HW 25: Riverbend Den

In the foreword of “Baghdad Burning”, we are introduced in the introduction to a young woman of 24 named Riverbend. This is not her real name. Riverbend is just a stage name because she blogs anonymously. If her name was to get out, there would be controversy because she talks a lot about the US and other notorious subjects. We learn in the forward that Riverbend has a brother named E. She also lives with her mother. When people talk about Anti-American Riverbend gets frustrated because she watches American movies and listens to Brittney Spears the same way we do. Also, Riverbend states “Why does America identify itself with its military and government” (Soueif viii). Which is a very complicated question for any American. Soueif also argues with the reader that Riverbend is well educated and speaks good English. He stresses that she didn’t have to write these blogs. In the introduction, the author Ridgeway talks about Riverbend’s life. He explains how Riverbend and her brother would sit on the rooftop and listen to the tanks and gunshots. That is very scary. He basically explains the background and history of the war. The Persian Gulf War in 1991 and the 2003 war were the couple of wars that he mentioned. He also just wanted to prepare the reader for some of the horrific events that Riverbend will experience and he wants us to know that we will experience these events like she did because they become real.