What Is The Unnatural And Horrifying Power Of The First Atomic Bomb?

In 1945, Hiroshima, a city in Japan, experienced one of the most detrimental acts caused by the U.S. On August 6th, the United States military dropped the first atomic bomb, which introduced nuclear warfare and destruction unknown in many parts of the world. This bomb had caused the end of innumerable lives, introduced radiation sickness to the people of Hiroshima, destroyed cities and homes, and created a long-lasting psychological impact on all those who had experienced the tragedy. In the book Hiroshima by John Hersey, the author re-tells the occurrence and damage of the atomic bomb using the accounts of a few survivors. Using these reports and data, Hersey demonstrates the key theme of the unnatural and horrifying power of the first atomic

The bomb's greatest effect was how it corrupted the minds of the people of Hiroshima. Those who lived with this tragedy could no longer live in a healthy mental state because every day was a reminder of those who had lived and those who had survived. We can see this example when Hersey writes in the text, “A hundred thousand people were killed by the atomic bomb, and these six were among the survivors. They still wonder why they lived when so many others died. Each of them counts many small items of chance or volition: a step taken in time, a decision to go indoors, catching one streetcar instead of the next that spared him. And now each knows that in the act of survival, he lived a dozen lives and saw more death than he ever thought he would see. At the time, none of them knew anything”. This emphasizes the perspective of the afflicted as they deal with the memory of their experiences during this eventful time in their lives. Some would argue that the main theme of “Hiroshima” by John Hersey is community survival in the face of mass destruction, and yes, community effort was a key part of the

Tanimoto transferred the child to his own back and led the woman by the hand down the street, which was darkened by what seemed to be a local column of dust. He took the woman to a grammar school not far away that had previously been designated for use as a temporary hospital in case of emergency”. Although this theme is prevalent throughout the text, it is not the main theme. Furthermore, John Hersey continuously emphasizes the data and key information, stating its transcendent power. “In both Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the tremendous scale of the disaster largely destroyed the cities as entities. Even the worst of all other previous bombing attacks on Germany and Japan, such as the incendiary raids on Hamburg in 1943 and on Tokyo in 1945, were not comparable to the paralyzing effect of the atomic bombs. In addition to the huge number of persons who were killed or injured so that their services in rehabilitation were not available, a panic flight of the population took place from both cities immediately following the atomic explosions” (Hersey