War Brothers

“At first, Jacob had felt sorry for them. It was easy to feel badly for a few children. But now, they numbered in the thousands. There were just too many to feel sorry about.”

This passage references the “night commuters,” the children who come to Gulu at night to sleep on the streets rather than risk kidnapping in their villages. Here at the outset, before his time in the Lord’s Resistance Army, Jacob still demonstrates an emotional disconnect from the events around him, which shows his naivety in the face of future dangers.

“The whole family walked to church twice a week. It was far away and it took hours to reach it. Mother was Catholic too, and so she went to the medicine man only when the Big God did not help, only when necessary. When Father became too sick to walk to church, she felt that it was necessary.”

Oteka’s late family shows a common situation in Uganda with regard to religion: The syncretization of traditional religious practices with mainstream Christianity. While Oteka’s father does not believe in medicine men, they still visit them on occasion for things that the “Big God” (i.e., the Christian god) cannot help with. This introduces the important motif of religion in the novel (See: Symbols & Motifs).

“‘Mother,’ Oteka whispered. ‘I do not know where I am or where I am supposed to be in this life. I wait here in the camp only for my grave. Tell me, what must I do? Please, Mother, tell me.’

[…]

Silence. And then, ‘Kony.’ The word dripped out of the medicine man’s mouth like poison. In that moment, Oteka felt more alone than ever.”

When Oteka is finally able to save up enough money to visit the medicine man, the only word that his mother tells him through the ritual is the word “Kony.” This serves as foreshadowing for The Experience of Child Soldiers that Oteka will undergo, as Oteka is soon taken by the Lord’s Resistance Army.

“During the school break, Paul’s father had gone to America to give a speech about the water quality in Uganda. The people Paul’s father worked for said he could take his son, too. The white people in the office gave him something called ‘airline points,’ which meant that Paul could get a plane ticket to New York City. It was as close to a miracle as Paul ever expected to get!”

Just as Jacob is in a higher socioeconomic class than Tony, Paul is in a higher one than either of them. These advantages lead Paul to initially, in school, be the leader and storyteller of the group, as he entertains them with stories of America. However, these stories are later revealed to be fiction once they join the Lord’s Resistance Army—Paul merely wants to entertain his friends.

“Three hearts plummeted. That’s all they needed—to care for a brainy ongee. And one who would probably cry himself to sleep, too. As long as he didn’t wet the bed. There was no protecting a bed-wetter.”

This passage shows the boys’ initial reaction to Norman. This dismissiveness of Norman and his age contrasts heavily with their behavior later in the book, during which they start to protect and care for Norman in captivity.

“Something was odd about these rebel soldiers. Jacob looked closer. Several of them wore filthy and torn tank tops. They held their guns high. His mouth dropped open. There was no hair under their arms. Kids!”

Though before this moment Jacob is aware that the Lord’s Resistance Army uses child soldiers, this is the first time that it’s shown on the page. In realizing that he is being kidnapped by other children, Jacob must also face The Experience of Child Soldiers that awaits him.

“‘They traced crosses on us with shea nut oil. They said that we are now “soldiers of the movement.” See?’ Paul picked up Jacob’s hand and traced the cross drawn on Jacob’s own forehead. Tony was mumbling something, a prayer maybe: ‘Sweet Jesus, help us in our hour of need.’”

This moment, early on in the children’s ordeal, shows how the Lord’s Resistance Army uses the symbols of Christianity that would be familiar to most Ugandans and twists them for their own purposes. The crosses not only represent the loss of the children’s freedom, but also use their own symbols and associated meanings.

“Why had he not listened to his father and his father’s friends? The rebels, the Lord’s Resistance Army, called themselves Christians…They recruited their fighters from schools, transports, and villages, then made the children fight government soldiers. But what if they just said no? What if they refused to fight?”

Though Jacob’s father had earlier warned him about Kony, these warnings had not sunk in. In this passage, Jacob regrets his earlier cavalier attitude toward the Lord’s Resistance Army, understanding that if he knew more about how they work now, he’d have a better chance of surviving.

“‘You must face the east to pray to God because that is where God lives,’ shouted Commander Opiro. ‘Hands together. Now lower your head until it touches the ground.’

Why? This was a Muslim tradition. Jacob knew that. All the boys knew. Kony’s Christianity was a stew. They prayed.”

