Discussion 1

Explain the meaning of the title.

Discussion 2

It seems as if Ishmael is often lucky in how he survives. Mention a few instances where his luck appears and how Ishmael escapes once again.

Discussion 3

What is the turning point for Ishmael that makes him leave Sierra Leone? Describe his long and harrowing journey out of his country.

Discussion 4

This book describes two kinds of domestic living in detail, village life and city life. Which does Ishmael prefer, and why?

Discussion 5

Violence is, of course, a major theme in these pages—physical, psychological, social, and otherwise. Indeed, some of the more violent passages in this book make for very difficult if not unsettling reading. Reflect on what Ishmael’s many violent experiences taught you about the consequences or aftereffects, both intended and unintended, of violence.

Discussion 6

What kinds of music does Ishmael like, and why? What is it about music that matters to Ishmael, or that moves him so? Why is it important to him, especially during his rehabilitation at Benin Home?

Discussion 7

“I could no longer tell the difference between dream and reality” (p. 15), Ishmael writes early in his tale. Indeed, memories, dreams, and troubling or inescapable thoughts are perhaps even more important to this book than firsthand events and actions are. Talk about A Long Way Gone as a psychological memoir, comparing and contrasting it with other works you have experienced in this vein.

Discussion 8

Early in his account, Ishmael laments how “the war had destroyed the enjoyment of the very experience of meeting people” (p. 48). Where else does he express this fact, or else suffer from its consequences? As a class, discuss the book’s ongoing struggle between trust and survival. Can these two phenomena coexist?

Discussion 9

How are “civilians” depicted in this book? How are they thought of? How are they treated? As a class, explore how our narrator’s relationship with them changes over time.

Discussion 10

Discuss this harrowing account of civil war and childhood as a meditation on finding one’s ultimate purpose. How does Ishmael, at a relatively early age, arrive at what seems to be his calling in life?

Discussion 11

How familiar were you with the civil wars of Sierra Leone prior to reading A Long Way Gone? How has Ishmael’s story changed your perception of this history, and of current wars in general?

Discussion 12

Chapter seven begins with the story of the imam’s death, followed by Ishmael’s recollections of his father and an elder blessing their home when they first moved to Mogbwemo. How do the concepts of faith and hope shift throughout this memoir? What sustains Ishmael emotionally and spiritually?

Discussion 13

Chapter eight closes with the image of villagers running fearfully from Ishmael and his friends, believing that the seven boys are rebels. How do they overcome these negative assumptions in communities that have begun to associate the boys’ appearance with evil? What lessons could world leaders learn from them about overcoming distrust, and the importance of judging others individually rather than as stereotypes?

Discussion 14

What did Ishmael’s parents teach him about being a man? How did he define manhood once he began his long walk west? What general life lessons were his parents able to teach him that sustained him during his brutal passage from boyhood, and that he carries with him to this day?

Discussion 15

Discuss the role of American hip-hop culture in creating a “soundtrack” for Ishmael’s life. Why are rappers so appealing to him?

Discussion 16

The boys’ discovery of the Atlantic Ocean and their encounter with a cheerful fisherman who heals and feeds them is followed by the tragedy of Saidu’s death after a bird falls ominously from the sky. Discuss Ishmael’s relationship with the natural world. In what way is he guided by the constancy of the earth and sky?

Discussion 17

Storytelling is a powerful force in Ishmael’s life, even providing a connection to his future mother, Laura Simms. What traits make Ishmael a memorable and unique storyteller? How does his perspective compare to the perspectives of filmmakers, reporters, or other authors who have recently tried to portray Africa’s civil wars?

Discussion 18

After reading the chronology of Sierra Leone’s history, what reasons can you propose for the coups in Ishmael’s homeland? Did the arrival of Portuguese slave traders, or the later colonization by the British, contribute to Sierra Leone’s twentieth century woes? What did you discover about the motivations of the army soldiers versus those of the rebels? In your opinion, what made the leaders of the RUF so ruthless for so long?