Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Author on Campus October 5
Tuesday, October 5 - 7pm - Brock Auditorium, Coates Building
The author will be here to discuss his book and his experience. Book signing will follow
Questions a long way gone
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EKU Reads 2010 Lesson Plan
Audio/Video:
Jon Stewart Show Interview: http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-february-14-2007/ishmael-beah
NPR Interview: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7519542
Videos from the Publisher: http://www.alongwaygone.com/media.html
CNN Interview: http://www.alongwaygone.com/cnnvideo.html
Invisible Children Documentary: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOrzBOauLyo
Discussion Questions
Anthropology:
1. Like in many traditional societies, in African cultures, elders are considered wise and are greatly respected. In Beah’s story, how does he see elders treated that suggest the erosion of traditional culture?
P33, P56-57. They are treated with disrespect – beaten by rebels and left behind by their families. Not even having a name – a social identify – seems to suggest their irrelevance and perhaps even their invisibleness.
2. Many traditional societies have rich oral storytelling traditions. As part of Beah’s cultural background, what role do you see storytelling play in the book?
What is the message of…
a) The wild boar parable (P53)
b) the bra spider (P72)
c) the trickster monkey (P217)
History:
3. What would force a society to use children as soldiers? Provide evidence from contemporary and historical societies. USA civil war, American Indian wars, Viet Nam, etc. Do they share a common cause. I have talked to some historians about this question and it might make nice panel.
4. In some respects this a journey narrative, a coming age narrative, and a recovery narrative. Does it have to be “true” to of value? Give reasons for your answer.
5. What did you find in the text that you found loathsome, frightening, thrilling, redemptive, surprising, Mark the place in the book and share it in our discussion.
English/Literature:
6. The structure of Beah's memoir is often nonlinear; his story is a mixture of discussing the present, the past, and his dreams. What is the effect of his choosing to tell his story in a non-chronological way? Why do you think he chose to tell it this way? P184, P190
7. Storytelling has played an important role in Beah's life. What are some of the folktales that he shares with us, and what do you think their respective morals or messages might be? Who are some important figures in his life that are storytellers? And how might his interest in storytelling relate to his decision to share his life story with the world?
See: the stories of the wild boar (53); the Bra Spider (72), and the trickster monkey (217). Storytellers in Beah's life: fellow orphan Musa (73-74); his grandmother (75-6); his uncle in Freetown (175-188); Laura Simms, in NYC (196-7).
8. In the civil war in Sierra Leone, both sides relied on rhetoric and persuasion to convince others of the rightness of their respective positions. When Lieutenant Jabati gives a speech to the orphaned boys in the village of Yele, how does he attempt to convince them of the rightness of joining on as soldiers? Do you think his methods of persuasion were effective?
See lieutenant Jabati's speeches on 106-108.
9. During Beah's rehabilitation experience at Benin Home in Freetown, why do you think he and the other boys experienced so much frustration with the "civilians" trying to help them? When the nurse who befriended him, Esther, tells him that "None of these things are your fault" (p. 165), why do you think that Beah finally began to believe it instead of feeling hatred at this statement?
Psychology:
10. All individuals are a product of their nature or genetic heritage and the environment in which they grow up. What are the nature and environmental contributors to Beah’s ultimate ability to get out of Sierra Leone?
11. How was being an adolescent and a male both an asset and a liability for Beah? What might have happened to him if he were younger or older? Or female? P 24, 37, 47-48, 59-60, 64-68
12. Brainwashing requires 3 steps: Making someone physically and emotionally exhausted, making them question their perception of reality, and then replacing their reality with a new reality. Given these parameters, do you feel that Beah was brainwashed into becoming a solider? Why or why not? Chapters 12-13
13. What types of challenges to organizations such as UNICEF who rescued Beah face in attempting to rehabilitate child soldiers? Are these challenges worth the risks and benefits? Do you feel that Beah was truly rehabilitated? P134-136, 138-142, 145, 148-149, 151 (last paragraph)
Essay Prompts
1. Ishmael makes many references to music, specifically rap music, in his memoir. What role does music play during his rehabilitation at the Benin Home? How do you use music when you are facing difficult times?
2. How does reading a memoir like A Long Way Gone put the challenges you face into perspective? What attributes does Beah have to help him overcome his obstacles? How do the attributes you possess help you overcome obstacles in your own life?
3. Ishmael and his friends are often perceived as rebels by villagers. How do the boys overcome these stereotypes? What stereotypes have you faced in your own life and how have you overcome them?
Essay Content Prompt
Sierra Leone is thousands of miles away from Richmond, Kentucky. How are the issues Ishmael and his friends face relevant to you? How do places you’ve never visited affect your life? How will reading A Long Way Gone impact the way you view the world?
Critical Thinking Questions
1. What do you consider Beah’s purpose for writing his memoir? Do all memoirs share that purpose?
2. What central question to you think Beah attempts to answer through A Long Way Gone?
3. Before reading this book, what did you assume about distant wars/conflicts and the plight of children in such areas? Did your assumptions hold true? Has your point of view changed because of this?
4. During Beah’s journey, he often times demonstrates the intellectual traits. Give an example of a time he showed:
a. Integrity
b. Perseverance
c. Empathy
d. Courage
e. Humility
5. Can you give an example of a time he struggled with demonstrating the traits and perhaps did not show the judgment of a fair-minded thinker?
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