What are a few character traits about Ishmeal and what is the evidence for that reason?

When Beah is a teenager, he spends a year wandering Sierra Leone on the run from the civil war that claims his family. His childhood ended, Beah resorts to survivalist tactics to stay alive; he steals when he needs to, roams in packs of boys his own age who have been orphaned, and he spends long stretches of time alone in the forest. At heart Beah is a fun-loving boy. He likes American rap music and playing with his friends. Unfortunately, he is forced into violence which quickly erodes his innocence.