An Analysis Of John Hersey's Lack Of Medical Aid

“We have to protect our Earth, so our children and grandchildren will never suffer like that,’ she said. And she looked ahead. ‘Maybe nuclear weapons won’t be abolished while I’m alive,’ she said. ‘But I will never give up.” (Hanley, NBC News). August 6, 1945 at 8:16 in the morning, the United States dropped the world's first atomic bomb on thousands of unsuspecting people in Hiroshima, Japan. Not only did this catastrophic event kill thousands of civilians, but it also resulted in other nations obtaining and learning how to create these deadly weapons, weapons that we still have today. In the book Hiroshima by John Hersey he gives readers a new look at that day, through the eyes of six victims who survived the horrific attack on Hiroshima, he shows how the entire city of Hiroshima suffered, and were left alone to fend for themselves.The book Hiroshima by John Hersey, sheds light on the immense dangers of nuclear warfare, and the government's responsibility for its people, affected by a war they aren’t fighting in.

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

Most hospitals took place in warehouses, churches, and barns. “They were divided into three sections, surgery, injury, and diseases”. (Battlefield Medicine) Common hospitals were located near the battlefield, so it would be convenient for the people that were injured. If it was a serious injury then they would be taken to a larger general hospital in bigger cities. The hallways in the hospitals were very narrow units with multiple windows. They included supplemental ventilation, specific heat sources, bed placement, and a location for the support team in the hospital. As the war went on the hospital and their technology became more advanced and less

In All Quiet on the Western Front, the war was brutal and horrific, but it was witnessed by all the parties included. In Hiroshima, especially with the invention of the atomic bomb the result is even more horrifying, but the afflicted and the perpetrators have vastly different viewpoints. In America, we only get the reported results of the aftermath of the destruction we don’t witness them firsthand. However, the victims in Hiroshima will never forget the true extent of devastation of the atomic bomb not only physically but mentally and emotionally as well. The effects of the technological advances in the 20th century have launched a new, deadlier type of war that hides the truth of war behind empty statistics and callous button-pushing that could destroy the entire

On August 6th, 1945, the United States of America dropped the world’s first atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima in Japan. Two days later, a second bomb was dropped on the city of Nagasaki. These two bombs were the most devastating weapons ever seen, and their effects on human beings and property were plainly horrifying. Approximately 110,000 people were killed; most of them were innocent civilians who just happened to have lived in the wrong place at the wrong time. Although using this weapon was an atrocity to both the Japanese, and humanity in general, the world was at war. No matter what ulterior motives may have existed, the fact remains that the bomb was a justifiably necessary

The article is titled Obama should not apologize for Hiroshima: he should heed its lessons. The author main

Though people questioned why acts of war were committed, they found justification in rationalizing that it served the greater good. As time evolved, the world began to evolve in its thinking and view of the atomic bomb and war. In Hiroshima, John Hersey has a conversation with a survivor of the atomic bomb about the general nature of war. “She had firsthand knowledge of the cruelty of the atomic bomb, but she felt that more notice should be given to the causes than to the instruments of total war.” (Hersey, 122). In John Hersey’s book, many concepts are discussed. The most important concept for the reader to identify was how society viewed the use of the bomb. Many people, including survivors, have chosen to look past the bomb itself, into the deeper issues the bomb represents. The same should apply to us. Since WWII, we have set up many restrictions, protocols and preventions in the hope that we could spare our society from total nuclear war. The world has benefited in our perspective of the bomb because we learned, understand, and fear the use of atomic weapons.

John Hersey not only brings home the instantaneous physical impacts following the implosion of the atomic bomb, but also the weeks, months, and years to come after the bomb was dropped. The effects of radiation on a majority of people, caused by the atomic bomb, lasted for the rest of their lives. If fact, radiation was often the cause of the death later in life, whether it be the direct cause of fragility or cancer but also for those who procreated. The radiation also affected some of their offspring, resulting in complications, defects and ultimately continuing the death count. Another one of the six main characters, Father Kleinsorge, who had only suffered minor cuts when the bomb had been dropped, still hadn’t healed a month later and was

Although atomic bombs may be seen as a “ruthless annihilation of cities” (Leo Szilard, p. 5), they are also an effective means of war. The use of atomic bombs in war have both position and negative consequences however; Leo Szilard’s “A Petition to the President of the United States” is a successfully articulated article on why he felt atomic bombs should not be used against Japan. Leo Szilard effectively uses pathos and logos to support his position on atomic bombs to the President. He also successfully offers countermeasures that reinforce the negativity surrounding the use of these bombs. While people may disagree with Leo Szilard’s position, his use of pathos and logos makes it a successful article.

