Hiroshima Expository Essay In Hiroshima, Japan on August 6th, 1945 the lives of 6 survivors changed. But it changed for the best for some of those people. In the book Hiroshima by John Hersey, we need to understand how to think about something before doing it, and it’s better to think about our past and how that changes the way of life. In life the best thing to do is to think before you say/do something bad. When America dropped the Atom bomb “Of the 1,780 nurses alive and well 1,654 were badly hurt/dead after the bomb.” (Hersey 24). The Americans weren’t thinking about the lives that would be lost due to their careless act. The bomb’s radiation would later kill 100,000 people within the next year. The example of the 1,780 nurses being
John Hersey's journalist narrative, Hiroshima focuses on the detonation of the atomic bomb, Little Boy, that dropped on the city of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. Although over one hundred thousand people died in the dropping of the bomb, there were also several survivors. John Hersey travelled to Hiroshima to listen to the experiences of six survivors. Hersey uses his book to tell the story of six of these survivors (spanning from the morning the bomb fell to forty years later) through a compilation of interviews. Hiroshima demonstrates the vast damage and suffering inflicted on the Japanese that resulted from US deployment of the atomic bomb. And although depressing, humbling, and terrifying, this book was very good, interesting, and
The book, Hiroshima, is the story of six individuals who experienced the true effects of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, August 6, 1945. Miss Toshinki Sasaki, a clerk in the East Asia Tin Works factory, just sat down in the plant office and was turning to converse with the girl at the next desk when the bomb exploded. Dr. Masakazu Fujii, a physician, was relaxing on his porch, which overlooked the Kyo River, where he was reading the morning periodical when the shell detonated. Before the eruption, Mrs. Hatsuyo Nakamura was observing her neighbor destruct his house as part of a fire lane in preparation of an American attack. Previous to the attack, Father
The non-fiction book Hiroshima by John Hersey is an engaging text with a powerful message in it. The book is a biographical text about lives of six people Miss Sasaki, Dr. Fujii, Mrs. Nakamura, Father Kleinsorge, Dr. Sasaki and Rev. Tanimoto in Hiroshima, Japan and how their lives completely changed at 8:15 on the 6th of August 1945 by the dropping of the first atomic bomb. The author, John Hersey, through his use of descriptive language the in book Hiroshima exposes the many horrors of a nuclear attack.
Mr. Tanimoto consciously repeated to himself “‘These are human beings’”(Hersey 1946), as he attempted to save paralyzed, dying men and women, in the book “Hiroshima” by John Hersey. This nonfiction book was published on August 31 1946, a year after the atomic bombing fell on Hiroshima, Japan. This publication was raw, uncensored, and truthful. John Hersey unapologetically revealed the gruesome damages done by the bombing, while also silencing those who believed that the atomic bomb was a justified attack. Hersey’s brilliant journalism and ability to write this story without bias, is why this book was selected. The author did not want those who died to be remembered as casualties, but as mothers, fathers and children. Hersey wrote this book about the the physical, and psychological impact this bomb had on both survivors and victims of the atomic bomb. There were many historical events that contributed to the cause and effect of the atomic attack; historical events such as industrialization, the trench wars, and militarism. This was not just a simple bomb, but a complex attack on humanity.
Although WW II ended over 50 years ago there is still much discussion as to the events which ended the War in the Pacific. The primary event which historians attribute to this end are the use of atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Although the bombing of these cities did force the Japanese to surrender, many people today ask "Was the use of the atomic bomb necessary to end the war?" and more importantly "Why was the decision to use the bomb made?" Ronald Takaki examines these questions in his book Hiroshima.
Before John Hersey’s novel, Hiroshima, Americans viewed Japanese as cruel and heartless people. This warped perspective caused the majority of American citizens to feel complacent about the use of the atomic bomb against civilians. Americans, in many ways, were blinded by their own ignorance to notice the severity of the destruction suffered by not only the city of Hiroshima but, more importantly, the people who lived there. The six testimonies in Hiroshima illustrate the strength and optimistic attitude of the Japanese people. In this essay, I will discuss the feelings towards the ethics surrounding the use of the atomic bomb, next I will look at two testimonies and how their lives
Wilfred Burchett, an Australian journalist who visited Hiroshima just a month after the Hiroshima bombing. He provides evidence that he did not approve of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. For example he stated that he saw people in hospitals dying mysteriously, ‘they lost their appetites, their hair fell out . . their flesh began rotting away from their bones.’ (Direct quote from source A). He also stated that ‘thousands of people came out of their shelters to watch the bomb descend by parachute’ they didn’t realise what was to come next.
