As I read her diary, I was surprised by how similar Thura“s life in Iraq is to my life in America. We both watch television and use the computer, we both are in school, and we both have a passion for writing. At nineteen, Thura is the eldest of three girls. Although I only have one sibling, at thirteen Im also the oldest child in my family. Our parents are similar in many ways too. Like my parents, Thuras mother and father are well educated and value education for their children.
Although we have commonalities, we have differences, too. When Saddam Hussein ruled Iraq, Thura didnt have access to a large range of media, while I have an abundance to choose from: television, the Internet, books, magazines, and newspapers. As an American, I am allowed more freedom than Thura was allowed in Iraq. Thura states in her diary that “men are in charge of everything,” whereas in the United States women