Response: A Long Way Gone

I was impressed with A Long Way Gone. I didn't know what to expect while reading it. It's hard to imagine how this world exists within my own. I had known about child soldier in Africa for a long time but I never gave the matter extensive thought because it was painful. While reading the book I thought of it as fiction so I could not dwell on the horror of reality. Ishmael's transformation is unique in the sense that he begins as a normal innocent kid, to a survivor, to a murderer, and then returns as a recovering victim. I just can't imagine how someone can recover from the guilt. I used the term "murderer" and wondered if "soldier" would be a better fit. I think that real soldier don't kill noncombatants. But then I remember Hiroshima, the Vietnam war, and even the current wars. War has a tendency to complicate everything. I think the appeal of this memoir besides the compelling story is the moral dilemma readers contemplate: "What would I have done in this situation." Fight. Die. Run. Kill. The answer is unknown. The pacing of the book is excellent. Every time Ishmael found the safety of a village or jungle, the RUF wasn't far behind.   The novel also has brief moments of kindness that lightens the tone. These subtle acts of kindness is part of the theme that is hope. Ishmael came back from a hellish experience. Although he will never be the same, Ishmael survived. And that is a comforting thought. 

Response: Revolution Is Not A Dinner Party

This book adds an emotional experience of an isolated nation. I have studied China's history and found that Mao's rule, while incredibly oppressive, was not the most violent part of Chinese history. I thought in terms of numbers. More Chinese had lost their lives in the second World War. History records the facts and events but it is literature that preserves the stories. What I found most interesting about the book was the way the revolution slowly crept into Ling's life. Comrade Li moves into their home. Then he eats all of their food. Then the apartment is raided. How much should a person compromise? There is a chapter that addresses this question, but it is too brief. Granted, the people had little choice in resisting the regime. Is it better to compromise personal freedoms to live, or risk imprisonment and death to stand against tyranny? I doubt the characters, with the exception of the father, seriously contemplated these questions. The family factor complicates the situation further. Being responsible for a loved one's health and well being can quickly become a sole motivation. I noticed a great transformation between Ling and her mother after her father was imprisoned. Ling's mother began to show more emotion towards her daughter. The two of them seemed like they had a distant relationship in the beginning. I thought the mother was more materialistic than maternalistic. Now they were taking care of each other because the father was gone. The lives they had lived were transformed by the revolution. Another aspect of the book that caught my interest, was the Red Guards. Besides punishing people for the use of Western products/ideas, the guards attacked anyone that was different. They really were school bullies that were now in a position of power. This country practically destroyed itself by following the ravings of a mad man. Education became propaganda memorization. Industry was fueled by backyard furnaces of farmers. It's hard to believe this backwards nation is now one of the most powerful economies in the world. History tends to forget the everyday people like Ling. And after reading this story I feel humbled and grateful to live in a relatively free nation.