The “other two were dressed in jeans jackets and pants, wearing baseball hats backward and new Adidas sneakers. All three wore a lot of fancy watches on both wrists” (p. 31). Discuss the influence of American, Western culture upon Ishmael's life.

Western culture is embraced by the rebels and young people in Sierra Leone, particularly, the rap culture, its clothing, and their love for bling. The music, the words, and the "look" were a source of identity, an identity that was not always positive.