a long way gone chpt. 2-5 review

What adage did Ishmael hear from an old man? What did it mean?

"We must strive to be like the moon." It meant that people should be on their best behavior and good to others as the moon represents happiness.

How many bodies were near the old man on the verandah in Chapter 4?

2 bodies.

How many rebels did the boys see when they went back to Mattru Jong?

2 rebels.

On their way back to Mattru Jong, who did the boys encounter?

3 rebels.

What time was curfew set for in Mattru Jong after Mogbwemo was attached?

7:00 pm

What did the boys learn about war?

"Things changed rapidly in a matter of seconds and no one had any control over anything."

What is Ishmael carrying in the wheelbarrow?

A dead body.

What was the last sight they saw while in Mogbwemo?

A women running with a baby girl on her back that was shot dead. The mother removed her child and rock her, too shocked to cry.

Where did the boys sleep?

Abandoned villages.

What occurred during the gathering of the village's residents and the boys? How many people were gathered?

An elderly man had been caught attempting to returned back to Mattru Jong after escaping. 15 people were gathered.

What happened when Junior and 2 others got across?

An item fell out of someone pocket and hit a pan. The sound caught the attention of the rebels guarding a tower. Junior pretended to be a dead body and before the guards shot, they were distracted by another shot in town. Still, they made it.

How did the rebels and hostages react to the gunshots?

As the soldiers fired back, the rest were running into the brush to escape/hide from the rebels.

What chaos occurred after the gunshots?

Everyone is running towards a hiding place, forgetting about loved ones and running to save their own lives.

Did Ishmael find Junior, Talloi, Kaloko, Gibrilla, and Khalilou? Where were they?

He found everyone nearby his hiding spot. The others hid together by a rotten log.

What was Ishmael's father like?

He loved the boys, but his stepmother pulled him away from them. He eventually stopped paying for their education and the boys spent more time with their mother.

Where did Ishmael go?

He ran towards the bushes, hid beneath a log and waited in order to avoid being captured by the rebels again.

What did Ishmael hear and see as he was going back home?

He saw a woman saying that there was so much blood that the good spirits even left. Another woman cried for her children and God's help. He saw children roaming alone, followed by dogs in search for their owners.

What happens when he arrives at the cemetery?

He struggled to lift the dead body and collapsed with it, gushing out blood.

What was the author's perception of war at first?

He thought it was happening in a faraway land. He only wars he knew were from what he had seen in movies. As refugees started to come to his village, he realizes that war was going on in the country. What he didn't understand was the loss of happiness from the refugees.

What was the man's excuse for leaving and what was the rebels' version?

He wanted to look for his family, but the rebels thought he left because the man did not support the freedom fighters and their cause.

Why was Ishmael allowed in the kitchen when boys are not usually allowed in the kitchen?

He was allowed to cook because his mother insisted that he needed to cook something for his palampo life.

What did the messenger look like?

He was missing all of his fingers except for his thumbs. The rebels referred to this as "one love" and before the war, people raised a thumb to say one love to each other, influenced by reggae music.

What are the 3 worlds that Ishmael lived in?

His dreams, the experiences of his new life, and his past.

Who was part of the group?

Ishmael, his brother Junior, Talloi and his best friend Mohamed.

What does palampo mean? What does it signify?

It means single. His mother did not want him to live a single life and she wanted him to know how to cook so he could give her a grandchild.

What did Mattru Jong seem like after it was raided?

It was quiet and barren. Rotten food lay all around with dead bodies, furniture, clothes and other items on the ground.

When was the author first introduced to war?

January of 1993. He was 12 years old and with his friends on their way to Mattru Jong.

What happened during the second pick and what did the rebels do to those who were not chosen?

Junior was the only one chosen and the rest were being sentenced to their death as a way to initiate those who were chosen.

What was it like when everyone ran for their lives?

People were dodging grenades, machine guns and those who lagged behind or were injured had no aid as nobody wanted to risk their own life to save another.

What letters did the man paint on the walls before waling up to the elderly man and pointing his gun?

RUF

What does RUF stand for?

Revolutionary United Front.

What was Ishmael's mother like?

She loved the boys. She is a single mother devoted to taking care of their younger brother, Ibrahim.

What was the first song they ever listened to?

