IN CHAPTER 13 , Reread pages 116-117 and look for passages that describe Ishmael’s survival instincts. How does he push back fear? What rationale does he adopt to help him cope with his situation?

The nightmare Beah experiences that night underscores the turning point for the young man in his shift from childhood to forced maturity. He has seen his friends die at the hands of rebels - up to this point, every offence the rebels committed in his sight had been against strangers - and now can unleash his pain and hatred on a visible target. From that point on, he has no difficulty identifying the rebels as inhuman enemies to be killed on sight.