Journal 5 by Lucas

In chapter 16 the boys continue their rehab and it is still taking a toll on them emotionally, physically, and mentally. They are all going through their withdraw stages from the drugs so that adds to the already high levels of anger and anxiety. The boys continue their violent ways by attacking civilians trying to get water and sending Poppay to the hospital. They also start to regain their memories from the war now that they have time to think about it.

I believe the key theme in this chapter is the flashbacks. Whenever I turned on the tap water, all I could see was blood gushing out (Beah 145). It also tells about how some of the other boys would run around screaming the rebels were coming, and some would say that the rocks were their dead family members. They also ambushed the staff members thinking they were rebels and they made campfires with their school supplies. I believe the flashbacks are an important part to all the characters because they were all experiencing them. I think the flashbacks possibly made the boys have regret about the things they did, even though they never said it.

Flashbacks can still relate to our society today. Nearly everybody probably has something they have seen or done or been involved in that gives them flashbacks of it. In my own personal life I can relate to this because last year I was riding to school with my friend and he pulled out in front of a car and got us in a wreck, so now every time I'm at that same intersection I replay that same scene in my head.

I chose this to illustrate a solider having a flashback