Comparing Godzilla And North Korea

It first started in 2004, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea otherwise known as North Korea “claims that it has nuclear weapons.” (Niksch) Recently, there has been fear and panic in the United States after continuous threats from North Korea. However, in the past, the United States have been on the other side of this threat. In the 1940’s Japan was in fear of Nuclear bombs and the fallout they would bring. After world war 2, and after the two infamous atomic bombs were dropped there was a movie created, Godzilla. Godzilla was created as a representation of the nuclear threat, fear, and fallout that was experienced by the Japanese citizens in WW2. This representation has been carried over 60 years later to today. Godzilla is an accurate representation of the fear Americans have of the possible nuclear war with North Korea.

“As Honda (The director of Godzilla) said years later, “I wanted to make radiation visible.” As a result, “the bomb became the beast.” (Hoffman) The Japanese experience much fear during WW2, they associate the sound of sirens with an impending threat of bombings. Godzilla personified those fears, he was created to be everything the Japanese feared about the nuclear bombings. Just like the Japanese, Americans are also experiencing fear due to threats from North Korea. Although most Americans have never heard an air raid siren, the amount of fear and panic that would come after hearing a warning that there has been a nuclear missile launched at the united states would be unmeasurable. “The monsters roar sounded like an air raid siren, while its footsteps sounded like exploding bombs.” (Hoffman) Godzilla was a virtual recreation of the Japanese fear of the nuclear