The Selfless Characters In Hiroshima, By John Richard Hersey

Improved Essays
It is often said that history repeats itself; thus, the importance of history classes and education about the past. There are certain things, like wars, that we do not wish to see happen again in our world. Hiroshima is a book written by John Richard Hersey. He was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American author, and was known as one of the primal specialist of the so called ‘New Journalism’. It can be seen in his book that he had adapted the method of storytelling to showcase his work. It tells the stories of six survivors of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, covering a period of time right before to and one year after the atomic bomb was dropped on August 6, 1945. The time when he published the book, the events of Hiroshima air attack were still …show more content…
However, we can argue that Hersey presents the more selfless characters in the book in a more favorable light. Dr. Sasaki and Father Kleinsorge cross paths as saints, and Miss Sasaki and Mrs. Nakamura are almost Christ-like in their presentation of anguish. Dr. Fujii and Mr. Tanimoto, on the other side, exists in a kind of drab field. Whereas Dr. Fujii may have been a very noble doctor, most of the stories in Hersey’s narrative focus on his love for pleasure or his concern for his own fate, particularly when compared to Dr. Sasaki’s progress in the aftermath of the explosion. Mr. Tanimoto, on the contrary, is a very inconclusive character. He is devoted to the peace process, but he also appears self-serving and ingratiating at times. He seems to be a leader, but he is also under attack and scrutiny for being a self-promoter by Japanese and …show more content…
Throughout the book we find characters whose entire families have been killed, such as Mrs. Kamai, who grasps the dead body of her baby in her arms, and we look at those who have been disconnected or detached from their family members. For instance, the Kataoka children. At the same time, three of the main characters—Father Kleinsorge, Miss Sasaki, and Dr. Sasaki—do not have companion or partner or children of their own, and neither Mr. Tanimoto’s nor Dr. Fujii’s families are involved in the story. Hiroshima is much more a book about community than it is about family. Ever since the bomb has rattled families and eradicated homes, the residents of the city must come together and benefit one another as a society, as they do in the Asano Park. If Hersey had focused his account on families fighting for their survival, his book probably would be more sentimental. Somebody like Mrs. Nakamura, for example, is the most compassionate character because she battles to take care of her three children on her own, yet her story is minimal until the postscript. Hersey chooses instead to focus on those who give themselves to their community, like Father Kleinsorge and Dr. Sasaki, or those who gain from the well being of others, like Miss Sasaki. A story about lost relatives finding each other or families struggling to rebuild their lives might be more emotional, but it would not have the same

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    “The Scar”, by Kildare Dobbs, is a moving, emotional account of the bombing of Hiroshima, Japan. The author creates interest as well as suspense by using two storylines. One follows the experiences of a 15 year old Japanese girl, Emiko. The other, in great contrast, follows the story of an American co-pilot, Captain Robert Lewis, who was aboard the Enola Gay, a US Air Force B-29, that carried the first operational atom bomb. Throughout the narrative, the author switches back and forth between these two accounts which creates situational irony as the reader experiences both sides of the story, however, the two characters remain unaware of each other.…

    • 432 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Michael Nickerson ELA 10th summer reading essay Entry 1 After reading the first ten pages of “Hiroshima”, by John Hersey, I got a good view of the lives that were affected by the bombing. The main characters introduced to me were civilians, both rich and poor, who did nothing wrong. They lead normal lives all the way up to the dropping of “little boy”, however once the bomb dropped , it is apparent that their lives were never going to be the same way again. As for reviewing how good the book seems after the first ten pages, I would say its starting with giving very specific details about the lives of our main characters before the bomb dropped, this can be a bit dull, but after the bombing, the story becomes more interesting and will probably…

    • 543 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Superior Essays

    (2007). The Columbia Guides to Hiroshima and the bomb. New York: Columbia University…

    • 1218 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Mainly, the film can be divided into three main parts: before the disaster, after the disaster, and the investigation or understanding of the effects of the explosion. Meanwhile, it tells the whole story of the reason why the United States attacked Hiroshima with a nuclear weapon; the answer being because there were no other solutions to end the war, especially after Hiroshima’s attack, leading the United States to attack Nagasaki as well with another atomic bomb to enforce Japan to surrender. This documentary is almost an objective one, as it shows both: the reason for the attack, and the size of destruction that took place in the city (including some shots from real footages of burned Japanese victims), to send a message that Japanese military leaders were the main cause for this attack. However, it proves to be American biased as the documentary narrates the story from mostly one side of conflict – the American one. The documentary interviews political experts, scientific researchers, survivors, an author of the “the making of the atomic bomb” book, and some aircrew members who were implementing the mission of Hiroshima.…

    • 1564 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “The considerations that led to Hiroshima were much more complex and much less clear-cut than the conventional view suggests” (Walker 6). However, the thesis is also inserted into the narrative with great precision of skill, and doesn’t pull the reader out of the proceedings of events, instead simply stating the purpose of the first cabinet meeting illustration and heralding what Walker’s ultimate purpose is for telling this…

    • 793 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    The audience would have a hopeful or emotional attitude throughout the book because of the different amazing stories that the book holds. Each had the purpose to teach the reader a lesson and it keeps the reader interested in using the emotional ties of family and relatives. The audience would question the author and especially question whether his family approved of the subject matter in the book. As he states early on, “My wife was excited.…

