What are the boys’ conditions at this point?

In Chapter Four, Beah describes the increasing breakdown of civilization throughout the region. The return to Mattru Jong was dangerous and, in the end, futile because the rebels’ terrorizing influence has reached beyond their immediate presence to the nearby villages. Civilians everywhere are now so frightened of what may happen to them that they close themselves off to others. Beah himself notes that the desperate circumstances lead him and his companions to resort to stealing food because “[it] was the only way to get through the night” (p. 29). Beah recognizes that this is not a choice he would make under normal conditions, but that his world is changing so rapidly he must adapt as quickly as he can to survive.