Osamu Dazai states, “The “world,” after all, was still a place of bottomless horror. It was by no means a place of childlike simplicity where everything could be settled by a single then-and-there decision.” On August 6th, 1945, the United States made it clear what horror was, and how the power of one choice can affect generations to come. Dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima was the means to an end, per President Truman’s standards. What was called the means to an end however, only resulted in a harsher awakening. The United States’ decision to drop the atomic bomb was an injustice because there were opportunities to exploit the Japanese peace faction beforehand, therefore by attacking Hiroshima this resulted in an extreme loss of morals

President Barack Obama, to many, is said to be one of the best presidents in all American history. His caring and compassionate heart along with his ability to bring much-needed change has allowed for him to earn this title. Accordingly, over the course of eight years, President Obama has completed a slew of acts that further prove why he is so deserving of this title, one of which was the speech that he gave in Hiroshima, Japan. Taking into consideration the horrific deed that the American government carried out at the time, President Obama took it upon himself to give his sincerest condolences to the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Speaking openly about his aversion toward nuclear weapons, President Obama made it clear that although, war and fighting have always and will always be a part of human society, the new technological advances we are making (nuclear weapons), are causing these global feuds to get far out of hand. What was one just the fight between, each country soldiers and government have now become the fight of the everyday civilian, case and point the occurrences of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This speech, however, was not widely accepted by the American people. Acknowledge the suffering of the Japanese and to appeal to a mainstream Liberal Audience President Obama was bound to be critiqued by various groups including the Marxist, Realist and the Liberals of America.

The atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were direct attacks on civilian cities in terroristic fashion. The justification of the United States use of nuclear weapons has come under fire from journalists and the public alike following the World War II era. Along with violating the standards set out by the Geneva convention, many argue that the weapons were not even necessary

In his book Hiroshima, written and published in 1946, Pulitzer Prize-winning American writer and journalist John Hersey argues that people should pay more close attention to the horrors of nuclear weapons that are still a major part of life today, as citizens – especially those in Hiroshima – still continue to suffer from the aftereffects of the atomic bomb set in motion in 1945. Although he never clearly states this argument, it is seen throughout his narrative that nuclear escalation continues to threaten the entire world which is the sole reason as to why they should be put under careful observation. Before writing Hiroshima, Hersey was an appointed infield war correspondent who devoted his time in writing for Life magazine and The New Yorker. He became one of the first Western journalists to come across the disaster of Hiroshima immediately after the bombing had occurred. In fact, he was commissioned by William Shawn, editor of The New Yorker, to write a series of articles about the effects of a nuclear explosion by using first-class witness accounts on the subject. In regards to those who do not know about the cause of the bombing of Hiroshima, it surfaced as a result of Japanese alignment with Germany and Italy, The United States’ enemies at the start of WW2. When Japan signed the Tripartite Pact in September of 1940, the United States took on the decision of placing an embargo on Japanese oil, knowing it would hurt their economy. Subsequently, Japan devised a surprise

Those who experienced the effects of the nuclear explosions in Japan recall horrifying memories related to the event: “Everybody who got burned, burned all over the outside of their bodies. Small maggots, white maggots, were all over them. It wasn’t a pleasant sight” (Irby, 2014). Rebecca could remember and tell the interviewers about one of the disturbing effects the bomb had on people, nearly seventy years after the event. Survivors mourn the deaths of loved ones. The only thing Irby’s son knew was that his mother’s beloved father passed away due to the bomb. He never knew the details of his death, because she rarely talked about it (Irby, 2014). Rebecca demonstrated that she mourned the death of her father, and discussing the details of the subject was uncomfortable for her to talk about, decades after the event had occurred. Therefore, the sheer power of a nuclear bomb is capable of permanently altering the lives of those who were affected by the blast.

Since the catastrophic event 71 years ago only two other US Presidents have visited the memorial Park in Hiroshima – Richard Nixon in 1964, four years before his presidency and Jimmy Carter in 1984, three years after his time in office. May 27th 2016 marks the historic day President Barack Obama came to become the first U.S. President still in office to visit Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park honouring the victims of first and only nuclear bombings in warfare. A month before Presidents Obama’s visit John Kerry also made history by visiting the memorial park in Hiroshima as the first U.S. Secretary Of State to so since it was founded in 1950. It is clear that the time frame between the occurrence of the nuclear attacks on Japan and how long it has taken for a high American official and an American President to visit the city of Hiroshima and the Peace Memorial Park is what makes Obama’s visit so historic. In Richard Falk’s (2016) article “On President Obama’s Visit to Hiroshima” he says it is astonishing that even John Kerry’s visit the month prior, America’s first high US official to make the trip, to Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park had a delay of 70 years let alone an American President. Despite the huge wait for this historic visit, Dionne (2016) said that it was the American Principles that led to his inevitable decision to visit the historical