1-8

In chapter 1 through 8 in section two many tragedies take place. More helicopters go down which seems like it is going to be reoccurring theme through out the book. It is sad to read about innocent people dying but when the women and children pull a gun on the soldiers I don’t think they really had any option but to kill the Semalinan ‘s. When the pregnant lady pulls out the gun its hard to understand why but I think she was trying t protect her baby. There are too many people to recognize individual accomplishments which is tragedy because most people who die in this war will be know as a soldier who died but the soldier probably died saving a fellow soldier and did something heroic, but no one will ever no that. These soldiers are putting their life’s on the line and no one knows about, that’s just wrong.

1-10

In chapter 1 through 10 it was hard to see the reality and actually find out what these men went through because no one really knew what and where these men were going because their tasks were secret and no one was to know what they are about to do or see. Hiding a secret is hard enough but when it involves the life and death of a loved one I can understand why these men where so secretive about their journeys and I understand why a lot of people don’t know about black hawk down because it seems unreal what they went through. It is the like the holocaust and how some people believe that it didn’t happen because it was so inhuman, black hawk down is a similar situation. Every decision the soldiers there will be no good outcome. Either they will be killed or they will have to watch their fellow soldiers die. Like when that soldier feel no one could help him because If they were to help him they would be killed, and I agree for not helping because if they would have they would have a entire section of the army instead of just one soldier. These men in the first ten chapters have gone through hell and it doesn’t look like the tales of these men are going to change anytime soon. So far this book is learning and finding out the truth about what really happened and it’s tragic and I’m sure I haven’t even read half the book and its already depressing. A life changing experience for these men and for the readers because you will never be able to think of death without thinking of these men.

final chapter

Chapters 21 is a reality check for Ishmael. I don’t know about him but I thought his troubles were over and he was going to live the remaining of his life in peace and would not worry about being attacked. But, I was wrong and instead he is going through something that he wished he would never see again. He had a hard time making friends in America because all the kids knew he was a child soldier so no one would speak to him, which I thought was kind of cruel, he just got out of the war and is coming to a new school where no one wants to speak with him. With all of Ishmaels luck through out the book it seems like his luck is finally running out.

19 amd 20

Chapters 19 and 20 Ishmael’s life is slowly coming back together. It s pretty cool when Ishmael has a chance to come to America and life a happy and not a violent life. When becomes register to go to New York the book becomes happy again just like in the very beginning of the book before the war was approaching. Then when Ishmael is reunited with his uncle is something you would read in a fairly tale. It was nice to see a family member give Ishmael some love again like he got from his mother.

16-17

In chapter 16 and 17 were happy chapters, you were able to see that just maybe Ishmael still has feelings. The nurse shows a liking to Ishmael but doesn't trust him. And Ishmael is okay with this because he was thought to show no emotion towards humans because they could turn on them at any time. Ishmael is still amazed that she shows emotion towards him and wants to help him. Then when Ishmael goes on the talent show he shows some feelings mostly happiness. Ishmael might become a regular kid again after all.

15-16

In chaperts 15 and 16 Ishmael says something that shows just how mucj he has changed, “My squad is my family, my gun is my provider, and protector, and my rule is to kill or be killed.” That right their sums up about how far he has come and its going to take alot more than the war ending to make Ishmael a regular kid again. Then when Ishmael starting getting migraines and wouldn't let the girl touch him was a sign that he no longer felt nothing. Then he would punch glass and felt nothing while she took it out. Right now id doesn't look like Ishmael will ever become a regular child again.

I don't care at all. I'll be fine with anything that the class decides to read.

13-14

In chapters 13 and 14 I read about experiences that no human being should witness or go through. Reading about the drugs he was doing then he would go off and sometimes kill indecent people showed how much he was changing. The best way to know this is by the way he would react after his friends just died; he no longer would go and play soccer. When you realized that Ishmael no longer had any feelings towards anyone was not something I was use to hearing about because everyone feels even Okonkwo. After he thought every refuge he saw were the same refuges that took his family away from him was not going to end well. It seemed like he wanted to die, charging in and killing whom ever but God had other plans for Ishmael Beah. When Ishmael felt nothing while killing a man face to face was the final straw to realize he has completely changed and you would never know if he would ever change back.

