Hiroshima By John Hersey And Night By Eli Wiesel

In both the novels, Hiroshima by John Hersey and Night, by Eli Wiesel, destruction is a common and reoccurring theme. In Hiroshima, the destruction is caused to people and a city where as in Night it occurs primarily to people. However, in both novels the said destruction is caused directly by humans to humans. The books also share a general acceptance of the destruction. Hiroshima, written by John Hersey, focuses on the destruction of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima by the United States. Hersey writes of not only the destruction of the buildings, the environment and the people. Mr. Tanimoto, one of the characters who ventured into the city saw that “every one of them [the citizens] seemed to be hurt in some way. The eyebrows of some were burned off and skin hung from their faces and hands.” (Hersey, p 29) The destruction and damage was far reaching though. Mr. Fujii, who was further away from the bomb blast, found that many of the people “exhibited terrible burns on their faces and arms.“ (Hersey, p 23). No one in or by Hiroshima was untouched by the

The burns healed “with deep layers of pink, rubbery scar tissue, known as keloid tumors.”(Hersey, p 77). These keloid tumors, though benign, presented yet another problem for the survivors. These survivors became know as “hibakusha”. Hibakusha were discriminated; in fact, “non-hibakusha employers developed a prejudice against survivors.” (Hersey, p 92) In Night, written by Eli Wiesel, the destruction is brought onto the Jews by the Nazi’s, and the destruction isn’t as physical as Hiroshima. Night deals with the destruction of sense of self, personal faith, and race. “Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust.” (Wiesel, p 34). The Nazi’s attempted destruction of the Jews led to millions of people being murdered. Wiesel speaks of “children thrown into the flames.” (Wiesel, p 32) by the