Safe Area Goražde: The War in Eastern Bosnia, 1992-1995

Sacco often includes historical accounts that provide exposition about the tensions that lead to the conflict. How do the historical accounts and the personal narratives in the text intertwine? How does one illuminate the other?

One of the major themes in Safe Area Goražde is The Ineffective Role of International Organizations in Conflict. How does Sacco depict organizations like the UN and NATO? How does he highlight their strengths and weaknesses in dealing with the Bosnian War?

How does Sacco characterize himself within the text? How does his presence affect the narrative or shape his depiction of events?

Compare and contrast Riki’s and Edin’s experiences in Goražde. How are they characterized? How are they different or similar? What is the wider significance of each in the text?

Safe Area Goražde is primarily an account of Bosnian Muslims’ experiences during the war. How might the inclusion of more interviews from Bosnian Serb and Croat subjects influence the work as a whole?

Goražde is the key setting of the text. How does Sacco depict Goražde? In what ways, and to what effect, does Goražde function as both a setting and a symbol of the wider conflict?

Compare and contrast Safe Area Goražde with another one of Sacco’s works, such as Palestine. How are the two works different or similar? What key themes and ideas do they share?

There are many graphic images included in Safe Area Goražde. Why does Sacco include these, and how do they impact the work as a piece of graphic journalism?