Jacob Francis
English 1109
16 October 2019
One of the characters that meant the most to me besides Ismael was Uncle Tommy. This is because besides Esther, I think he made a huge difference in Ismael's rehabilitation. I think this because even though he wasn't around and didn't play a big role in Ismael's life before the war, he was there for him after and during his rehabilitation. Uncle Tommy was the only actual family that Ismael had after the war and I think it helped Ismael remember who he truly was, rather than the monster he had been trained to be. Uncle Tommy came to visit Ismael every week, I think that helped give Ismael relief in a way. Ismael was able to relax and spend time with his true family, which I think is a huge factor after everyone in his immediate family had been killed in the war.
I think his rehabilitation couldn't have gone any better, he had Esther and he still had some family there for him through the entire process. However, If Esther or Uncle Tommy weren't there I can't say it would have gone the same way. This is because those two play a role in Ismael's rehabilitation that can't be replaced.I would be perfectly fine with Ismael moving into my neighborhood. I think this because by the end of Ismael's rehabilitation he was mentally stable in my mind and I truly believe that.
One thing that I really like about Ismael's writing is that he is very good at showing the emotion of characters. One specifically I really felt a connection to. When Uncle Tommy first came to see Ismael, you could feel the regret and empathy Tommy felt for not every being there for Ismael before. "... I am sorry I never came to see you all those years... I wish I had met you before today" (Beah 172).
My favorite passage was one where Ismael was remembering the teachings his grandmother had told him. "In the sky there are always answers and explanations for everything: every pain, every suffering, joy, and confusion" (Beah 166). After reading this quote I stopped and thought about it for a while. This quote probably meant so much more to Beah than he could explain. After being through what he had been through this quote was probably so important to his rehabilitation even.
I love the passage you took for your favorite passage. This passage was so powerful and made a stance that Beah was being rehabilitated. He starts to remember his past and this is so powerful because it's so important that he does remember.
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