The child soldier experience in Uzodinma Iweala's "Beasts of no nation"

Nicole Gurley
Wed, 22 Apr 2026 17:51:22 PDT

Uzodinma Iweala's Beasts of No Nation plays an integral role in raising awareness of the child soldier epidemic. It portrays this global issue through the eyes of Agu, the child narrator. This thesis attempts to understand the extent to which Agu's experiences with the rebel group as well as his participation in war affect him. Agu struggles to maintain his identity during his exposure to and forced involvement in rape, thievery, and murder. His age leaves him particularly vulnerable to the ravages of war, and although Agu succeeds in maintaining some of his identity, he is eventually alienated from himself and others. Nevertheless, Agu's enthusiasm and resilience show him capable of reintegration, despite the rehabilitation center's inadequacies. He faces the challenges of rejoining normal society, overcoming his guilt, and reclaiming his identity, but his healing is restricted through the center's emphasis on Western methods of healing. Other rebels like Luftenant, Griot, and Rambo are also victimized. Their ruthless barbarity partially results from their sense of powerlessness in a chaotic world. Yet their humanity appears in small demonstrations of restraint and helplessness, thus indicating the hope for all child soldiers' capacity for rehabilitation.