Redemption Road 2015 Novel, Liberia Civil War PDF

Lesson Notes on the Redemption Road by Elma Shaw. Introduction: ‘Redemption Road’ is a novel by Elma Shaw that was published in 2015. It explores themes of forgiveness, inhumanity, child abuse, the trauma of war and death in the face of adversity. The overall theme of redemption and enduring human...

Lesson Notes on the Redemption Road by Elma Shaw. Introduction: ‘Redemption Road’ is a novel by Elma Shaw that was published in 2015. It explores themes of forgiveness, inhumanity, child abuse, the trauma of war and death in the face of adversity. The overall theme of redemption and enduring human capacity for hope and transformation is explored. Background of the novel: it is a novel dealing with the aftermath of civil war in Liberia. The quest for peace and justice in Liberia provides an important model for thinking through creative possibilities for individual and collective justice in Liberia after the civil wars from 1989-2003. The protagonist of the novel, Bendu Lewis is a victim and perpetrator of crimes during the war who works to find justice for her community by founding an NGO and reclaiming her lost daughter. Setting: set in Monrovia in Liberia during the administration of Liberia’s former president, Charles Taylor, this is a story of recovery, atonement and the continuing quest for peace and justice in a nation plagued by conflict and inequalities since its founding by freed American slaves. A challenging situation for Bendu Lewis, a young woman who counsels traumatized survivors of Liberia’s civil war while struggling with memories of own war-time experiences. She decides that for her own healing, and for the voiceless victims of the war, she must bring in justice. Plot: A boy with a gun waits for the man who killed his mother. A troubled detective confronts her past in the aftermath of a brutal shooting. After thirteen years in prison, a good cop walks free as deep in the forest on the altar of an abandoned church, a body cools in pale linen. Characters: Bendu Marie Lewis is the protagonist of the novel and most of the scenes are seen through her eyes. She is a young woman and an Americo-Liberian. She is the daughter of Mr. Ben and Mrs. Eva Lewis. Bendu’s grandma is Catherine May Tyler also known as Granny May. Bendu is a humane character, she refuses to abandon Granny May despite the advice from many people. She had feelings for the children and the old people abandoned by their people along the road. She is a patriotic Liberian who seeks for peaceful co-existence in the war-torn country. That’s why she coordinates an NGO, (PIP) where the traumatized Liberian’s civil war survivors are counseled and assisted by her and Agnes. She had her own war time experiences. Bendu is a courageous woman who faces a lot of difficulties in the novel and overcome them. She dealt with Solomon, her rebel husband, after she was captured and taken to Duluma. She escaped from the camp eventually. She escaped from the camp eventually. She is a very decent and lovely character. It takes time before she decides to fall in love again. Catherine May Lewis. She is Benjamin Lewis’s mother- Bendu Lewis’s paternal grandmother and she is also called Granny May. The book opens with her memorial program. Bendu and her granny had gone to visit cousin Rebecca at Sumoville when the war erupted. The woma died along the line when they left the village on the wheelbarrow Bendu put her. Her remains are not found. The family just uses a casket and some of her favorite things to represent her. The woman is said to be lovely, generous, and has a sense of humor. This is gotten from the comments of the people who attended her memorial program. Siatta Terrence. She is the elder sister of Bende Lewis and has light skin like their mother. Her husband is Terrence Clarke who is part of the government in Liberia. Bendu stays in her house when her house is broken into and her security is threatened. Siatta was not in Liberia during the war. She was away in America, so she couldn’t say much about the war. She relies on the information she gets from the people