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Alexander Basinger
Bigelow
English 10
December 4 2013
English Essay2: Along way Gone
When a child losses their innocence, they are thrown into a world that they no longer
recognize. A childrens innocence can be lost in a multiple ways; whether that is a loss of loved
one, or the destruction of their home. In third worlds countries civil wars, can also steal a childs
innocence in a multitude of ways. In Ishmael Beahs book, Along Way Gone, Beah suffers
greatly form the Civil War of Sierra Leone; which stole all that was precious to him. Beahs
suffering at the hands of War can be shown through his loss of his family and his subsequent
survival, and the horrors he committed as a child soldier, will never allow him to reclaim his
innocence fully.
Without his familys love and protection, Beah must find food, and shelter in order to
survive the war riddled Sierra Leone. Finding food was often a hardship for Beah, some nights
he was so desperate he would steal, peoples food as they slept, It was the only was the only
way to get through the night (29). Finding shelter was a little less of a hardship, but still some
of the only places Beah could sleep were, Abandoned villages, where [Beah] laid on the
ground, hoping that the following day [he] would find something other than raw cassava to eat
(26). Beahs innocence was firmly ripped away by the hands of War, Beah had to find food and
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shelter, which no boy his age should have do. Some times when Beah was truly desperate for
food; that a family would normally provide, this act of stealing upon its self would destroy even
more of Beahs innocence