Sugarhill Gang, Rapper's Delight

After all the trouble to get money, what did the boys discover?

That the money was useless as no one wanted to sell food for various reasons. Instead, they decided to steal food.

What news did the boys receive in Mattru Jong?

That the rebels are coming to the village and wanted to be welcomed.

After re-grouping, what did the group decide to do?

The boys decided to go back to the town that caused them to go to Mattru Jong in search for food. From there, they will leave the village the next morning in hopes to find a safer place.

Due to the group's starving state, what did the boys do?

The group chased and stole two boiled ears of corn from a five year old boy. Also, they decided to go back to Mattru Jong despite the danger.

After staying at Mattru Jong and reuniting with friends, what new did Gibrilla tell the boys?

The rebels had attack Mogbwemo (Ishmael's home) and will attack Mattru Jong next.

After finding that the town soldiers abandoned their post, where would Ishmael, Junior, Talloi, Khalilou, Gibrilla and Kaloko go?

The swamp.

After 15 days of hiding with only one other unfulfilled message arriving, what did the people do?

The town sprang to life again. Children went back to school, people were carrying on with their normal lives, and soldiers relaxed.

How did the old man, that the boys saw on the verandah, die?

There was a bullet hole in his forehead.

How did everyone know the rebels were attacking?

There was one single gun shot as Ishmael was cooking. Then three more gun shots were heard and the boys thought they were testing weapons although on high alert. Fifteen minutes later and rapid gunshots were heard.

What happen during the first round of recruits they picked? What happened after they did their first round of picks

They choose Ishmael, Ishmael's friends Khalilou, and some others, but his brother Junior was not chosen. The rebels saw the boys they picked as "weak" and decided to choose again.

After getting the money and other materials, how did the boys get out?

They crossed the swamp 3 at a time.

What did the rebels do once they found the group?

They forced the boys back to Mattru Jong and gathered everyone in the village together.

What did the boys typically wear?

They had on baggy jeans, soccer shorts, sweatpants, T-shirts and three pairs of socks.

What helped the boys from thinking about the war?

They listened to and memorized lyrics from rap songs like Naughty by Nature and LL Cool J.

How did the boys respond to this situation?

They ran for an hour straight, escaping the rebels that eventually gave up the chase and return to Mattru Jong.

As they reached his grandmother's village, what did the boys witness as a Volkswagen pulled up to the front of the house?

They see a man, who was bleeding, vomit blood and crying. The man then went to open the car door to reveal that his whole family was killed by bullets.

What did they not know before they left without telling anyone?

They thought they were only going to leave for a few days. They did not know they would never come back.

Who did they visit in Kabati before they left for Mattru Jong?

They visited Ishmael's grandmother. Also known as Mamie Kpana. Ismael describes her as a beautiful woman.

How wide was the path that they walked on and how long did they walk on it?

They walked on it for several days and it was a foot wide.

What the reason the rebels are trying to chase down the villagers in town?

They want civilians to still live in the town so that they could utilize them as a shield against the military and that the rebels can stay in the village longer if necessary.

Why did the group go to Mattru Jong?

They wanted to preform as a rap group in their friends' talent show.

How did the people respond to this message?

They went into hiding.

When the shooters tried to shoot at people who attempted to escape, what were the boys mostly afraid of?

They were afraid of being child soldiers. Their age is perfect to be recruited into the rebel army. They would have the RUF initial, making them an enemy to anyone that sees the letters and limiting their chance for survival as anyone would kill you.

What caused them to return back to Mattru Jong?

They were starving. They only ate raw cassava and bananas. There only hope was to retrieve money from Mattru Jong that they left behind.

How is the moon significant to Ishmael?

When he was younger he wanted to find out why the moon was appealing. He discovered images of a man's head, a man with an axe chopping wood. and a women holding a baby. He still sees these images there now and it pleases him to know that part of his childhood is with him.

What type of music did the boys became interested in and where did they first hear the music?

When visiting Mobimbi and swimming in the pools. On the television they had in the area, there was a rap group performing.

What is Ishmael's experience as a soldier?

With an Ak-47 on his back, he walked with a group of boys to a small town. On their way, they meet another group and shot every last member down. Ishmael's group high fived each other as they raided the dead bodies.