Certainly this book brings in to question why bad things happen to good people, or good people being forced to kill. Why must the most innocent children be forced to war? Why are they given drugs? Why are they so inhumanly violent? Why doesn't God do something? Many Christians I know believe that God has a "path" for each of us, but was Ishmael's path really meant to be strewn with horrors of war? Also, I think with the absence of a divine being, Beah presents to us that the power of human action is not to be underestimated. In the Bible God is so massive that he punishes with the book of Revelations, but it seems not to be too different from the gross humanity that is thrown at us in the book.
Throughout the book, there hasn't been any direct reference to God or any kind of divine being. One might say that UNICEF's efforts to return these boys back to normal is an act of God, even though through Ishmael's eyes, it's the worst that could have happened. However, this topic made me realize the irony of the narrator's name, Ishmael. In the bible, Ishmael is the expelled son of Abraham, so there is an obscure but valid biblical reference in the book. One time that spirituality is mentioned is when Saidu cryptically voices that every time they try and run away, a part of him -a part of his soul- dies until he will just be an empty body walking beside them.
Leading up to tonight's reading, Ismael had many flashbacks of childhood memories or African legends his grandmother has told him. However, in the last reading this changed. Now that Ishmael has been brainwashed to kill and addicted to drugs, he suffers from flashbacks of blood and deaths of his friends, as opposed to the nice childlike stories of Bra Spider. The evidence of evil certainly does not prove or disprove the existence of God. One might interpret the slivers of joy when they go to the city or listen to rap as God trying to save them from their misery, but no one really understands if it is God or luck that gives them these sparse pleasures.
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After considering Annelies's thoughts, I agree with her opinion about the existence of God in the story so far. I believe many people would be swayed to think that God is non-existent in the novel because of the horrors many children face. This makes you wonder, if there was a God would he really allow all of these children to witness such horrible things? However, I believe there are some subtle references to God in the story. As Annelies mentioned, UNICEF could be an example of God's efforts to save the child soldiers from their current lifestyles. In addition, Saidu's soul "dying" could be a sign of spirituality. Overall I believe the story contains very few references to God, although they are not directly stated.
ReplyDeleteI like this paragraph, Annelies brings up good points. however I believe that god is with these boys throughout the way. Even if their adventure seems tough, all the awful things they are put through mold who they are. His adventures also allow him to share them and to do well in life because of his experience. Though at times his life seems terrible in the end god helped him through and to become a successful person.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, the existance of god to me, is with question, I believe that there may be a god out there pulling the strings, although there is no solid proof of the matter. But the book, especially, tonights reading opens things up a little for me. I find that the existance of the devil coencides with the existance of god, because if there was only a god, then nothing bad would ever happen. I believe that, in this case, the war, or any war, is the product of the devil, where as Unicef, or organizations like Unicef, is the product of god.
ReplyDeleteI think that what annelies said about good in the starter paragraph was very acurate. She explains that god has a path for all of us and these are points in ishmels life where things become very hard. The reason i believe god does this though is not so he can laugh as we suffer but to have us be so misrable we seek him out and find him. Also everything happens for a reason and if none of this happend he wouldn't be the successful man he is today.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Annelies' points. She even found the origin of the name Ishmels which indicates the irony. Even though there is no proved fact supports the presence of God, my personal opinion is that if God really exsist, he won't just let such terrible things to happen. God must had done something to help them.
ReplyDeleteI have to say before going into this comment that no matter how much I try, I will probably be a little bit bias, since I am very religious. However, the topic is not about our own beliefs about God, but moreso the evidence or significance of it in the story.
ReplyDeleteIn the story, many bad things happen to innocent people and their children. This is no reason to doubt the existance of God, since children and innocent people suffer all over the world. What Jack wrote really made me think. "The existence of the devil coincides with the existance of God." As the devil does make all of these horrible things happen to Ishmael and his family, God does his best to help him, by saving him from the war, and bringing him up into the world. Now God has made Ishmael into someone who can help others by increasing awareness of the situation of Sierra Leone, by telling his powerful story. God has also blessed Ishmael with an incredible memory, able to recall all of the events of his past, so that he can be able to correctly tell all of the events of his past. I believe that Ishmael (as a writer) is trying to say that there is a God out there. For yes, he was saved by his own strength, but God was the one who got him to escape the war, and God was the one who gave him his strength.
Great stuff by Annelies ... thanks. And lots of agreement from everyone. The devil stuff is interesting to me: does the existence of God automatically indicate the existence of the devil? Also, I wonder about the the idea of free will: could there be a God out there who chooses not to interfere with our actions on earth? If so, what does that say about God?
ReplyDeletei quite agree with annelies points of how the events in this book may lead one to think "Why would god let these terrible things happen'd, and is there even a god?" but i believe that these hardships are simply god's way of testing our faith, and the faith of others, to see if we still believe even in times of hardship, it wouldnt be the first time. but i also agree that it is quite confusing as to why god would make these people suffer for so long, and to such a degree, but i see UNICEF as a way of god saying that he is trying to help.
ReplyDeleteIn the book the presence of god really seems to be missing, but god works in mysterious ways. The books makes you wonder why god would would risk the lives of innocent boys to go and kill others, but this can’t be the work of god it must be the work of the devil. The devil is very powerul and can drive you to do evil, crupt deeds and once the devil has over come you it is hard to break free. The war is such a brutal thing that nobody should ever be apart of but Ishmael and his friends did not have a choice they were stripped of their innocences and were brainwashed to kill basucally anything that moved.UNICEF I think like many others is r a sign of god trying to intervene and put Ishameal back on track, and save him and his friends from the lives of killing and destruction.
ReplyDeleteI think that god does not try to intervine in the story becouse he gave us free will which lets us do what we choose. So even though the goverment forced Ishmeal to kill he iiis still responsible for his achtoins and people can't just blame something on something that may or may not exist.
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