    • 1917 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Great Essays

    Was America justified in dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki? On August 6th, 1945, the US dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima. It was the first time a nuclear weapon had been used in combat, against civilians. Between 40,000 and 60,00 people died instantly, and many more would die in the aftermath, either due to their injuries or radiation poisoning.…

    • 1739 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Teetering to Surrender: A Critical Analysis of “The Shock of the Atomic Bomb and Japan’s Decision to Surrender— A Reconsideration” Individuals see “The Shock of the Atomic Bomb and Japan’s Decision to Surrender— A Reconsideration,” by Sadao Asada, as tedious and boring. Including names of different articles and historians can seem useless and insignificant, however I challenge you to see the strengths within this piece. Asada’s academic article puts entertainment and emotional appeal aside to discuss a different side of the Hiroshima bombing then previously emphasized, due to new information. As a result, Asada’s factual article presents a convincing case: the atomic bombs and Russian pressure were both necessary for Japan to finally surrender,…

    • 1012 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    It was an average, hot day in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. Home to the Japanese army’s Second General Headquarters, yet also home to 280,000 civilians, 43,000 military personnel, and 20,000 Korean forced laborers (Gray, Paul, and Kunii). Everything had been running accordingly, adults going to their jobs, school children assisting in the cleaning of the streets, until they saw a foreign object, hurling at them at a fast speed. It exploded before anyone had the chance to choke out the work ‘bomb’, leaving the menace behind the death trap, President Truman,a villain to Japan. The Japanese had attacked multiple places before the bombing occurred, including cities such as Shanghai, Manchuria, and most famously, Pearl Harbor.…

    • 758 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    The Decision to Drop the Atomic Bombing in Japan In August 1945, the United States dropped two atomic bombs, causing major destruction and life threatening issues, over the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Everyone has their own take on what really happened and have their own perspective on controversies regarding the United States’ decision to drop the bombs. Perspectives that I will be discussing today are from three disciplines: scientific view (Leo Szilard), journalism view (Wilfred Bruchett), and historical view (a writer of an article called “The Decision to Drop the Bomb” and Bernard Feld’s article “Lessons from Hiroshima and Nagasaki”). Each have their own unique approach on the atomic bomb and it’s affects.…

    • 1803 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Hiroshima By John Hersey

    • 1477 Words
    • 6 Pages

        The novel focuses on the experiences of six Japanese civilians, all from different backgrounds: Miss Toshinki Sasaki, Dr. Masakazu Fujii, Miss Hatsuyo Nakamura, Father Wilhelm Kleinsorge, Dr. Terufimi Sasaki, and Reverend Kiyoshi Tanimoto. The bomb fell at 8:16 in the morning, on August 6, 1945. Many city goers were in the middle of their morning routines, unaware that many of them were minutes from their…

    • 1477 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Eighty thousand citizens lost their lives immediately after the bomb hit Hiroshima. In the article, “Harry S Truman’s Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb”, an eyewitness described what it was like when the bomb struck. The witness described people with “raw skin hanging in flaps around their hips” and “women without jaws screamed incoherently for help”. Innocent women and children paid the ultimate price for the attack made by Japan. Not only did hundreds die immediately after the blast but another 60,000 died by the end of the year.…

    • 798 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The decision of dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was one of the most controversial issues of the 20th century. Little Boy and Fat Man were the two atomic bombs that were used against Japan in August 1945. They were created for the Manhattan Project in 1942, which was a secret military project to produce the first U.S. nuclear weapon. The U.S. decided to build and use nuclear weapons, as they feared the Nazi Germany might build one before them and use it during World War II. After continuous four years of war, American soldiers and civilians were tired of fighting, yet the Japanese military refused to give up on the war.…

    • 885 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Abhorrent but Necessary On August 6, 1945, the city of Hiroshima, Japan went up in smoke when “Little Boy,” an atomic bomb developed in the secretive Manhattan Project, was dropped. Three days later, the atomic bomb dubbed “Fat Man” obliterated another Japanese city, Nagasaki. The bombing itself and its effect on survivors’ health was devastating, and President Truman’s decision to drop the bombs remains highly controversial 71 years later. In fact, Naji Dahi, Ph.D., insists that the bombings were unnecessary, unjustified, and ineffective.…

    • 937 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    According to a book titled “The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki”, author Jamie Poolos begins by explaining how Hiroshima, Japan in 1920’s was a beautiful peaceful modern city that flaunted its thriving economy by showing off its beautiful shopping districts, schools, and buildings. However, after the bombing, the once beautiful city of Hiroshima was no more as the bomb nearly wiped it out of the face of the earth. The nuclear nearly dropped every building and slaughtered hundreds of thousand innocent individuals, numerous in a flash in the atomic flame, numerous later with smolders, wounds and radiation affliction, and still numerous others, throughout the years, with tumors and conception deformities. These passing’s are truly unforgettable for the Japanese nation as millions of innocent lives were lost. Families, friends, and children whom loved, laughed, and played together were killed because of the bombings.…

    • 1322 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays