Hiroshima- John Hersey Essay - 928 Words

FARA EHSAN Hiroshima ‘Hiroshima is not merely a documentary, Hersey manages to inject into the narrative both compassion and awareness of the ultimate triumph of humanity.’ Discuss Hiroshima from this perspective. Hiroshima is an historic depiction of a disaster that shocked the world. Utilizing the experiences of six Japanese atomic bomb survivors Hersey expresses compassion and awareness of the city’s triumph over the disaster. The narrative creates compassion by showing perseverance of common people and their journeys to overcome the tragedy. By using the patriotism of the dying victims Hersey creates empathy and outlines the nation’s indefatigable pride, He depicts Hiroshima’s triumph as a community uniting together to help†¦show more content†¦Hersey painted a dark and disastrous image, yet as a result, contrasted and portrayed the high points of humanity. Father Kleinsorge, a priest of the Society of Jesus, felt that he was an outsider prior to the bomb, yet after the bomb he was filled with gratitude for the cities new found acceptance: ...she came to him and said... These are tea leaves. Chew them, young man, and you wont feel thirsty. The womans gentleness made Father Kleinsorge suddenly want to cry. For weeks, he had been feeling oppressed by the hatred of foreigners...(p 70). The enemies’ intention to tear the city apart emotionally and physically backfired as it left the city stronger and united. One feeling they did seem to share†¦ was a curious kind of elated community spirit†¦ pride in the way they and their fellow-survivors had stood up to a dreadful ordeal(p114). Hiroshima raised awareness of the Japanese people’s indestructible spirit even when their city lay in ruins they would not be defeated and stayed strong. John Hersey’s Hiroshima gives a simple insight into one of the most devastating tragedy which creates compassion and awareness of Japans’ ultimate triumph of humanity. Hersey was able to use the perseverance of everyday people battling the effects of the atomic bomb to create compassion. In addition to this, he was able to express the importance ofShow MoreRelatedEssay on Hiroshima, by John Hersey 942 Words   |  4 PagesTanimoto â€Å"†¦ Found a good-sized pleasure punt drawn up on the bank†¦ five dead men, nearly naked, badly burned†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Hersey, 37) near it, he â€Å"†¦ lifted the men away from the boat†¦ he experienced such horror at disturbing the dead†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (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 te ll theirRead MoreEssay on Hiroshima by John Hersey1446 Words   |  6 PagesHiroshima by John Hersey 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 exposesRead MoreHiroshima Book Review Essay887 Words   |  4 PagesJohn Herseys 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 compilationRead MoreHiroshima, By John Hersey996 Words   |  4 PagesHersey, John. Hiroshima. New York: n.p., 1946. Print. 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