Final answer:
In 'A Long Way Gone,' Ishmael associates safety with military power instead of music after joining the army, demonstrating his lost innocence and his transition from childhood to a soldier due to the circumstances of war.
Step-by-step explanation:
Once Ishmael is in the army in A Long Way Gone, he associates safety with violence and military power, which highlights his lost innocence. The quote, “The man loved military books and pictures and the boy had understood enough to make himself a wooden sword,” implies that what was once playground imagination now has become his grim reality. Ishmael's transformation from enjoying the symbol of a sword to becoming a soldier demonstrates a profound change in what represents security for him. Safety is no longer found in the escapism of music but in the ability to wield power and control through military means, indicating a tragic transition from childhood to a forced, premature adulthood within the context of war.