A Long Way Gone

"If fear alters behavior, you're already defeated." Brenda Hammond

This quote represents a major theme in A Long Way Gone. Almost all of the people that showed fear when the rebels came to their villages were defeated. Fear can cause the brave to be cowardice and drive them to run away from putting up a fight. Ishmael and his brother Junior during the first few chapters of the book stuck together even though their parents might be dead. Running back home to see if they were still alive could have caused fear to rush through them and cause them not to fight.

Twice, so far, rap and hip-hop music has saved them. When they are stopped by groups along their path, their cassette tape of music saves them each time. Someone in each group that has stopped them has seen the kids perform their dance routine. if they were to have shown fear in any part of the process, they could have been done for.

All of this seems to go back to not allowing fear to control your life. You can't go on living a life of fear. It will weigh you down no matter what you are doing. A Long Way Gone is a great example of how fear doesn't alter behavior and how you build courage from not showing your fears.