Pride of Baghdad

For this week's (and next week's) presentation on Iraq, I've read Pride of Baghdad by Brian K. Vaughan.

This book is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel that you'll find in the adult section of the library. There's definitely some no-holds-barred violence (not just war, personal violence) and even sexual violence in the book. The novel itself is based on the true story of four lions who "escaped" the Baghdad Zoo (escaped death) during the Invasion (that's right, capital I, for the lions).

As the story progressed, I began to view each character as representative of the mindsets of people from specific moments in time.

Noor: the young lioness who craves freedom and is trying to strike a deal with the monkeys and the antelope to gain that freedom. She is suspicious of humans and sees herself as a prisoner. She has no real memory of freedom for comparison.

Safa: the old, partially blind lioness who remembers freedom as a time of violence. For her, the safety of the zoo and the fact that meals are provided outweigh a desire to run free.

Zill: the alpha male. He seems young, Noor's age. He barely remembers freedom, and while he longs to have it back, he doesn't hate the zoo. I don't see him as a terribly strong character, but he does "prove himself."

Ali: Noor's young cub. He was born in the zoo and is in awe of what is going on around him. He has a special affinity for Safa. Ali doesn't really understand the difference between free and not free.

I wish I had more background on the area to round out and provide more context for the way I view the characters (especially Safa's violent history and Noor's strong feeling of imprisonment (which I feel must allude to something more than that she's a lion in a zoo)).

The destruction of the zoo is both liberating and confusing for the lions. Safa would rather stay in the ruins than leave with the other three. Interestingly, when the four step outside the boundary of the zoo (yes, Safa leaves the bombed-out zoo) they are surprised to see that they'd been lied to. The zoo keepers had always said it was just desert for miles and miles, but the lions find a forest beyond the zoo's gates. I see this reflection in our perception of Iraq. We talk about the war being fought in a desert ("the sandbox") and see pictures of dirt roads and dust-covered bodies. Do we allow ourselves to have keepers?

Ali and Safa meet a turtle (my favorite character), who tries to explain to them what has happened. In doing so, he reminds us of Desert Storm and of oil. But the lions don't get it and the crabby turtle can't explain.

While I think the middle part of the book calls in some gender roles (perhaps unintentionally), it's the end that I find most telling. No, I won't ruin it (although that may happen in class). I just find the soldier's statement so open ended. Was he lying or delusional?