Over the last few weeks of class, we have discussed the idea of globalization through blogs and also graphic narratives. Blogs such as Where is Raed by Salam Pax in which Pax blogs about the events that where taking place in Baghdad, we also read Baghdad Burning by Riverbend who is a teenage girl living through the events in Baghdad. Lastly, we spend some time reading Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi which is a graphic novel that deals with the author telling her story growing up through the Islamic Revolution. An idea present in all three of these narratives is war and how war has affected and changed the lives of many.

Pax is always blogging about how bombings and attacks are happening on his city as he types his blog, but he able to bring a sense of humour into his blog posts. I feel that Pax sees all the attacks and acts against his city his city as normal and doesn’t fear or worry much of it anymore as it has become an everyday occurrence. He is always out taking pictures of the events going on in the streets and doesn’t seem to worry much that he could get in trouble for his actions. Not to forget, Pax writes his blog in an inviting manner that really questions the audience and has an engaging attitude that causes people to question his existence. As brought up by Gillian Whitlock in Word Made Flesh, people start to ask the question, “was he real?” and many thought the CIA, Mossad, or Baathist regime had an agent posting (2). I feel that these questioning came up because of the genre in which Pax posted and was so open and whiling to show the terror of what was happening. I questioned myself the first time I was reading his blog because he had so much information on the events taking place, but also his willingness to share.

The the contrary, in Riverbend’s blog, she writes her posts in more of a story or novel type fashion. Similar to Satrapi’s graphic novel, Persepolis, which is written as her life narrative that reveals her everyday events that she had to endure while living through the Islamic Revolution. In both narratives, the authors feel sympathy for those that has been done wrong by the government or another force acting in rebellion. Since both women are young, educated, critical, and also vocal in acting in rebellion against for their beliefs of what is right, it makes them quite similar. Both women also touch on the idea of a western culture and influence and have their own ways of trying to connect with it. By having such a desire for this western culture, it shows both of their willingness to rebel against social norms.

Through the different readings with have done with Pax, Riverbend, and Persepolis, it has really opened my eyes to things that take place around the world and how fortunate I have to live somewhere so peaceful where I don’t have to worry about my life everyday. It has helped me to see that there is another world happening out there and how living in such a developed country like I do, we don’t see what really goes on from day to day.