The MoonAnother symbol is the moon. It represent the freedom that Ishmael wants from the war, but he can never reach. The moon is beautiful and full of hope but Ishmael will never be able to have it, no matter how hard he tries. The rest of the darkness is the war, trying to shut out the only light and trying to kill people. Even after the war is over, Ishmael can’t away from it. It will always be in his nightmares, which is why being free like the moon will be impossible. | Ishmael's SandalsIshmael's shoes represent the loss that the war has brought to him. When he doesn't have his shoes his feet peel and bleed, and without his family and his home he's mentally injured. The more Ishmael walks on his bare feet, and the more he goes without a family, the more he's in pain and the more he bleeds. |
Burning Cassette Tape
The cassette tapes represent many things. Primarily, his start to becoming great soldier and forgetting about the things he left behind. Ishmael never really played a big part in the war until a certain point in the story. Before that, he would listen to rap music and dance with his friends. When the cassette tapes were burned in the fire, he couldn't be a child anymore. He had to join the army and the cost was his innocence and dependence on other people.
Ishmael's Gun
Ishmael's gun represents many aspects of the war, the primary one being his change from a normal boy into a soldier. When Ishmael receives his gun it becomes his most valuable possession; and once he has it he starts to turn into a real soldier. He kills without think, he starts taking drugs, and he participates in all the soldier activities like watching Rambo and going on raids. Getting the gun was Beah's turning point from child to soldier.