Hiroshima John Hersey

Lexie Schoenrock

Mr. Steven Koon

American History 202

24 April 2018

Hiroshima by John Hersey is a fictional book that tells the story of six survivors of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. It describes in detail what each of these individuals, and Hiroshima as a whole, went through the day of the bombing and the years that followed. It also describes the statistics of the bombing, and it discusses the ethics of the atomic bomb and other nuclear weapons. Hiroshima by John Hersey gives an accurate historical description of how the bombing of Hiroshima affected six individuals and society as a whole.

Hiroshima begins on August 6, 1945, the day a United States airplane dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima

in an effort to end World War II. It tells the stories of the following six survivors: Reverend Kiyoshi Tanimoto, Father Wilhelm Kleinsorge, Dr. Terufumi Sasaki, Dr. Masakazu Fujii, Mrs. Hatsuyo Nakamura, and Miss Toshiko Sasaki. These individuals have varying degrees of injuries after the blast, and each individual has different means of getting to safety. Reverend Tanimoto and Father Kleinsorge help victims by carrying them to a safe place. Dr. Sasaki treats victims at the Red Cross Hospital. Dr. Fuji, Mrs, Nakamura, and Miss Sasaki have to deal with their injuries, but are aided by willing civilians including those aforementioned. After the bombing, civilians have to deal with radiation sickness and the rebuilding of Hiroshima. Dr. Sasaki and Reverend Tanimoto spend the rest of their lives helping people who were affected by this disaster, Mrs. Nakamura and Miss Sasaki are able to return to happy lives after dealing with terrible hardships, and Dr. Fuji and Father Kleinsorge die after suffering from sudden illnesses. The rest of the book discusses what the six survivors thought of the use of the bomb, the statistics of the bombing, and the effect of nuclear weapons on human lives and the environment.
The following is part of a book review of Hiroshima by John Hersey made by Russell Shorto, a writer for The New Yorker:
The structure of “Hiroshima” was one of the things that resonated with readers. Its use of fictional devices, such as building to a suspenseful moment with one character and then switching to another, was radical at the time, and made it a precursor to the New Journalism of the nineteen-sixties and seventies. Hersey himself said that the profundity of the nuclear attack, and his consequent need to try to convey the reality of it to readers, forced him outside of journalistic conventions. With journalism, Hersey once said, the reader is always conscious of “the person who’s writing it and explaining to you what’s taken place.” He said he wanted to have “the reader directly confronted by the characters,” so he tried to write the piece in such a way that, as he put it, “my mediation would, ideally, disappear.”
As for my opinion of the book, I agree with Russell Shorto. Hersey gave such a detailed description of these survivors’ stories, that I felt as if I was there with them. It opened my eyes to the tragedies that the people of Hiroshima suffered, and it showed me how much damage and destruction a nuclear war could cause. I, along with the characters in the book, wondered about the ethics of the use of atomic bombs. The story made me realize the harshness of war and the effects a war can have on civilians. While the book tells emotional stories of the survivors of Hiroshima, it also contains historical facts that are helpful to the reader. the Anyone who does not know much about the bombing of Hiroshima, the events that led up to if, and what followed could definitely learn from this book. Overall, Hiroshima by John Hersey is a fantastic book about the struggles of those in Hiroshima, and it is an informative book that tells of the events surrounding that fateful day on August 6, 1945.
Hiroshima is historically accurate for the time period it represents. The book contains many facts that were relevant to the time the story took place. First off, the book gives all the right dates for when certain events occur, including the bombing of Hiroshima (August 6, 1945) and Nagasaki (August 9, 1945). Secondly, the book represents the people of Japan during that time period well. It describes how the people of Hiroshima reacted during air raid drills, and it discusses their opinions on the war. Hersey explains that the people of Japan did not blame America for using the atomic bomb. Instead, they believed in “total war”, or a war against both civilians and soldiers. The book also discusses why these two cities were targeted by the Allies. It gives the military tactics used to plan the bombing, and it discusses exactly how everything occurred. For example, it converses about how Hiroshima and Nagasaki were chosen for their military value. Finally, it includes Emperor Hirohito’s announcement to the people of Japan that they are surrendering to the Allies and therefore ending World War II. It is for these reasons, and several others, that Hiroshima is historically accurate.
Hiroshima does deliberate on a major social issue, the use of nuclear weapons.

It debates the ethics and morality of the use of nuclear weapons on civilians. He says the following: “It seems logical to me that he who supports total war in principle cannot complain of war against civilians. The crux of the matter is whether total war in its present form is justifiable, even when it serves a just purpose”(Hersey, 58). Hersey goes on to tell the opinions of the six main characters in the book. One felt hatred towards America for the use of the atomic bomb, some felt that it was in the same category as poisonous gas and were against its use on civilians, and others thought that the use of the bomb was justified by total war. The last chapter of the book discusses tests done by the National Academy of Sciences in order to calculate the effects of nuclear weapons on the environment. Hiroshima caused a debate on these issues after its release, and it has had a lasting effect on society. Considered one of the most important works of journalism in the 20th century, Hiroshima revealed to many the horrors of nuclear weapons and inspired several people around the world to peacefully protest the use of nuclear

weapons.
Hiroshima’s time frame centers around the end of World War II, and American society has definitely changed since then. Many would believe that the changes America has undergone are good changes. After World War II, America began to flourish. The G.I. Bill, passed in 1944, gave soldiers money to get an education, buy a home, and get a job. Also, there was a huge baby boom which raised life expectancy and increased the population. Many families began to live the “American Dream”. However, while society was flourishing, there was some inequality among American citizens. Groups of people like African Americans began to fight for equal rights and the right to vote, and these rights were eventually granted to them. America also made several technological and medical advances after the war, including sending men to the moon. America was flourishing, there were also some hardships along the way. America has had to deal with problems like communism and terrorism. These problems led America to create a stronger national defense, build better foreign international relationships, and create nuclear weapons. America has its issues, and society is far from perfect. However, society has only improved since the end of World War II, and it has made America into the global superpower that it is today.
Hiroshima by John Hersey is a powerful story about six survivors of the bombing of
Hiroshima on August 6, 1945.

It tells what each of these individuals did the day of the bombing and what happened to them years later. It describes the events of the bombing in great detail, and it gives accurate information about the bombing and the aftermath. This book raises the ethical issue of the use of nuclear weapons, and it shows several opinions of this issue throughout the story. Hiroshima affected society in a huge way by showing the horrors of what happened in Hiroshima and encouraging people around the world to voice their opinions on the use of nuclear weapons. Hiroshima showed America in its early stages of establishing its power in the world, and American society has only improved since the bombing of Hiroshima. All in all, Hiroshima by John Hersey is an emotional yet informative story about an event that had a lasting impact on

society. 
Works Cited
Cadrain, Linda A., and John Hersey. Hiroshima, John Hersey. Pendulum Press, 1978.
Shorto, Russell. “John Hersey, the Writer Who Let ‘Hiroshima’ Speak for Itself.” The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 19 June 2017, www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/john-hersey-the-writer-who-let-hiroshima-speak-for-itself.