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Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, or literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes.
Family
Family is the most important thing to Ishmael. When he hears the news that rebels have captured his hometown, his very first thoughts are of his family. When his family is not among the people arriving in Mattru Jong, Ishmael searches for them in spite of the danger. He often recalls happy childhood memories of his family to get himself through this horrific time, which reveals his resilient nature. Ishmael describes a time when his brother Junior showed him tenderness by teaching him how to skip stones on a river and helping him when he fell, which contrasts with the version of Junior Ishmael knows now—the version that is withdrawn and won’t make eye contact with him. This contrast suggests that the family, and furthermore the life, Ishamel had known before the war is lost in some way, regardless of whether they or not they survive what’s to come.
Later, Ishmael is able to heal after the war with the help of family. While Ishmael is living at Benin House, he tells Esther that he has no reason to live since his family has been killed. Esther volunteers to be Ishmael’s temporary sister and tells Ishmael about the beauty of starting a new family. A couple of months later, Leslie finds Ishmael’s uncle Tommy. Living with Tommy and his family signals that Ishmael is ready to take the next step in his healing.
Storytelling
Storytelling becomes important to Ishmael while he struggles to survive in war-torn Sierra Leone. For example, when Ishmael is traveling with the group of boys, they are comforted by Musa telling a story every night. Ishmael also finds comfort in recalling the role of stories in his childhood, such as the story of his name-giving ceremony. For Ishmael, stories are a way to recall the innocence that has been stripped away from him. Later, Ishmael meets Laura Simms, a storyteller from New York. She inspires Ishmael to tell his own story to raise awareness of the dangers vulnerable children face in his country and around the world, and works with Ishmael to improve his storytelling skills. Later, Ishmael decides to leave Sierra Leone for good in search of a new life in New York City as a storyteller. The memoir itself is an example of Ishmael dedicating his life to telling stories.
Violence
Violence is a constant threat in Ishmael’s story, and all too often a vivid reality. Early in the narrative, rebels attack the town where Ishmael is staying. The soldiers fire their guns at women and children who are trying to flee and they are killed indiscriminately. As Ishmael searches for his family, he encounters the bodies of many people who have been violently murdered. Ishmael experiences another attack when rebels burn the imam alive. Later, Ishmael tells the story of bloody battles that he participates in as a soldier. Sometimes he is fighting rebels, including rounding them up and killing them even after they are defenseless. Sometimes he is massacring innocent civilians, like when the soldiers attack teachers and students during a school dance. Ishmael does not shy away from vivid descriptions of violence. These descriptions serve as a means of illustrating the horrors of war, and they also characterize Ishmael’s very survival as nothing short of miraculous.