The Christianity practiced by the Lord’s Resistance Army is not mainstream, but rather incorporates practices from other religions, such as Indigenous religions and Islam. The “stew” that Jacob is referring to enables the Lord Resistance Army’s soldiers to more easily incorporate their pre-existing notions into the movement once they join.

“‘Wake up!’ Jacob’s sob turned into a cry. He was just a kid, a stinking kid who was good at multiplication. ‘Norman, what is 66 times 15?’ Jacob hissed into his ear.

Nothing. He said nothing.

‘Tell me. TELL ME! 66 times 15? You can see them. I know that you can see them. Picture the numbers. SEE THEM! 66 times 15.’

Norman coughed and squished his eyes shut. ‘990.’

Jacob’s head pounded. What was the answer? No matter. ‘Yes, yes, you’re right. You got it right. Drink, now drink.’”

This passage shows the extent to which Jacob has taken Norman under his protective wing, even though he’d never met Norman until the day before their kidnapping. Norman is a 10-year-old math prodigy, which Jacob uses to keep him grounded. Jacob’s attention toward Norman eventually leads to him saving Norman’s life on multiple occasions, reflecting The Bonds of Friendship.

“‘Norman, it will be all right.’ Over and over Jacob whispered these words in Norman’s ear, and sometimes Paul’s ear, too. ‘Help is coming. We just have to wait.’”

In War Brothers, The Impact of Trauma affects all of the children in different ways. Jacob, here, is demonstrating his loyalty and leadership to help his friends, demonstrating his character arc as he grows more aware of his own capabilities despite the pressures he is living under.

“Jacob doubled over. The pain in his stomach was getting worse every day and his kidneys ached. The sight of Norman and Paul close up took Jacob’s breath away. Did he look as bad? Elbows and knees were like knotted ropes stuffed under peeling and dry reptilian skin. Cheekbones stood out in jagged ridges. Even their noses and earlobes were growing smaller. Birds, Jacob thought, we look like bony birds. He would sleep if he could, close his eyes and never wake up.”

In this passage, Jacob compares his physical appearance to the birds they see around them during their daily marches. The violence and degradation of life in the Lord’s Resistance Army has—to Jacob’s understanding—relegated them to the level of wild animals, symbolism in this book for constant danger (See: Symbols & Motifs).

“Oteka expertly drained the blood from the chickens, dipped the carcasses into hot water, then began the business of plucking the feathers. Several stringy chickens, giblets removed, were ready for the fire. Small children were gathered near him, all starving, all silently watching him. Girls looked at Oteka in wonder. Men did not cook, even if they were hungry.”

Before this moment, Jacob had been constantly wondering about Oteka’s loyalties. Oteka helped Jacob and the others, but he was also a soldier in the Lord’s Resistance Army, which meant that he was under suspicion. However, by cooking the chickens even as a man, Oteka is demonstrating that he cares more about helping those he’s close to than becoming a fully believing member of the Lord’s Resistance Army.

“Slowly she lifted her arm…then, fast as a gecko, grabbed the food out of his hand. ‘I have nothing for you. Why do you bring me food?’ She ate quickly lest her good fortune be snatched back.

‘I…’ Jacob didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know how to talk to her, or to any girl, for that matter. He wanted to know about what the commanders were planning. But if he asked her outright, maybe she would think he was a spy. He had to try to become a friend. He wanted to be her friend, but how?”

Throughout the novel, characters consistently put The Bonds of Friendship over their own safety. Here, Jacob risks his own safety and hunger by giving Hannah food and speaking to her, which is forbidden on pain of death. However, Hannah proves herself essential to escaping, and risking death for friendship turns out to be a smart decision for Jacob to make.

“Lizard and his second-in-command, Eddie, dribbled water over their heads to wash away their sins. Now Jacob would kill—and perhaps die—but if he lived, he would eat. And if he ate, so would Norman. He dreamed of food; they all did.”

At a certain point, Jacob’s desire for food overwhelms his need to not harm anyone, and he becomes willing to kill in order to get food for himself and his friends. Though Jacob is consistently characterized as empathetic and nonviolent, The Impact of Trauma and his desperation force him to make a decision he’d normally never make.

“Jacob gasped. This was Kony?

