African Literature: 10 war quotes from 'Beasts of No Nation' that would make you cry too much

"I am remembering the sound of people coughing... and the smell of...dead body everywhere. This is the only thing that I am knowing."

1. On War and the evil of Bullet

 

"Bullet is just eating everything, leaves, trees, ground, person. Eating them. Just making person to bleed everywhere. We are just like wild animals now, with no place to be going. Sun, why are you shining at this world? I am wanting to catch you in my hands, to squeeze you until you can not shine no more. That way, everything is always dark and nobody's ever having to see all the terrible things that are happening here."

2. On happiness after a war

 

"I saw terrible things... and I did terrible things. So if I'm talking to you, it will make me sad and it will make you too sad. In this life... I just want to be happy in this life. If I'm telling this to you... you will think that... I am some sort of beast... or devil. I am all of these things... but I also having mother... father... brother and sister once. They loved me."

3. On having hope

 

“I am waiting outside in the darkness making myself ready for when I go in. So I am thinking as many good thing I can think because if you are thinking good thing, nothing bad is happening to you.”

4. On weapons and safety

 

“I am remembering the soldier who are coming to my village and I am holding my machete closer. I am liking how it is feeling in my hand, like it is almost part of my body.”

5. On fear and death

 

“I am fearing because I am seeing that the only way not to be fighting is to die. I am not wanting to die.”

6. On child soldiers

 

"What am I supposed to be doing? So I am joining. Just like that. I am soldier."

7. On guilty conscience

 

"If I am doing all of this good thing and now only doing what soldier is supposed to be doing , then how can I be bad boy?"

8. On light

 

"If I am sun, I will be finding another place to be shining where people are not using my light to be doing terrible terrible thing."

9. On how terrible war is on children

 

"I am remembering the sound of people coughing... and the smell of...dead body everywhere. This is the only thing that I am knowing."

10. On why life is temporary

 

"Nothing is ever for sure. And everything is always changing."

READ: 'Beast of No Nation' by Uzodinma Iweala [Book Review]