Favorite Passage in War Child

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Emmanuel Jal’s War Child is the memoir I read for the IRB assignment.  War Child demonstrates the life change of an enraged child soldier after encountering numerous incidents.  He learns about peace, forgiveness, and love throughout his harsh journey of becoming an international rapper.  Emmanuel’s story signifies the severity of the undesirable lives the children in parts of Africa are living in.

            The passage that is highlighted the most in the story is definitely the first phrase of the lyrics of his song “War Child”. 

           

I believe I’ve survived for a reason

            To tell my story to touch lives    

In this song, Emmanuel manifests the realization he has achieved throughout his story.  He has “survived” to “tell (his) story”.  This one line tells everything: what kind of live Emmanuel has lived, what lessons he has learned, and what his new goal is.  All his hopes are for people to listen to his story and change the lives of the children who are walking the same path Emmanuel has once walked.            

Emmanuel’s youth was filled with hatred toward the Arabs who have destroyed he and his family’s lives.  All he his hopes were to kill and torture the “evil” people from the north of Africa.  However, Emmanuel starts experiencing lessons, which teach him that his original feelings towards Arabs and the world are incorrect.  After listening to stories of Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela, he starts understanding the importance of peace.  

The song itself is a mirror of Emmanuel, telling everything about him.  Emmanuel specifically uses the word "survive" to explain how his life was immensely devastating.  Someone or something chasing Emmanuel can be imaged; a factor that wants to devour him from this world is pursuing him and he had to run for his lives.  However, the God Emmanuel believes helped him “survive” for a reason, “to touch lives”.  God wants Emmanuel to save his people from the quagmire of hatred and be enlightened by Emmanuel’s story. 

I was greatly touched by the lyrics of the music, War Child, and the story Emmanuel tells in his book.   Emmanuel had nothing, literally nothing sometimes throughout his story.  He was extremely hungry that at one point he was about to eat the flesh of his dead comrade.  Also, all his loved ones had to die in the war.  I have heard his story, and I know I will change thanks to him.  I will never neglect those children who are living a devastating live in the country where war still goes on.