Jackson Jethro

Honors English 2

Book Project #2

Title: A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

 

Provide the Passage With the Best Imagery

 

Passage: We were in the middle of the grassland walking in single file, our shirts on our shoulders or heads, when suddenly three rebels rose from behind the dried grasses and pointed their guns at Gibrilla, who was in the front. They cocked their guns, and one of the placed the muzzle of his gun under Gibrilla’s chin. “He is scared like soaked monkey,” the rebel laughing told his companions. As the other two walked past me, I avoided eye contact by putting my head down. The younger rebel raised my head with his bayonet, still in its scabbard. While he was looking at me sternly, he took the bayonet from its scabbard and attached it at the muzzle of the gun. I trembled so hard that my lips shook. He smiled without emotion. The rebels, none of whom were older than twenty-one, started walking us back to the village we had passed. One was dressed in a sleeveless army shirt and jeans, his head tied with a red cloth. The other two were dressed in jeans jackets and pants, wearing baseball hats backwards and new Adidas sneakers. All three wore a lot of fancy watches on both wrists. All these things had been taken by people by force or looted from houses and shops. The rebels said a lot of things as we walked. Whatever the said didn’t sound friendly. I couldn’t hear their words, because all I could think about was death. I struggled to avoid fainting.

Explanation- I love this passage. It paints the best picture of what is actually happening to Ishmael (the main character) and his friends that he has been with for so long in this horrible mess of a war. The way how he explains how they are walking through the grassland and then the build up to them being captured was so detailed and I could really picture what was happening. The description of the rebels, the way he made them look like bad guys because of the stolen jewelry and how they were dressed was just fantastic. Also I like how it shows that he and the other boys were truly scared for their lives since they have been through so much already. They really don’t know when their last moment will be and how it will be. This passage really just puts an outstanding image in my head and that’s why I chose it for the best imagery.

 

 

 

 

Provide the Passage With The Best Dialogue

 

Passage- The man was the first to see me. “Kushe-oo. How de body, sir?” I greeted him. His eyes searched my smiling face. He didn’t say anything and I thought maybe he didn’t speak Krio. So I said hello in Mende, my tribal language. “Bu-wah. Bi ga huin ye na.” He still didn’t respond. I took my clothes off and dived into the river. When I rose to the surface, all of them had stopped swimming but remained in the water. The man, who must have been the father asked me, “Where are you from and where are you going?” He was Mende and he understood Krio very well.

Explanation- This passage shows a great build up to a conversation between Ishmael and a man that he meets in the middle of the forest. I like how the man finally understands him and starts questioning him. This passage shows great dialogue because of the conversation that they had and the different language that they used within just one talking to.