While looking for a boat to carry the severely injured across the river, Mr Tanimoto “… Found a good-sized pleasure punt drawn up on the bank… five dead men, nearly naked, badly burned…” (Hersey, 37) near it, he “… lifted the men away from the boat… he experienced such horror at disturbing the dead…” (Hersey, 37). On August 6, 1945 the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, to end the war between them. Hiroshima, by John Hersey is a book about six survivors of the first atomic bomb ever dropped on a city. The six survivors tell their stories of where they were before the bomb was dropped, what they did after the bomb was dropped, and what their life was like years after the bomb. The book also
The bombing of Hiroshima is one of the most controversial, and debated events in history, that is still contested today. During World War ll (1939-1946) in the year 1941, December 7th, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, thus Japan declared war on the United States (U.S.). The Japanese were eager to take control of Asia, but the U.S wouldn’t allow it. Over a year prior to the bombing the U.S. imposed an embargo on aviation gasoline and scrap iron. Instead of backing down Japan invaded other countries such as Dutch East Indies, China, Malaysia and various other pacific countries/islands. Japanese needed oil, hence they invaded surrounding countries. As a result of Japan’s destructive actions, the U.S. decided to expand its embargo, extending it to iron, copper, tools, steel and many other critical metals. With the decision to stop the Japanese expansion, Franklin D. Roosevelt (U.S president at the time) issued an order freezing all Japanese assets in the United States. Soon after Britain and Dutch joined the oil embargo on Japan. While Allied forces in Europe were closing in on Germany, Allied forcing in the Pacific were closing in on Japan. In March 1945 the U.S. Air Force began a series of heavy bombing campaigns against major Japanese cities. On July 16th, 1945, the United States successfully tested the atomic bomb in New Mexico. The project conducted by America, Canada and Britain was code-named the Manhattan Project. The Potsdam declaration was issued on July 26th,
August 6th, 1945 was a day like any other in Hiroshima, Japan. At exactly 8:15 in the morning, over 100,000 people would be lost to the most powerful weapon ever used, almost instantly. This day effected millions of Japanese civilians, and was documented through the eyes of 6 survivors, 2 of them being physicians, 2 being stay at home moms, and 2 men of faith, in John Hersey’s book, “HIROSHIMA”. The book is based on their experience of the bomb and the many weeks following, which proves to be the most difficult time of their lives.
John Hersey’s Hiroshima is written in logical and chronological order. It begins in the past, and then it smoothly moves farther in time and ends with statements and questions that are inspiring to further thought. Hersey arranged the sequence throughout forty years after the explosion, so that the reader can follow the characters’ lives as well as their history and surroundings. The title itself announces the subject and prepares the reader for the approach to take. It refers to the whole concept of the book, it tells the reader that it revolves around the city where the first atomic bomb was dropped. The book content is five chapters, however, the first edition originally appeared with four.
Growing up, we fall down and get hurt, but after all that is done, we brush off our pants and go again until we succeed. We grow from our mistakes so that we can’t make them a second time so that we can grow together in unity.
President Truman's decision to drop the atomic bomb on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were the direct cause for the end of World War II in the Pacific. The United States felt it was necessary to drop the atomic bombs on these two cities or it would suffer more casualties. Not only could the lives of many soldiers have been taken, but possibly the lives of many innocent Americans. The United States will always try to avoid the loss of American civilians at all costs, even if that means taking lives of another countries innocent civilians.
In August of 1945, both of the only two nuclear bombs ever used in warfare were dropped on the Japanese cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. These two bombs shaped much of the world today.
Though Hiroshima 's bombing was a terrible disaster, it undoubtedly brought the Japanese community together. The terror was undeniable, yet through the destruction people sacrificed themselves to save others. In the novel Hiroshima, written by John Hersey, even though many of the main characters are injured, they still stop to help others. The acknowledgement of others pain and suffering and developing empathy and sympathy for them, having the strength to give up your desires for a moment, having respect for yourself and others are qualities of humans that compel them to help others even if there is nothing to gain. It is only when we put faith in ourselves and others that we truly help others.