A Long Way Gone: Theme

     Throughout this memoir, there is one major thing that is repeated throughout. Ishmael cheats death time after time and continues to survive. A Major theme in this book is death and rebirth. On Ishmael’s journey to survival, and to look for his family, he faces death with every turn. Almost every village, aside from two or three, attempt to kill him and his friends upon entry. Almost every village saw the young boys as rebel recruits. Each time the boys were lucky enough to be released alive. Entering villages wasn't the only way Ishmael almost got killed, he also had to deal with the elements. At one point in the journey, one chief had taken away his shoes, so Ishmael was forced to walk barefoot on the hot ground when Ishmael said on page 60 that "it was over 120 degrees." He also ran into a heard of wild pigs that chased him for miles. Eventually, Ishmael was recruited by the rebels and forced to take drugs that made him kill innocent people. This was also a near death experience. In the end, Ishmael starts to experience rebirth once he reaches the hospital. Rebirth didn't come as soon as he reached the hospital, since when he first got there, he still said, "it was infuriating to be told what to do by civilians." (page 138) With time and care, Ishmael was weaned off of the drugs he was taking and was on his way to recovery. At one point in time, a nurse even gives him a cassette tape, which triggers all of his childhood thoughts. Ishmael’s uncle then brings Ishmael into his home to provide love and shelter for him. 

     I feel as if death and rebirth define the whole outline and story line of this memoir. Do you feel death and rebirth were important to the story? If not, what other theme was more prominent?