Allegory of Cave on the War in Sierra Leone - Essay Example

The Cave The Allegory of the Cave is a known philosophical writing by Plato that claims that knowledge attained through the senses is not more than that attained through philosophical reasoning. In this piece of writing, Plato educated many people on the way many people find themselves in the cave of the world. The author used many symbols in his writing such as the cave, shadows, game, escape, and return. Each of these symbols enhances a deeper meaning of the theory. For instance, the cave is a symbol that represents the category of people who think that knowledge is attained from what we hear and see in the world (Plato 22). The cave reveals that such people are trapped in the cave of confusion and misunderstanding. The Shadows symbolize the perceptions of people who believe that what we see in the world increases knowledge. When one believes that what he sees should be justified as truth then this happens to be the shadow of truth. The game illustrates how people believe that one individual can be a master. The escape prisoner symbolizes the philosopher who finds knowledge outside his senses and the cave. His intellectual journey revolves finding wisdom and truth. The return represents a different prisoner who desires to find philosophical truth. This essay seeks to discuss how we can use Plato’s allegory to understand what Ishmael Beah went through in his experiences in Sierra Leone’s war. In brief, the story of Ishmael Beah reveals a child’s journey through tribulations. At a tender age, Ishmael life was affected by the outbreak of the civil war. His parents and siblings died and left him in the world that was cruel and brutal. Soon after his family’s death, the young boy was recruited as a child soldier. In his assigned duties, Ishmael ensured that many people understood the devastating impacts of war on young children in his country Iran. Ishmael won a competition in his country for creating insights on the effects of war in Iran. In his life, the young boy spoke confidently about his experiences that eventually captivated many people’s attention on the aspect of child soldiering and the effect of war on children (Plato10). Ishmael spoke on different occasions on behalf of the Human Rights Watch and UNICEF. He created a strong ground for many people to promote children rights and end war since its effect cannot be underestimated. The story of Ishmael is of hope and redemption in that it revealed his passion in humanity. Now that we have discussed the meaning of the Allegory cave, let us now discuss how the Plato’s allegory helps us understand what Ishmael Beah went through in his experiences in Sierra Leone’s war. Ishmael Beah is like the prisoner described in the allegory in that he represents the dreamer who seeks knowledge outside of the senses and the cave (Beah 19). As previously mentioned, Ishmael’s journey represented a philosopher's journey of finding wisdom and truth. In a Long Way Gone, Ishmael Beah narrates a riveting story that reveals his different realities before, during, and after his time as a soldier. Before being a soldier, the government army accused Ishmael of being capable of committing terrible acts. At this point, one would argue that the boy was in the cave of misunderstanding. The world around him was dark and filled with torments and pain. As argued by Plato (10), the people in the cave cannot air their thoughts since they can only see life as illusion. However, in the outer world there is light that makes an individual to identify everything that is happening around him. Based on this argument, one would argue that the young boy was inside the cave after the death of his parents and siblings. He could not comprehend why the world was so much cruel to the extent of killing his family members. During his time as a soldier, the young boy was in the outer world of the cave where everything was visible. He gradually began to identify everything that was happening around him and he realized that he was living in the real world. He became content with himself and worked hard to fight for the people in the cave world. As a soldier, he sympathizes with the cave people who are hopeless and lost in the darkness. After his time as a soldier, he identified everything that he underwent in life that made him realize the need of educating others on the dangers of war. Even though the young man was in the cave of not understanding why he had to undergo all tribulations in life, he purposed to fight hard and gather knowledge about war. After being released by the army, the young boy struggled to attain humanity and re-enter the civilian’s world who viewed him with suspicion and fear (Beah 33). Eventually, the young boy came out the cave and his Journey as a young soldier illustrated a philosopher’s journey of finding wisdom and truth. Throughout his life, Ishmael advocates for children's rights and occasionally emphasizes on the devastating effects of war in a nation particularly young children. To date, he has captivated the international’s attention on the subjects; child soldiering and devastating effects of war on children. His personal experience has taught many about the importance of respecting humanity and promoting peace, justice, and love. Ishmael speaks on numerous occasions campaigning for children's rights all over the world. His confidence and passion for promoting children's rights and teaching many on the effects is a clear illustration that the young boy is no longer in the cave of misunderstanding. In other words, he is now in a better position to teach others of his experience in the war (Beah 14). To sum up, Ishmael’s story is about hope and redemption. The story is important because it educates many people that there is always hope even in the midst of confusion. Despite of the terrible events that Ishmael went through, he overcame everything and found the true meaning of his existence. From this story, one learns that even when everything disappears, there is always love. Ishmael learnt this in a hard way in that Uncle Tommy and his family willingly took him as a son of their own. Additionally, one learns that war is hell in that it affects even the innocent people. With this, it is important for a nation to live in unity, love, and peace. Lastly, the story of Ishmael teaches many on the importance of persevering even in the midst of troubles. This story is a potent illustration of a young boy who never gave up even in his hardships. Works Cited Beah, Ishmael. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007. Print. Plato. The Allegory of the Cave. Brea, CA: P & L Publication, 2010. Print. 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