Final answer:
Ishmael Beah and his friends were all young boys who became child soldiers during the civil war in Sierra Leone, sharing the experiences of loss, survival, and the struggle to retain humanity. They also bonded over their love for rap music, which provided them with a connection and a way to cope with their traumatic experiences.
Step-by-step explanation:
Ishmael Beah and his friends had several things in common that are shared in Beah's memoir, A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier. Primarily, they were all young boys caught in the midst of the civil war in Sierra Leone. Their lives were transformed dramatically as they were forced to become child soldiers. They shared common experiences of loss, survival, and the struggle to retain their humanity amidst the chaos and violence of war.
Their shared experiences created a bond between them as they navigated the challenges of losing their families, their homes, and their childhood to the war. Along with their collective trauma, they also shared a love for rap music, which helped them to connect with each other and to cope with their situation. Rap music provided a temporary escape from the horrors around them and played a significant part in Beah's narrative, symbolizing the lost innocence and joy of youth.
It is important to note that their experiences as child soldiers brought them together in a union of shared hardship and survival. This is an essential theme of Beah's narrative, as it explores how children's identities and relationships are shaped by the forces of war.