The narration given by Joe Sacco is an eye opening narration. Joe has used his vast knowledge of narration to express the suffering Palestine undergoes in the hand of Israel. Joe has used fiction character to portray the political scene in Palestine. Joe has depicted how the political activities affect the Palestine people in their very day life. Joe is also an audience in the book. This mean he gives the first hand information about the Palestine life. In his participation part, he seems to take sides with the Palestine. For instance, there is a place he reported having participated in breaking the curfew, he also shared lodging with some of the Palestine. This show that Joe is against the political situation prevailing in Palestine. The political themes that the novel depict are discussed below.
The theme of brutality, torture, and violence is well depicted in Joe novel. The theme of injustice is also intertwined in his narration. The narration concentrates much on violence that was to take place in the Palestine residential place and camp. The book integrates drawings to draw a clear picture of violence in the Palestine. Most of the picture in the novel show people who are in a fight. In part two of the novel, he narrates a story of a man known as Ghassan who is accused of associating with an illegal group. The man is mistreated and deprived his right. When the man goes to court, he is denied justice. This story brings a clear picture of how the political and system of justice denies Palestine their right. The novel stance position against the political brutality and injustice in Palestine.
Hypocrisy theme is also evidence in the Joe novel. Hypocrisy portrayed by the Israeli soldiers. Joe as a character in the novel engages some Israel in an interview of the relationship between Israel and Palestine. They seem not giving a satisfactory solution of the existing political situation. This brings the theme of hypocrisy clearly. One of the interviewed expresses his attitude of not caring the problem that that Israel creates to the Palestinians. Resistance in Palestine against Israel is met with a lot of brutality. Joes say that when Palestine through stone against Israel soldier the soldier reciprocate by shooting Palestine with live bullets. This shows that the democracy of the Palestine is not respected by the Israel. It also shows that the Palestine sovereignty is interfered with by the Israel. There is no mutual coexistence between the Israel and Palestine. Instead, there is hatred between citizens from the two different countries.
The plight of the Palestinian people is also depicted well in the joe novel. The prevailing political situation in the Palestine has made Palestine live in fear. The occupation of Israel in Palestine has led most of Palestinians destitute and homeless. Most of them are refugee at camp. Their living condition in the camp is sickening. To make matters worse, they are humiliated by the Israel soldier while in their campsite. Some of them have become hopeless. The mistreatment they go through under the Israel soldiers have left them in a miserable life. Some of the drawings in joe novel express the Palestine life in the camp. From narration and graphics the theme of the political plight portrayed well. Joe novel has intertwined many themes through the use of comical. Through a critical analysis reader can deduce political and social themes portrayed by the book.
Work cited
"Palestine." Sacco, Joe. Palestine. Seattle: Fantagraphics Books, 2001.
