Coming of Age before your time,

• Pg 46 – all alone at age 12 fending for him self• pg26 – witnessing death, seeing more than a

child should• Pg 175- “I think my troublesome days are over”• Pg125- “I was given the rank of junior LT we

celebrated with more drugs and r rated movies”• Pg 123- “Our job is a serious one, we have the

most capable soldiers.”

Difficult choices and the related terrible consequences,

• Pg45- force to abandoned is brother.• Pg81- eating the crow• Pg111- “With trembling hands I saluted him

and took the gun”• Pg121- “Smoking marijuana and snorting

brown brown…”

The Insanity of War,• Pg21- one love mutilation ( senseless violence)• Pg44- burning the bishop ( nobody is safe) • Pg29- normal logical decision making, may not work, in war time • Pg108- “The LT went on for hours…And killed them”(Top of the

page)• Pg121- “There's a lot of drugs and no sleep”• Pg124- Killing practice(Banana Trees)• Pg134- First fight at the shelter• Pg151- Making the captives dig their own graves• Pg155- worried that Esther wouldn’t accept him because of his war

stories• Pg119- So much death in the forest it takes on a life on its own

Injustice and unfairness,

• Pg60- taking the kid’s shoes• Pg21- one love mutilation • Pg189- No ID for passport • Pg129- Taken from squad to go to Benin home• Pg190- Wasn’t able to go on walks without

thinking of the family life he lost.• Pg93- Parents die just before he gets to the

village

Salvation and Redemption,

• Pg35- escaping from the rebels, and the responsibility of killing the older villagers

• Pg61- finding the hut, after a brutal day in the sand• Pg153- “Are you sure you want to be friends with me?”• Pg 159- Esther hears his story and forgives him.• Pg172- “After you are done here you can come live

with me”• Pg165- “Its not your fault.”• Pg 199- Speech at the U.N.• Pg53- running from pigs

Humanity Overcoming Inhumanity,• Pg61- the fishermen helping the boys• Pg57- old man giving the boys directions• Pg 140- The ex-Child soldiers beat up the mattress guy and he

forgives them.• Pg 153 – Friendship develops between nurse and Ishmael.• Pg154- He withdraws from the hug after his excited reaction to the

walkman.• Pg141- Nurse offers for him to come back to clean his injuries with

a head rub• Pg 172- Relationship with uncle.• Pg 196- Trust between Laura and Ishmael.• Pg140- offers of forgiveness• Pg102- one normal town amidst the war• Pg146- dancing and singing in Freetown

Persisting Even Though Terror Seems Inescapable

• Pg. 31-escape from the rebels• Pg. 54- those words became the vehicle that

drove my spirit forward• Pg175- Takes walks with his uncle. Opens up

about violence.• Pg165- Talks to Ester about his dream.• Pg156- Dream about taking the fort despite

being out numbered.

Nature as a reflection of Ishmael's life

• Pg. 60- I spent in the night of the arms of those trees between the earth and the sky

• pg. 15- the pond beyond them was still as if were waiting for something

• Pg22- Normally the crickets and birds saying…• Pg 119- branches of the tree bowing their heads in prayer/

loneliness of the crickets. • Pg120- Night fall/Silence• Pg166- “That night I wanted the sky to talk to me”• Pg 194- snow scene • Pg98- moon the disappears and takes the stars with it

The unconscious.

• Pg. 19- the wheelbarrow dream team• Pg. 49- struggling to keep awake• Pg 120- Dream about Josiah• Pg 164- Faceless soldiers + family• Pg184- Flashback of school dance• Pg94- child’s yelp still echoes in his mind