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Name________________________
Mr. Collins
English 10
___ October 2014
A Long Way Gone Study Guide
The unit test for A Long Way Gone will take place on Thursday, October 27, 2014.
You will respond to 15 multiple choice questions
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You will be asked to read passages from the memoir and answer analytical
questions about each passage.
You will complete one written response portion (10-12 sentence paragraph).
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You will be able to use your book, as you will be required to cite textual evidence.
You will be asked to reflect on the ideas and themes in the memoir.
You may use the Post-it Notes you have in your book, but you may not any
supplemental materials.
Preparation:
Below are some key events and information in the memoir that you will want to pay
close attention to.
Brief Summary: Ishmael Beah is a young boy who is forced to leave his home
town because of the civil war in Sierra Leone. He becomes a refugee and eventually a
child soldier. He commits many terrible acts as a child soldier, fueled by anger and
drugs. Through a difficult rehabilitation process, he is able to re-enter society, but he still
struggles with memories of the past. He goes to New York City to advocate against the
use of child soldiers and meets Laura Simms. Ishmael returns to Sierra Leone and there
is increasing violence in Freetown. His Uncle Tommy dies and Ishmael decides to leave
Sierra Leone. He leaves Freetown in secret and enters Guinea illegally, where he then
makes it to the Sierra Leonean consulate and ultimately America.
Chapters 1-5 Key Events:
Ishmael and his friends are forced from Mattru Jong and have to run for hours on end
without stopping. They move from town to town and are constantly afraid. (Key Pages
21-23)
Ishmael and the other boys are struggling to survive. They return to Mattru Jong for food
with no luck. Ultimately, they attack a small boy eating two ears of corn (Key Page: 2931).
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Chapters 6-10 Key Events
Ishmael is running away from rebels and ends up in the woods alone. He lives there for
a month, learning how to survive independently. His father’s words are what push him to
stay alive and give him hope. (Key Pages: 52-55)
Chapters 11-15 Key Events:
Ishmael joins the government army as a child soldier. He is brainwashed with violent
movies, drills, and drugs. Lt. Jabati gives speeches about how great the soldiers are
and how the government is not like the rebels, but Ishmael commits terrible acts of
violence. (Key Pages: 123-124)
Chapters 16-19 Key Events:
Ishmael endures rehabilitation in Benin Home and struggles to overcome the horrors of
his life as a child soldier. He has flashbacks and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. (Key
Pages: 145)
Chapters 20-21 Key Events:
Ishmael gives a speech at the U.N. about the dangers of being a child soldier. He then
makes his way to Guinea illegally after his uncle dies. (Key page: 199)
Ishmael’s ends the book with the Monkey and the Hunter story. He chooses to kill the
monkey in order to “prevent others from having to make that decision.” Ishmael does
this to prevent the cycle of violence from continuing. (Key Pages
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Be sure that you review literary terms and think about their impact on A Long
Way Gone, including, but not limited to the following list:
o Theme
o Character
o Setting
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o Tone
o Main Idea
o Metaphor
o Simile
o Personification
o Imagery
o Irony
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