The Social Classes Change as Seen in Sierra Leone

Changes in Social Classes in Sierra Leone

Thousands of people died in the Sierra Leone civil war. During this time, the structure of society completely changed. Villages were destroyed and once upper class citizens were bumped down to lower ranks. In A Long Way Gone, Ishmael Beah’s life was changed by this civil war. His village was attacked by rebels and he was forced to flee. After Beah escaped, he was recruited by the government army to fight the RUF rebel group. The social classes and their roles were different in society before the war, the army during the war, and in society during the war.

Society was very structured in villages in Sierra Leone before the civil war. Many of these roles were traditional African roles like religious leaders, while some were roles that occur in many places, such as teachers. The women cooked and tended to the house while the men were working. Ishmael Beah’s grandfather “was a well-known local Arabic scholar in the village and beyond” (Beah 8). He helped people both with physical sickness as well as with spirituality. Because of his high social status, he was well respected in the village. Kids would go to school to learn and would have fun afterwards as well. Ishmael Beah’s brother Junior “went to secondary school, [and] befriended some boys who taught his more about foreign music and dance” (6). After school, Ishmael and his friends learned how to rap and dance to music. They also would sometimes go to market to buy food for their families. Kids had to meet expectations, but they were allowed to play as most children would.

Once war reached the villages, men’s roles completely changed while women’s stayed relatively the same. Ishamel Beah and friends were wandering after their village had been destroyed, when they were captured and put into a makeshift refugee camp. The lieutenant in charge “need[ed] strong men and boys to help fight… if [they did] not want to fight… [they would] not stay in the village” (106). These children were no longer seen as youth. Instead of their normal roles in society, all men and boys were forced to fight as soldiers for the government army. They were being changed into drugged war machines, with intent to destroy all rebels. Men were not needed as teachers or religious leaders, but rather as weapons of mass destruction. Previously, women were needed to do work around the house. During the conflict, “all women and girls were asked to report to the kitchen” (108). The women were expected, stereotypically, to clean the village and cook for the soldiers. However, that was the extent of their responsibilities. They did not have to look after anyone and the lieutenant was in charge of them.

All civilians in society during the war were deprived of their natural rights. Ishamel Beah was brought to live with his uncle after his time in the army was finished. The rebels violently controlled the city, and the only food that was offered was rice with sugar or cassava with salt. Ishmael and his cousin “had heard of a secret market… were otherwise unavailable food items were sold to civilians,” and they decided to take the risk to buy food (204). During the civil war, even leaving the house was dangerous because of the violence and daily gunshots. Many citizens snuck out to the secret market in order to get food, even though it was four times the original price. Everyone shared the same goal: survival, no matter the risk. The rebels found the illegal market, and the commander “ordered everyone to put down their bags of food, put their hands behind their heads, and lie flat, facing the ground” (204). One woman who tried to run away because she was scared got shot and died. The civilians were forced to listen to the rebels, under penalty of certain death. People were not focused on getting an education or having fun, but staying alive.

Before the civil war, everyone had a job or a role in society that would be considered a normal role. During the war, army members were used as war machines and women were used for cooking and cleaning. In society during the war, all civilians were in a group that was completely powerless against the rebels. Most villages in Sierra Leone were destroyed in the war. If there was another civil war in America, who would gain power? Would the wealthy remain at the top of the social pyramid, or would the men with the guns have the most power?