The Ending

On page 212, Beah writes, “It sickened me to see that Sierra Leoneans asked money from those who had come from the war. They were benefiting from people who were running for their lives.” This reminded me of another instance in which people should be helping and supporting each other rather than exploiting. After a natural disaster strikes, such as a hurricane or flood, “vultures”, people that selfishly exploit others that are vulnerable for their personal gain, often sweep in. Prices on basic needs will often get inflated simply because these people are desperate and the “vultures” know they will be willing to or forced to pay this higher amount, the elasticity of demand is not flexible. So, victims of the natural disaster find themselves paying outrageous prices for things such as water, food, and gas. This happens because of the greed of some people. They are not willing to put what is moral or fair above what is selfishly economically beneficial to them.

The ending is abrupt. Because it does not have an extensive denouement it leaves you thinking. The book left me somewhat unsettled it did not give me a feeling of finality or a happy ending. I found myself pondering many of the issues and situation presented in the book over the next couple days and I think this is what the author intended. If he would have tied a ribbon on the package I would have considered the package done and move it to the corner of my mind. But, because he left the box still open, I was probed to think.

Beah ended with a conundrum about a monkey. The significance of this story was that it posed a question that was thought to be unanswerable. A question, where both options were unfavorable. The issue of child soldiers and many of the conflicts that revolve around it are very complicated. There really is no clear answer or no easy answer that is favorable for all. In the last paragraph Beah proposes his personal answer. That he would shoot the monkey in order to prevent other hunters from finding themselves in the same predicament. I think he is proposing that when faced with a difficult choice where neither option is favorable, we should do what will help others in the long run. Look at the big picture of the situation and decide from a utilitarian standpooint.

Issues of Family and Freedom

“My squad was my family, my gun was my provider and protector, and my rule was to kill or be killed. . . . and it seemed as if my heart had frozen” (p. 126). As humans we need to feel cared for. We will always try and instill some sense of family, some sense of association. The idea of family is re-configured in this book. These children that are ripped from their actual families are challenged to try and re-establish their sense of place. Their squad, the militia they’re in, etc. often comes to aid this need for association. They replace what would be a family. Child soldiers become attached to other members, leaders, their weapons, and the dogma they are fed. The fact that people will go to such extremes, re-affirms how strongly we need a sense of family.

“High we exalt thee, realm of the free, great is the love we have for thee…” Based on the atrocities seen in the novel, A Long Way Gone, Sierra Leone does not seem like a free country. People’s personal freedoms and rights are violated countless times. Even the most fundamental right humans have, their right to life, is taken away. But as we see from this line in their national anthem, they do consider themselves to be a free country. How can they do this? What does it mean be free or live in a free country? This is deeply troubling. Sierra Leone considers themselves to be a constitutional republic, perhaps this is why they consider themselves to be free. But, the theoretical implications of their government type are far from reality. Under these conditions the U.S. is considered free. But the U.S. and Sierra Leone are drastically different. A country may call themselves free based on how their government is set up. But, how their government actually runs and the reality of the country is the actual indicator to whether it is free or not.