Chapters 11 and 12

In chapters 11 and 12 is was hard to see the suffering of the boys but they would never have time to morn because just in the seconds passing they become vulnerable to the rebels. In these chapters Ishmaels luck plays the most important part in the reason for his survival. Ishmael finds out where his family is but only not to see them or even say how he feels about them. Needs someone to blame immediately finds the older man and starts treating him like a rebel treats a kid. He later will regret it because the older man will pass on. Then when the biys come by a normal village I though there might be peace in Ishmael life, so Ishmael can reflect on his life. But, instead it’s just a another village that is about to be attacked by the rebels. Ishmael’s future does not look bright right now.

chapter 10

Chapter 10


There were many touching moments that Ishmael showed us and the quote “How many more times do we have to come to terms with death before we find safety? … Even though I am still alive, I feel like each time I accept death, part of me dies. Very soon I will completely die and all that will be left is my empty body walking with you. It will be quieter than I am.” I think that quote by itself sums up what he is going through. In chapter ten Ishmael feels that it is better to be sad than to go back and forth with his emotions. That right there is not a good way to approach your emotions. I think the metaphor of the moon is exactly how Ishmael’s life is going and I think it now gives him a little hope as before he had no hope one bit. Now he knows that he has a chance to survive like the moon does every night.

chapters 8-9

In chapters eight and nine were happy and sad at the same time. Ishmael was happy that he found his friends but deep down knew it was not good because now people would assume that they are rebels. In these chapters people view all kids around Ishmaels age as rebels. When Ishmael was retelling his stories about his pass live made me really realize how he had a good life and his is life keeps going down everyday until one day he’ll reach rock bottom and at that time I think Ishmael will realize from hear he can only go up and I think he’ll eventually land on his feet. This war has had such a impact on Ishmael that now is afraid of every thing even his own shadow made me realize how afraid he is.

Chapters 6-7

Chapters six and seven were chapters that were hard to understand why every one was losing faith and how no one can trust anyone. In the earlier chapters you could see the boys began to spread apart but, in this chapter you could really see that the boy and even the brothers weren’t going to last much longer if they stayed together. Watching strangers not even being able to trust a young boy coming up to them and only asking for directions was something that I’m not use to reading or seeing. When we were reading about how the boys had to maneuver in the bushes to avoid being seen so they wouldn’t be killed was odd because in most cultures people would offer help. Everything that I’ve learned from my parents and why I should help those people in need is now being considered the wrong thing to do. When young boys can’t be trusted when they’re running from their lives and aren’t offered help is something not commonly read about or seen, right now I think that is why these chapters are hard to read.

Chapters 3-5

In these chapters it was hard to comprehend the heartache the boys were going through. I didn't really understand why the brothers were trying to distant themselves from each other. I think if I was in there position I'd want to be closer with my brother than ever. It was sad to see the boys starting to steal and cheat to get through life, when they were raised to do the exact opposite. When they stole the young boys corn and didn't care while he cried was not a fun thing to read about. As the boys were running from the rebels and didn't even really notice that people were struggling none the less to stop and help. The boys are changing in to people who they thought they'd never change into.

Chapter 1 and 2

After reading the first two chapters, you could really tell had disturbing this book is going to be. In the begging of the book it seemed like Ishmael was going to become a soldier until later through the book. When the boys left to go and listened to a rap concert, I knew this wasn't going to end well, but not in a million years did I think there families were going to die. When the boys returned to try and help there family I really thought Ishmael was going to be the only boy to come back. It was kind of disturbing to see how corrupt the government was and the reasons why the rebels were killing people made no sense to me. Then when Ishmael had the dream but then came back to reality and to see that his dream was better than reality is something no boy show have to cope with.

