A Long Way Gone Analysis

If I were to create a movie based out of the novel A Long Way Gone, the first song I’d use would be the song “Safe and Sound” by Taylor Swift, specifically when Ishmael, Junior, and Talloi were in the village of Kabati, where Ishmael and Junior’s grandmother lives. They encounter many injured people who pass through the village. This is when they are first touched by the war. One man is carrying his dead son, who thought that he was still alive, and was going to be able to save him, while another woman carries her dead baby, overcome with grief and sadness. The lyrics tells a story of a loved one that is dying and how when the next day comes, they’ll all be safe and sound.“Just close your eyes, the sun is going down. You’ll be alright; no one can hurt you …show more content…
People from UNICEF take selected members from the military and take them to a rehabilitation center. Confused, Ishmael and Alhaji soon meet the others at the center, who served in different squads. During this time, they met a boy named Mambu, who served at a different base. However, they soon find out that the ex-military members are not the only ones at the center. The RUF, or the rebels are also at the center, and a massive war broke out between the 2 sides, ending with death and severe injuries for both parties. I believe that the song “People Like Us” by Kelly Clarkson would be a good song for this scene, because it tells of people who aren’t like others and stick together through the world. “Oh whoa oh oh whoa oh. We are all misfits living in a world on fire! Oh whoa oh oh whoa oh, sing it for the people like us, the people like us. Hey, this is not a funeral; it's a revolution, after all your tears have turned to rage…” This symbolizes the military and the rebels, both on opposite sides of the battle, living in a terrible world full of death and sorrow, but each of them stick together through it