What role does the 2003 American invasion of Iraq play in the novel? To what extent does the invasion actively contribute to the development of the plot or characters?

Each of the characters has a certain amount of power, though none are particularly well-placed in post-war Iraqi society. Choose two characters and write an essay that explores the power dynamic between the two. 

Mary Shelley’s original Frankenstein questioned technological and scientific progress. To what extent does this novel do the same? In what ways does it explore different kinds of progress?