The IBO people

When the white people first arrive and the Ibo don’t know what to expect. The first thing the Ibo’s do when they see the whit man is kill him because they were told that more were going to come and kill the rest of the Ibo’s. This was not a welcome sign for the white people more like a warning sign and instead of listening to the white men they still come and try to convert some of the Ibo’s. At first the Ibo’s did not understand what they were saying but one young man became very interest in the Christian religion; Nwoye. The attitude towards the Ibo was that their religion was wrong and if they were to convert
Their God would save them. Since the white men were trying to tell them that everything they believed in was wrong and the Ibo people weren’t happy to hear this. Since they Britain’s believe that the Ibo’s way of life is wrong that they thought they would welcome them with open arms and want to be saved. All of the white people just wanted to take of the Ibo people and dictate their life and when the Ibo people did not go along with their plan they didn’t understand why because they thought they were helping. Since the white people thought they were right and when the Ibo people reacted they never knew why because to the Ibo people they were doing wrong on to them. So there was no way they could ever have peace unless one race left.

Okonkwo

I view Okonkwo as a man who is ruled by fear. Everything he does is because he is afraid of someone making a comment towards him. “Okonkwo was not a cruel man. But his life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness”. (pg. 13) To me Okanakwo is a little extreme but for the most part he acts as any other man in his tribe. Okonkwo is not necessarily a bad man but he is not a man of peace. If he had been raised with a father who loved him and could support him he would be completely different person, I think. Okankwo is man whom is confused and doesn’t want any one to know. Okonkwo acts the way he does, so no one thinks he’s weak. Overall I think Okonkwo is a good man but has a lot of growing up to do.

P.S. mistake

In the story of Philip Sadler Wikinson and his decision in cheating he is punished, fairly or not that, is for you to decide. P.S. is caught cheating and feels extremely guilty. He thinks he has let down his friends and family, but later finds out it only brought them closer. Throughout the story he is never felt very close to his father and when he cheats he thought it would push them farther apart.
After Philip is turned in for cheating the life took an interesting turn. No one ever expected that Philip would be caught cheating. After he admits to his mistakes he is expelled. A punishment he dissevered because he broke a code that he said he’d never break. Although he is banned from the school it will always remain a major part of his life.
Since he was expelled it opened his father’s eyes that hey weren’t close. It took him a while because he was very close with his father and didn’t know why he and his son were so far apart. Everything that was going through Philip’s mind when his dad entered the room was entirely different from what was going through his dad’s head. His whole family went to this school and now that he is being kicked out and he is breaking the legacy. He would have to face his family but he wasn’t worried because he knew his dad would be by his side.
This whole experience was a valuable lesson for Philip and his father and he will never forget his biggest lie and what happen to him.

Stuff

The last meal I had at a restaurant was a cheeseburger

Carrots is something I intensely dislike

The full moon is cool

Laughing is one of my favorite local expressions

Sometimes it's best to be quite when some else is talking

Pineapple Express is the best movie I've seen this year

And as far the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to seeing friends, Tomorrow my plans include stuff, and Sunday I want to watch football

My Teacher

When I was about eleven and completing 5th grade, my parents and I decided that the school I was at was not the right one. So my parents decided to remove me from the school and bring me to a new one. When I changed schools I knew no one and didn’t really know what to expect. At first, the teachers were supportive and kind. The first few days in the new school were fun and memorable. In sixth grade I had a whole new group of friends that were nice and I expect will be friends for a long time.

Of the new teachers, there was one teacher who stood out to be the cool teacher or the favorite teacher among my friends. In the beginning I agreed, but later I realized he was a man who had unrealistic expectations. My friends were much smarter than me in English; they seemed not to mind his expectations. My teacher just kept pushing me and pushing me until I gave up on him as he did on me. English was the one subject that I did not care for and he just made it worse. To top off the misery, if something went wrong in his class, I was always the one who was blamed. I received numerous detentions, for ridiculous reasons. I was frustrated and angered by his actions towards me.

The eight-grade year I’d avoid him the best I could. When I walked by his classroom he always saw me and called me out for something wrong with my appearance. Finally my days in middle school were over and I was done with that teacher, but he taught me to never jump to conclusions about a person.

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