09 English Studyguide 1 
Long Way Gone Study Guide / Discussion Questions / Writing Assignment Suggestions
Chapter Questions:
Chapter One:
What did the old man in Kabati mean when he said, “We must strive to be like the moon”? Is this advice that could apply to you? Why or why not?
Chapter Two:
Beah moves around in time as he tells his story, flashing forward and backward. What is the effect of this technique? Do you appreciate it, or would you prefer that he stuck to strict chronology? Why or why not?
Chapter Three:
Why did the rebels attack the towns so fiercely? What was their goal? Does it make sense to you? (p. 24)
Chapter Four:
In this chapter and the next, the boys steal food because they are starving. We usually consider this “acceptable” theft, but the boys stole from other people who didn’t have much food either. How do you judge what they did?
Chapter Five:
When the rebels overtake Beah and his brother and friends, they submit them to two selection processes. Why? What were the rebels selecting for? What did they see in Beah and his brother, Junior.
Chapter Six:
On page 37, Beah writes, “This was one of the consequences of the civil war. People stopped trusting each other, and every stranger became an enemy.” Can you relate to this feeling? If so, when and why have you felt that every stranger is an enemy?
Describe the role that music is playing in this story so far.
Chapter Seven:
In this chapter, Beah identifies his age as twelve years old. What were you doing when you were twelve years old? You were probably in middle school. Imagine being on your own at that point in your life.
Chapter Eight:
Was Beah better off on his own or with the group of boys he found in this chapter? Explain your answer.
Beah reminisces about his family while he is alone. He looks for medicinal leaves his grandfather showed him, for the soapy leaves he discovered during a summer with his grandmother, and thinks about the story of the wild pigs his grandmother told him. He remembers that his
Chapter Questions:
Chapter One:
What did the old man in Kabati mean when he said, “We must strive to be like the moon”? Is this advice that could apply to you? Why or why not?
Chapter Two:
Beah moves around in time as he tells his story, flashing forward and backward. What is the effect of this technique? Do you appreciate it, or would you prefer that he stuck to strict chronology? Why or why not?
Chapter Three:
Why did the rebels attack the towns so fiercely? What was their goal? Does it make sense to you? (p. 24)
Chapter Four:
In this chapter and the next, the boys steal food because they are starving. We usually consider this “acceptable” theft, but the boys stole from other people who didn’t have much food either. How do you judge what they did?
Chapter Five:
When the rebels overtake Beah and his brother and friends, they submit them to two selection processes. Why? What were the rebels selecting for? What did they see in Beah and his brother, Junior.
Chapter Six:
On page 37, Beah writes, “This was one of the consequences of the civil war. People stopped trusting each other, and every stranger became an enemy.” Can you relate to this feeling? If so, when and why have you felt that every stranger is an enemy?
Describe the role that music is playing in this story so far.
Chapter Seven:
In this chapter, Beah identifies his age as twelve years old. What were you doing when you were twelve years old? You were probably in middle school. Imagine being on your own at that point in your life.
Chapter Eight:
Was Beah better off on his own or with the group of boys he found in this chapter? Explain your answer.
Beah reminisces about his family while he is alone. He looks for medicinal leaves his grandfather showed him, for the soapy leaves he discovered during a summer with his grandmother, and thinks about the story of the wild pigs his grandmother told him. He remembers that his