This is not to say that I don't realize the circumstances, he was under alot of physical and mental strain, but the outside influence can only go so far. just because he has been badly drugged doesn't mean that his body was taken from him by an unseen force, while it could have warped his intentions, it was still Ishmael, not drugs or violence, directing his body, and this must be realized, that his atrocities were his own doing.
In a way, before drugs even came into the picture, he chose to take the trip down the dark road that led to his career as a soldier and in that accepted responsibility for anything that he might do. although once again there were outside influences, he chose to become a solder, and no matter what those influences were, the facts of his decision remain, it was by his own doing that he became a soldier, when he was given the choice by the army to flight or fight.
In the end, back on my first point, we all have to accept responsibility for our actions, and as hard as it is to say, Ishmael did what he did, not anyone else, and this must be acknowledged.
Hayden makes a valid point when he explains that no one is responsible for Ishmael's actions besides himself. Although he was being influenced by others, Ishmael was completely in control of his own body and he ultimately made the decision to join the army himself. I believe when others say "It's not your fault", they are simply showing sympathy for the child soldiers and do not realize that they were not completely forced to join the army. To be fair, Ishmael did have the option to not join the army, however he agreed to fight. When you think about it, an AK-47 was not forced into Ishmael's hands, part of him wanted to obtain the gun and become a soldier. As Hayden said, Ishmael must accept the responsibility for his actions, although they may have been influenced by others.
ReplyDeleteI think that Ishmael is completely responsible for his action. This is because he is had a choice whether or not to leave but took the choice of being a soldier instead. He could have also refused the drugs that they offered him. Which would have made him realize that what he was doing hurt people and his friends. These things combined in my opinion make him completely guilty.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with everyone it wasnt ishmaels fault because if you guys actually read the book he was so high on drugs he couldnt compreheand what was going on if it kicked him in the as-butt. Look what im trying to say is that your wrong he wasnt in control because they would have just said ok leave and then shot him for treason or somthing plus hes just a kid and was high so i think it truely was not his fault.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Russ. Even though Ishmael's actions were terrible, you have to consider his situation to determine whether his action was bad or not. As we known,he lost his whole family and home. He had no better choice than joining the army because he would be killed in the jungle if he leaves the army's protection. He was also taking drugs which made him a more cruel killing machine. These factors made he did a lot of killing, but it was merely for survival.
ReplyDeleteI like what Hayden posted; it gave me a lot to think about. A lot of people brought up the point that a lot of Ishmael's decisions were heavily influenced by drugs, however I don't think we can simply base this on drugs alone. Ishmael did in fact make the "choice" to stay with the army. But if you're twelve and you've been stripped of your home, your family, your childhood and most of your friends, what else have you got to live for? Even before they are captured by the army, where are they looking to go? Somewhere safe with food and shelter. The army base provides just that. These kids had been surviving so long in the presence of violence that, although it did make an impact, it wasn't as much of a shock as if they had been taken right out of their homes to this army base. It's no surprise that he "chose" to stay, seeing as two dead bodies, whether they were killed by the rebels or not, are enough reason to convince anyone to stay. So on the topic of if you would blame him or not, I suppose I could blame him for being brainwashed into a ruthless killer, but for what? What are we blaming him for? For unknowingly choosing the life of a soldier? For the number of lives he took? For trying, in any way he could, to remain alive?
ReplyDeleteI too agree with Russ. Yes, Ishmael was on drugs and he was not himself, and yes, it must be acknowledged that he did unforgivable things. However, as much as he did, he cannot be blamed for it. As Hayden put it, "the circumstances," were such that Ishmael had to go off the deep end. He needed to do so in order to survive. Of course, the drugs were a big factor in changing Ishmael for the worse, but that was not really the issue. The problem was that Ishmael's family and friends had died in front of him, and all he could do was run. There had to come a time when Ishmael made a stand, and when that time came, he snapped (rightfully so). So when the people at the Benin House tell Ishmael, "It's not your fault," what should we make of that? It means that it is recognized that Ishmael had done unforgivable things, but he was only a child, vulnerable to outside influences, and the only path available for him at the time was to be a killing machine, avenging his family and friends, but more importantly, saving himself.
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