All the Glimmering Stars

At the start of the novel, when Anthony is a young child, his father begins to teach him about the stars, the land, and the importance of being a good person. He tells Anthony, “Whenever you are confused about anything in life, not sure what to do, ask yourself this question: ‘What would a good human do?’” (13). This idea of being a “good person” is an important motif throughout the novel as Anthony thinks often about his father’s words.

Central to Anthony’s character is the line he navigates between good and evil. He spends more than 10 years with the LRA, helping them commit ruthless acts like kidnapping, murder, and rape. Though he never perpetrates these acts himself, he questions whether he’s truly a “good person” because he allows them to happen. This motif brings to the forefront an important question about The Psychological Impact of War as a theme: to what extent people like Anthony (who choose to follow orders rather than submit to death) are culpable in addition to those who give the orders, like Kony and his commanders.

Ultimately, the novel emphasizes this idea of a “good person” through the choices Anthony makes. When he’s forced to step on James’s body, he feels anger, remorse, and guilt. When in battle, he’s sickened by the idea of killing another person—even one that is shooting at him—and instead chooses to blindly shoot toward the enemy without actively engaging anyone in combat. Then, when he finds his opportunity to escape, he does so without killing Leonard or Bacia, consciously choosing not to commit murder to survive. Despite the circumstances he’s in, Anthony values the importance of being a “good person,” holding onto his humanity and refusing to give in to the ruthlessness of the LRA. When he’s finally free, he then chooses to work with the Ugandan Army and speak out on the radio, actively trying to atone for what he did with the LRA.