Summary Of The Book 'Trinity' By Jonathan Fetter-Vorm

Throughout the development of the atomic bomb and World War II, countries were forced to pick sides, and the bomb was seen as either a benefit or a detriment. However, In the book Trinity the author Jonathan Fetter-Vorm maneuvers through this by going into detail about the making and reasoning behind the production of the atomic bomb. He shows the effects and aftermath of the bomb and helps clarify some aspects of this war-stopping development. Directly targeting civilians was not a common move in previous wars. This, combined with the worldwide unease about the war are all discussed to create an understanding of why the United States made these major decisions. Fetter-Vorm shows how the decisions that were made had nuances and unknown consequences

He did this first with his reference to Prometheus, and after to the Bhagavad Gita. Once the bomb was officially built, with 8 hours until its detonation, Oppenheimer visited the bomb. While looking out the tower, he thinks about a sacred Hindu text called the Bhagavad Gita, in which a Prince is blinded by the appearance of the God Krishna saying, “O mighty one, be gracious toward me! I cannot keep my balance before your blazing, deathlike faces and awful teeth. I see all men plunging into your mouths… like moths that wheel into the searing flames.” (63) The choice to compare the bomb to Krishna, a god, shows Oppenheimer’s view that the bomb is something uncontrollable, fulfilling its purpose no matter the consequences. He begs the bomb to be gracious toward him, almost like he thinks humans will take advantage of this new type of bomb and destroy both themselves and anyone else in their path. The use of these creation myths shows the extent each moment of the atomic bomb development was to the world and

This expresses how this was uncharted territory and how some people were kept almost completely in the dark. Two wives stood outside their car, far from the bomb, discussing what they knew about what was happening soon. One wife was told a little information: “Edwin told me that we could see the blast from up here… [he] said it's going to be a success, a dud, or it's going to blow us all to bits.” (67) This lady was uninformed about something close and dangerous, and the little she knew was not something she was entitled to know. The other wife had even less knowledge of what was going on, saying, “My husband wouldn’t tell me anything. Do you even know what’s supposed to happen?”(67) This wife was completely unaware of the massive danger she near, and, since nothing like this has ever taken place, there is no precedent for what is safe for her to know. These ladies represent the rest of the world, too, because everyone outside of the small group of scientists was completely unaware of anything concerning the atomic bomb. Even people actively involved in the bomb's development were still ill-prepared for the possibilities that might arise from this bomb, like when several scientists weren't even sure how massive and extensive this bomb would be. After a scientist said that they should lie on the ground and cover their eyes, another scientist