A Long Way Gone Lesson Plan

How does the story of Beah's birth and naming day contrast with the experiences he is describing after the attack on his home village?

Near the end of the story Beah states, "I had become a member of the community and was now owned and cared for by all." This, and other stories that Beah recounts from his childhood in Mogbwemo highlight the connections that he had with his family and village. He was a part of a caring network.

Beah has been removed from that network as a result of the war. He no longer has his family, and the stories he recalls are now only memories. What makes matters worse is that the sense of community that Beah fondly remembers is something that...