On page 212,
Beah writes, “It sickened me to see that Sierra Leoneans asked money from those
who had come from the war. They were benefiting from people who were running
for their lives.” I think people are exploiting one another rather than supporting because it's basically every man for himself. Especially in a situation as drastic as this. One thing I can collect from many readings so far this year in Flex is that you have to be selfish to survive. I even remember the Occupy Detroit opposing viewpoint presenter mentioning that. And he said that in terms of America, imagine what he would say regarding a Sierra Leonean.
The ending of the book is with a story about a monkey. It intrigued me, and Ishmael's answer really warmed my heart. I think the monkey story at the end of the book was to show the balances between good and bad. The war relates to this because people are fighting in the civil war, but there is hope for the children who haven't yet passed away. I think Ishmael wants us to feel better about everything, so he gave us a burst of hope to end the book.
I like what you said about hope at the end of the book, but do you really think he wanted us to feel better? I think he wanted us to see the hope, yes, but I think he wants us to do something about it, not just feel alright.
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