Student Study Guide
A Long Way Gone By: Ishmael Beah
Chapter 1
1- After reading the first paragraph, what is the tone set by the author? Explain using
evidence from the book. (answers will vary)
There is a sadness that is set with hopelessness. Refugees walking hundreds of miles,
relatives killed, houses burned, refusing help from others, scared of sounds, fatigue and
malnourishment
2- “At times I thought that some of the stories the passersby told were exaggerated.” What
does this quote say about the narrator and about his future? (p5)
The narrator is naïve and in denial about what is to come
3- The main character talks about layering up his clothing. He then says “They were
fashionable, and we had no idea that this unusual way of dressing was going to benefit
us.” (p7) What is he foreshadowing?
They will need the layers of clothing in the future when they won’t have any other
clothing because of where they will be.
4- What is the relationship between the main character and his stepmother? What clues
gave you this information? (p10) Look for specific lines and QUOTE them.
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5- Fill in the venn diagram showing the differences and similarities between the boy and his
live versus an average child in Canada.
Narrator
Canadian
Rebels burning down village
And killing families
Canoe as major transportation
Free education
Rap
School
divorce
6- How did the tone and mood switch from the beginning of the chapter towards the end of
the chapter? Use evidence from the novel to support your claim.
The chapter started out hopeful and playful. They talked about dancing to the rap
music, “the sun peacefully sailed through the white clouds, birds sang from treetops,
the trees danced” (p10).
Then it switches to fear and horror as people are murdered. “The wind had stpped
moving and daylight seemed to be quickly giving to night.” (13) There’s blood, crying,
and screaming.
7- (p14) What are the rebels fighting for? Liberation from a corrupt government
8- (p16) Explain the following quote. “We must strive to be like the moon.”
The moon brings happiness.
9- Give chapter one a title.
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10- The narrator flashes back and forth in time. What is the effect of this technique? Do you
as a reader appreciate this or would you prefer he stays chronological? Explain.
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Chapter 2
1- The novel flashed forward in time. What is happening in this chapter?
The narrator is living in New York (“I tried to think about my new life in New York City,
where I had been for over a month.” However, he keeps remember his life in Sierra
Leone where he had been involved in the murdering.
2- Give chapter two a title.
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Chapter 3
1- From page 22-23 describe the change of atmosphere giving evidence from the novel. How did
the tone change?
Tone p22
quiet, eerie
Live, hopeful
Peaceful, relaxed
Evidence
“the town became
scary… the moon wasn’t
in the sky; the air was
stiff, as if nature itself
was afraid of what was
happening”
“The town came alive
again. Schools
reopened; people
returned to their
normal routines”
“Five days went by
peacefully, and even the
solders in town relaxed”
Tone p23
Terrifying, confusion
Evidence
“Everyone just ran to
save his or her life.
Families were
separated”
Worried, frantic
“Mothers were
screaming the names of
their lost children, and
the lost children cried in
vain.”
“the rebels began
shooting their guns at
people instead of
shooting into the sky.”
Fearful, hopeless,
hostile
2- What is the mood created by the author on pages 23-25? What lines help to create that mood?
Mood created on pages 23-25
Answers will vary
Enraged
Frustrated
Nervous
Suspenseful
Terrifying
Stressful
Violent
Evidence from the novel
Answers will vary
3- If the boys are caught by the rebels, what will happen to them? Why is this bad?
If they are caught, they will be branded with the RUF initials and scarred for life. They
can never escape or they will be killed immediately by soldiers or militant civilians.
4-
(p25) “causing his remains and blood to sprinkle like rain on the nearby leaves and bushes.”
What is this type of comparison called? Simile
Why is the author trying to paint this picture for the reader? There is so much blood that it’s
dropping like rain drops on the leaves. This is how many people have been murdered
that blood is in the air.
Chapters 4
1- What risks are the boys taking by sneaking back to Mattru Jong? Is the risk worth the
reward?
They risk getting caught by any left behind rebels. Answers may vary
2- How does the author create suspense in this chapter? Give evidence from the novel.
He explains the town as being “quiet and almost barren” as they walk in giving the town
an eerie feeling. There are dead bodies all over. The reader is not sure what is going to
happen next. Then rebels show up and create a fearful tone. “There was no immediate
cover, so we had to swiftly run onto a verandah and hide behind stacks of cement
bricks.” The reader can envision the boys hiding and waiting. When they leave, the
boys are sneaking away until “one boy among the last batch to cross the clearing was
too slow, because he carried a big bag of things he had gathered from his house. As a
result, the rebels who were on guard in the tower saw him and opened fire.” The
reader is in suspense wondering if the boys are going to make it or get shot.
3- Explain what Ishmael means in this line “We had yet to learn these things and
implement survival tactics, which was what it came down to” (p29).
The boys are not yet strategic. They are just trying to survive. If they want to survive,
they are going to have to think in a different way.
Chapters 5
1-
Why does Ishmael include the story of taking the ears of corn from the child in the novel?
This shows not only their level of hunger but what they are desperate enough to do to
take care of their needs.
2- Explain what Ishmael means when he says “I used the only freedom that I had then, my
thought. They couldn’t see it.”
The rebels could capture him, but they could not control his thoughts. The only
freedom he had at that moment was the freedom to think whatever he wanted.
3- When the rebels capture the boys, they start a selection process. Why? What were they
looking for? Explain using evidence from the novel.
They wanted “strong recruits”. They needed more boys to become rebels and wanted
tough ones who could fight and kill.
Chapters 6
1- Ishmael and the boys get jobs being watchmen in a village. They are to watch for the
rebels. “We did this for about a month and nothing happened. Still, we knew the rebels
well enough to brace for their arrival. But we lost our vigilance to the gradual passing of
time.” What does vigilance mean in this context and why did they lose it?
Vigilance is to be on alert and watchful. They stopped being serious about watching for
the rebels when it had been a month without the rebels showing up.
2- Ishmael and Junior are separated due to the rebels. Was it the fault of the village for
becoming relaxed? Could they have prevented the attack?
Answers will vary