He was old, at least old to Jacob—maybe forty. He looked ordinary and small. Like the rest of the commanders he wore a long, white, pristine robe, and hanging around his neck was a large, gold, jewel-studded crucifix. But it did not make him look regal and strong. He looked like a cow wearing a cowbell. Fingering a rosary, Kony gazed over the crowd. Dark aviator glasses concealed his eyes, combat boots peeked out from under his robe, and dreadlocks dusted his shoulders.”

In the only chapter of the novel in which Kony directly appears, his physical appearance is shocking to Jacob, who’d expected a more intimidating figure due to the brutality of his army. However, Kony’s silly physical appearance reinforces that his army is composed mostly of easily controllable children rather than professional soldiers, underscoring the desperate nature of the rebel cause.

“He gazed up at the trees; still dark. He felt peaceful. Never mind death. His father had not forgotten him. To die and think that he had been forgotten would have been the worst death of all. Whatever fate awaited them, it was time to go out and meet it.”

Though Jacob demonstrates bravery in the face of danger, he also gets close to giving up at certain points, such as when he believes his friends or family have given up on him. However, Jacob shows his loyalty when those friendships are shown to still matter, showing how much Jacob needs The Bonds of Friendship to survive.

“Sitting among his friends, his family, Jacob felt calm. From the night of the abduction and during the whole of his captivity, he had been enveloped in a fog of fear, his whole being hurled into shock. Now his breath was even, measured, and he felt a purpose had come to his life—fear had grown into resolve and resolve into courage.”

Rescuing his friends becomes Jacob’s primary reason to survive, demonstrating his character arc toward a greater maturity. The constant threat of death has caused Jacob to devalue his own life, but gaining a purpose in life has reinvigorated his desire to survive.

“Someone had seen them leave camp and had alerted Lizard. In Oteka’s mind, that person had to be Tony. Jacob might be blinded by friendship, and maybe even Paul too. Oteka could not trust Tony.”

Despite the fact that all of the children were forced into a terrible situation in order to survive, Tony still comes under the most suspicion due to being a full-fledged soldier in the Lord’s Resistance Army, unlike the others. However, after this moment, Tony demonstrates that The Bonds of Friendship can survive indoctrination, as he shows that he wants to get away with the rest of them.

“Elephants? Jacob wasn’t the least bit concerned about elephants. Crocodiles? Yes. Hippos? Definitely. Snakes? Absolutely. Spiders too. Mostly he was afraid of rebel soldiers. Did the commanders know that Lizard had left camp to track them? Or had Lizard set out on his own? They had no way of knowing, but either way, soon the rebels would come after them.”

Once the captives escape the encampment, wild animals become a major concern for their navigation through the forest, symbolizing danger (See: Symbols & Motifs). Significantly, Lizard has that particular, reptilian nickname; as with his brutal behavior, his name has removed from him the last remnants of his humanity, relegating him to the bestial behavior that Jacob worries is in him as well at the end of the novel.

“Jacob looked at Norman and thought the boy looked old, almost wizened. A shrunken head on a shrunken body, not a ten-year-old boy any longer.”

The Impact of Trauma has transformed all of the children, both physically and mentally. Norman is shown as being aged beyond his years due to what happened to him, and in this moment Jacob also realizes that this transformation applies to himself as well.

“There were doctors, nurses, and social workers to tend to them, people who said that they must be reintegrated into society. They said that they must forgive themselves. Tony hung his head but Jacob could only wonder. Forgive themselves? They had been stolen, imprisoned, tortured, abused. Whom should they forgive? Jacob said nothing, so the rest followed suit.”

A major source of tension at the end of the novel is the reaction of society at large to the return of the child soldiers. The children are frequently blamed for the violence they were forced to enact, which is a reaction that Jacob and the others struggle to deal with.

“‘Your grandson was a good boy. He was killed because he was a good boy. He did not suffer.’ Jacob looked the old man directly in the eyes when he spoke. In his mind’s eye, he saw Lizard as he reached up to him, he heard his words: ‘Help me!’ They were the words of a boy.”

Demonstrating the growth of his compassion, Jacob decides to tell Musa Henry Torac that Lizard was a “good boy,” rather than the truth of the brutal soldier he was. However, when Jacob remembers Lizard’s last words, he also understands that Lizard was a child forced into the same situation they were, and Lizard’s cruelty was just his own method of survival.