As I read the first two chapters of this book, many things stood out to me. One thing that stood out to me was the portion before the first chapter. You get a feeling of the naiveté that people in the US have towards issues like child soldiers, which is not at all the peoples' fault; its more of a media thing. Another thing that stood out to me was the innocence that the novel is written in so far. The main character talks about his exposure to rap music and how he tries to imitate the rappers' style of speaking "English really fast, and to the beat." Another part like this is when his brother and him go pick up Ibrahim from school, and Ibrahim comes running to him and challenges him to a soccer match.
This is such a sharp contrast to what happens later on in the first chapter and in chapter two. In chapter one, Beah sees firsthand all the suffering that occurs when the people attacked by the rebels are fleeing to his village. What really hit home for me was the passage about the parents and their children. One man was trying to convince himself that his son was still alive and that he would take him to a hospital. Another part was when the baby had been shot in the head, and her mother was "in too much pain and shock to shed tears." Beah really accentuated parts like these for me with the emotions. He talks about how the child who was shot had an "interrupted innocent smile on her face." He also describes how the mother rocked her child back and forth after she had died.
Another part that stood out to me was how Beah describes how he mindlessly walked through a ravaged village that was attacked by the rebels, carrying a wheelbarrow with a dead body ridden with bullets. He gives you a strong and disturbing image about the plight of child soldiers and the various wars in Africa.
All in all, I think the innocent way he starts out the novel sort of shocks you into the parts where he talks about the war and its victims. It is a very strong beginning for a novel that will probably get even stronger as the plot progresses.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
I agree with you about the way he describes the way the US views things. They all seemed fascinated thinking it was so cool. Also, I liked the part when he was describing rap music. Like you said they all had an innocence to them, it was almost refreshing. The way he described the baby and mother was so sad! You said how his brother challenged him to a soccer match, at first I found it cute, then I thought it was sad because for all we know he is dead now. You mentioned the father holding on the the hope that his son was alive, that was one example of how they all seemed to have faith. Over all I agree with what you said, and you are a very good writer!
I definitely saw the contrast between the innocence and the horror. There is no transition, he simply drops you into his memories of the pain and suffering, which is probably how he remebers it. so yeah i agree.
oh by the way its me max, sorry i didn't know we were supposed to put our names
I also think that the majority of the U.S. does not fully under stand things that where and are going on in Africa, because of the media not having much interaction in Africa because they are either not willing to go there, think most Americans won't wacth it or are too busy covering things like elections, diseaters (though i do not think it is the latter why the news can not or will not cover Africa). So I agree.
I really agree with how you said that there was a contrast between chapter 1 and 2. I could see the change in mood, sort of like good, the way they were just being kids and hanging out, to evil, when he sees his dead body in his dream, or when he kills the other boys and eats their food.
Excellent post, Aayush, and good comments from the rest of you.
Post a Comment