A Long Way Gone takes place in the war-torn country of Sierra Leone, in the time period of 1993-1997. Ishmael goes to New York City in 1998. The novel starts off in the villlage of Mogbwemo, Ishamel's home. This village is similair to the other villages throughout Sierra Leone, small, with huts for the villagers to live in. Other settings throughout the book include the town of Mattru Jong, where Ishmael and the boys end up staying longer than expected due to rebel attacks on their home villages. Mattru Jong is a larger, more developed town than Mogbwemo. These villages are surrounded by forests, and the climate is hot and tropical. Vegetation such as banana and coconut trees grow here.
Questions
1. In what ways does the setting affect the characters?
2. What type of mood does the setting create in the characters?
3. What aspects of the setting could help the boys in hiding from the rebels? What aspects would make it easier for them to be hunted?
4. What town do the boys travel through before reaching Mattru Jong?
5. List a difference between Mattru Jong, and Mogbwemo, Ishamel's home.
Answers:
ReplyDelete1. The weather affects their travelling, because i makes them much thirstier and much hungrier. I think also since their home country is in the middle of war, it makes the children almost anxious. I think the children are anxious because they don't really know what's going to happen next.
2. I think it makes them a bit nervous because in most of the novel they are walking through a forest. So, they don't really know if rebels
are going to pop out of nowhere.
3. Well when they are in the boys definitely have an advantage. Since they are in the forest if they hear a suspicious noise they ca hide in bushes or try and climb tress. I think especially when they stay in the villges, the boys don't really have really good places they can hide if the rebels are strolling through that village.
4. The boys travel through Kabti before they arrives at Mattru Jong.
5. Mattru Jong is much bigger than his village. Also, Mattru Jong hadn't been attacked by the rebels yet.
Note: For question one. I am unsure if it is Mattru Jong the boys return to in search of food or Mogbwemo
ReplyDeleteQ: In what ways does the setting affect the characters?
A: The setting can affect the characters in many ways. Such as the whether, the hot dry days can cause Ismael and his friends to grow hungry and thirsty. This causes the boys to head back to Mattru Jong in search for food and money. This type of setting affects the boys physically. Another example of setting is Mattru Jong. In Mattru Jong, the boys encountered something devastating that can’t be unseen. Even though the boys have already heard of the rebels attacking the town, the sight of blood and dead bodies everywhere are a hurtful sight. A setting like this affects the boys mentally, making them feel scared or anxious.
Q: What type of mood does the setting create in the characters?
A: Near the beginning of the story, the boys were quite happy. Until the Rebels attacked a mining area near Kabti, seeing the affects of those who were hurt, gives the boys a sense of what is really going on. That they should be afraid that the Rebels, because they never know when the Rebels are going to come.
Q: What aspects of the setting could help the boys in hiding from the rebels? What aspects would make it easier for them to be hunted?
A: The forest is a huge advantage for Ismael and his friends. It can hide them from the Rebels. “Nights cloak” also protects the boys from the dark. The rebels cannot see those that are hiding in the forests as well as they could if it were day. However, there is still a chance to be caught. Like the old man from earlier in the story who was trying to escape, but was caught by one of the rebels. Luckily, he was not killed because the old man amused the rebels by how he was behaving. If the boys and his friends want to stay safe, they should avoid the villages when rebels are near, because if they were, it’s likely to be killed or recruited. The rebels also go through every house taking food, and there is nowhere to hide. It’s less likely to be killed in a field than a village since rebels target villages.
Q: What town do the boys travel through before reaching Mattru Jong?
A: The town the boys went through before reaching Mattru Jong is Kabti, the village where his grandmother lives.
Q: List a difference between Mattru Jong, and Mogbwemo, Ishamel's home.
A: Mattru Jong is much larger than Ismael’s home village. Personally, I do not see much difference between the three nor could I really pick up much information about the villages. From my analysis, all the villages were attacked by the end of chapter three.
1. The setting gives the character more lively-hood. It shows that under the excesive heat their in, they still manage to have a good time. As well the setting being in the middle of war, it shows how brave each character reacts to these certain curcumstances.
ReplyDelete2. It creates a mood that the characters don't know how to live anymore. It shows that, even if they are tough, at the same time their young people and don't know what goes on around the world.
3.Since the book did describe many big, lush forestry around, I would say the best hiding spot is squatted down under bushes and trees. But, since their is many plan scences of sight around, (like open fields) than it is easier to be hunted.
4.The boys go through Kabti where they stay at their grandma's house for abit and visit the village.
5.Mattru Jong seems to look like a much larger village than the
other two. Mostly because the other two villages are under rebel attacks.