The book takes place over a two-month period in late 1991 and early 1992, with occasional flashbacks to the expulsion of the Arabs, the beginning of the
Intifada, the
Gulf War and other events in the more immediate past. Sacco spent this time meeting with Palestinians in the
West Bank and
Gaza Strip and the narrative focuses on the minute details of everyday life in these areas. In
Palestine, Sacco positions himself knowingly as the westerner going to the
Middle East to confront a reality unfamiliar to his American audience. Sacco does not delude himself into thinking that, as a "neutral" observer, he can remain invisible and have no effect on the events around him. Instead, he accepts his role and concentrates on his personal experience of the situation. Though his goal is to document events and interview Palestinians, he is affected by the reality of the occupied territories and cannot help but participate in and comment on demonstrations, funerals, roadblocks, and encounters with soldiers. Towards the end, he becomes even more active as he shares food and lodgings with the Palestinians he interviews and even breaks curfew with them while in the Gaza Strip. In the book, Sacco references
Joseph Conrad's
Under Western Eyes,
Heart of Darkness, and
Edward Said's
Orientalism to draw links between the situation he is witnessing and
colonialism. Towards the end of the book, when challenged by an Israeli that he has not experienced their point of view, he responds that the Israeli point of view is what he has internalized his whole life, and although another trip would be necessary to fully experience Israel, that was not why he was there. == Awards ==