Sierra Leone, Africa: a country whose past saw a civil war using soldiers under the age of 15, a strategy that has been consistently adopted for over of half the world's population wars (Masland 1). A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah and The Bite of the Mango by Mariatu Kamara and Susan McClelland are stories driven by the anecdotes of child soldiers and prisoners of war affected by the Revolutionary United Front. Beah, whose story takes place in A Long Way Gone, and Mariatu's story written in The Bite of the Mango, are both real-life accounts of survivors after the trauma of an 11-year civil war. The thought of innocence, tainted by war, is simply formulated but is never born in these two characters from day one. The division of views on the war is simple; you are either a soldier or a civilian on the run. As both struggle to survive, Beah sees the war from both sides, which creates a much worse struggle. Beah begins life with a somewhat promising future, given the circumstances surrounding him. His young life is clean and harmless, with little cause for concern. He sets out on his journey in hopes of reaching the final destination of Mattru Jong. His brother and his friend accompany him so they can play rap and dance. A trip created out of ambition would soon come to an emotional end. He now becomes the hunted, the one who is ransacked and left for dead without remorse. The beginning of a lifelong battle with his emotions and physical health was about to begin, much as it had for other children in Sierra Leone. “Sierra Leonean commanders who had served… took an estimated 10,000 children as combatants during the ten-year conflict…” (Masland 6). The quick shift from music to murder as... middle of paper ...... fr he irrationally breaks the windows of a classroom with his bare hands (140). Without help, Beah would only be an addition to the 50,000 deaths of the Civil War (CIA: The 219). From child to soldier, Beah leads a remarkable life of survival. Although both Beah and Mariatu share an unhappy path as their lives are shaped by unruly powers, Beah lives a much worse life. From the lowest of times, Beah conquers. Works CitedBeah, Ishmaël. A Long Road Traveled: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier. New York: Sarah Crichton Books, 2007. Print. “CIA: The World Factbook: Sierra Leone”. CIA Global Briefing Book (2006): 219. MasterFILE Premier. Internet. November 13, 2013 Kamara, Mariatu and Susan McClelland. The Bite of the Mango.Buffalo: Firefly Books, 2008. Print.Masland, Tom. "'We beat and killed people...'." Newsweek 139.19 (2002): 24. Viewpoint Reference Center. Internet. November 13. 2013.