Journal 5 by Chad Devore

     Based on what I've read in Chapter 16 of A Long Way Gone, the overall theme for this chapter would most likely have to be "brainwashing". I say that due to the fact that the majority of recent events are overtaken by Ishmael's training. They were taken in by a village a while ago and were trained to fight the rebels, and they eventually grew to a lifestyle that caused Ishmael to feel nothing when killing rebels.

     Meanwhile, the trainees were taking a mixture between cocaine and gun powder, on top of a white pill with the claim that it will help them fight better, in an attempt to allow for the full force of their blow towards the rebels. This eventually catches up to Ishmael when he and the others are taken to a rehabilitation center by UNICEF for a new life. While in the rehabilitation center, they end up living a very barbaric lifestyle and attack those around them. This is due to their previous training, and how they were to attack anyone in the RUF.

     Especially in the case of Ishmael, he is suffering from the lack of the drugs and is having constant traumatic experiences over what he experienced in the battles. It's beginning to cause him to turn into a very chaotic mess, and he has overall developed into this brainwashed animal that lost their sense of innocence. Basically, that is what happened with Ishmael. He used to be this innocent child with a love of rap music, but he was taken in and transformed into a mindless soldier, and when taken away from that lifestyle, he went mad due to the abrupt change of his settled lifestyle.

     I believe that this chapter is very important to present how innocence can be taken away for a bad purpose covered in what's known to be a good cause. It happens all the time, and appears to be the basis for overcoming conflicts, especially in cases of warfare, like with Ishmael. What we can interpret is that innocence can be taken away very fast, and can cause the good nature of people to go sour when there are those who need to take advantage of that. At least, that is my interpretation.

A proper representation of the mind of Ishmael, and how it has abruptly changed him.