emotionless, cruel person. During rehabilitation, Esther and the other staff at the centre helped him become a kind, good person again. Ishmael's uncle influenced him positively. Ishmael elarned to love again while living with his uncle and cousins.
ReplyDeleteFor question number four, he was able to use where he lived and the experiences he had as a boy in the war while living there, to tell people in other countries through a United Nations conference about the things that go on there. Today he runs a foundation to help other child soldiers, just like him, get rehabilitated. If he had not lived in Sierra Leone and had not gone through all that he did, he would not be able to help so many children and people who are suffering. Ishmeal became a stronger person because of where he lived in the challenges presented with living in Sierra Leone.
ReplyDeleteFor question number five, I would not take part in cruel acts and I would try to think of ways to escape to be rescued.
ReplyDelete