James Coleman
Themes
Perseverance
Perseverance is a key theme in A Long Way Gone because Ishmael Beah had to endure many hardships and then was determined to become rehabilitated at the conclusion at the novel. He never gave up during his time as a child soldier and then eventually, through determination, became the face of the child soldier rehabilitation campaign. He reminds his readers often that perseverance is key.
Hope
Hope is another prominent theme in Ishmael Beah's memoir A Long Way Gone. He impresses upon his audience the fact that when all hope seems lost, through perseverance one can find it again. He has to stay hopeful in order to make it through his time as a child soldier and encourages his readers to search for hope in even the darkest situations.
Innocence
One final key theme in the novel is innocence. Ishmael Beah was captured by the army at age 12 and forced to fight a war that he wanted no part in. He reminds his readers that experiences can kill innocence and that once it is lost it can never be regained. His innocence was gone the first time he saw someone shot and the first time he killed a man. He became an adult at the age of 12.