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Assignment # 1: A Long Way Gone Memoirs of a Boy Soldier Ishmael Beah The story of Ishmael Beah, a survivor of civil war in Sierra Leone, is brutal, challenging, and educational. Although the book presents mature and realistic details about war, the images are by no means gratuitous. Beah wants his readers to understand the atrocities of war so that people might try to stop and prevent the spread of violence in the world. As you read, prepare to write this reflective essay, due on the first day of class. Since you will need to cite the text in your essay, highlighting or note-taking might help.
Prompt: In a reflective essay, tell how Beah’s memoir validates these two famous quotations below regarding man’s inhumanity to man. (Reflective essays should use first person and include well developed personal thoughts and reactions. ) You will write a four-paragraph essay with substantive body paragraphs that specifically cite the text in each support. Below the quotations is a suggested outline for your paper. ‘Many and sharp the num’rous ills Inwoven with our frame! More pointed still we make ourselves Regret, remorse, and shame!
And Man, whose heav’n-erected face The smiles of love adorn, – Man’s inhumanity to man Makes countless thousands mourn! – Robert Burns, 1785 “There is only one way in which one can endure man’s inhumanity to man and that is to try, in one’s own life, to exemplify man’s humanity to man. ” – Alan Paton, 1985 Body paragraph # 1 (Burns) • Interpret the quote (you need not duplicate it but identify it by author’s name) • Provide three specific examples from the memoir that validates or illustrates this interpretation of reality
Body paragraph # 2, (Patton) • Interpret the quote (you need not duplicate it but identify it by author’s name) • Provide three specific examples from the memoir that validates or illustrates this interpretation of reality Conclusion: • Select a significant quote from this book, explain its context, and provide your reaction to this quote and the book in general. • As your conclusion of this paragraph, recommend (or warn against) this book to your peers.