Living in the Real World

While reading the first few chapters of the novel Baghdad Without a Map by Tony Horwitz, the lifestyle perceived to me sounded like the stereotypical lifestyle of an inner city. Horwitz describes the importance of guns, weapons and drugs. He describes the feeling he got while waking up the roar of gun fire as a father is teaching his son to shoot a rifle. While reading, it seemed as if everyone owned a gun, not just for “looks” but to protect themselves. Life is not at all at constant peace, and living in a situation where there are not strict laws could result in crossfire on your way to school or work. As I read about the muggers and thieves that roamed the streets, I got the feeling that it was an “everyone for themselves” type lifestyle. If you weren’t armed, you got stolen from, or even killed. Guns and knives were of course worn by men for protection, but in some cases for a sense of pride. In a way, your weapon marked your “social status.” The prettier weapon, the wealthier you are; which means more power. Besides weapons, one thing that caught my eye was the use of the drug Qat. Like in the United States, many people rely on drugs to “escape their daily dilemmas” because they want control over something in their life. In both countries unfortunately, drugs often find their way towards to the poor. Horwitz explains how people spend up to 20 dollars a day on Qat. So far, it seems that Horwitz gets a real life experience while traveling to Baghdad, and begins to think more about what he has rather than what he doesn’t.
*ml