Memory moments BEFORE THE WAR BEGINS, ISHMAEL IS IN POSSESSION OF A CASSETTE TAPE WITH RAP MUSIC ON IT. This tape connects him to his past and carries him in to his future.
Again and again Brown brown is the term the author uses for the mixture of cocaine and gun powder. The brown brown represents the addiction that is war. One becomes addicted to cocaine like one becomes thirsty for blood. These two evils begin to drive each other. One no longer knows if he is taking brown brown so he can stand the killing, or if he is killing so he can take the brown brown.
Words of wisdom Ishmael and his friends meet a man on the beach who nurses them back to health. While he is a man of few words, Ishmael is forever changed by meeting him. He is a kind and joyful man who spreads love to others. Ishmael wishes that he could be like that man. This man spreads wisdom through his actions.
Tough questions Ishmael is plagued by the thought of never seeing his family again. He constantly wonders if they are still alive. This problem causes Ishmael to continue fighting to stay alive.
Aha moment After Ishmael spends some time in the forest alone, he realizes that it is easier to be in a group of people. He encounters a group of boys and realizes that they are all paralyzed by fear and are, therefore, capable of anything. It is at this moment that he realizes that fear makes monsters.
Contrast and contradiction Ishmael wants to stop fighting when he is a soldier, but when he goes to the camp it is all out war. This behavior is surprising because it jeopardizes his whole mission of finding his family again. Pg. 133