Free Essays on Hiroshima

â€Å"Then a tremendous flash of light cut across the sky. Mr. Tanimoto has a distinct recollection that it traveled from east to west, from the city toward the hills. It seemed like a sheet of sun. John Hersey, from Hiroshima, p8 On August 6, 1945, the world changed forever. On that day the United States of America detonated an atomic bomb over the city of Hiroshima. This was something a little bigger then an ordinary bomb yet it could do so much more destruction. It could rip down houses, walls like a wrecking ball. In Hiroshima this atomic bomb killed 100,000 people mostly civilians and in Nagasaki three days later it killed 40,000 people. The Japanese government surrendered. The rest of the world rejoiced as the most destructive war in the history of mankind came to an end. Over the course of the next forty years, these two bombings, and the nuclear arms race that followed them would, come to have a direct or indirect effect on almost every man, woman and child on this earth, including the people in the United States. The atomic bomb would penetrate every fabric of American existence, from our politics to our educational system, our industry and our art. Historians have gone so far as to call this the ato mic age for the way it has shaped and guided world politics, relations, and culture. After the war, the first real piece of literature about the bombings came in 1946. The work Hiroshima, by John Hersey, first appeared as a long article in the New Yorker, then shortly after in book form. This book is a non-fiction account of the bombing of Hiroshima and the immediate aftermath. It is told from a point of view of six hibakussha’s, survivors of the atomic blast. In four chapters he traces how these people survived the blast and what they did in following weeks and months to pull their lives together and save their families. The book takes on a tone of sympathy and survival that these people were lucky enough to survive the blas... Free Essays on Hiroshima Free Essays on Hiroshima Hiroshima John Berger’s argument about Hiroshima really affected me when I was reading it. The way he used the real life examples, really touched my emotions. When I was reading about the child trying to put water into her dead mother’s mouth, I could picture it in my head, and I couldn’t believe it. I believe that John was trying to tell us, that in a war, too many people who have nothing to do with the war that are getting hurt. They are just in the wrong places at the wrong time and they are getting dragged into the war when it really has nothing to do with them. When we bombed Hiroshima, it is true that we did stop the war, but it had so many long term effects on the people that lived there. Berger writes, â€Å"The latter included long, lingering deaths, radiation sickness, many fatal illnesses which developed later as a result of exposure to the bomb, and tragic genetical effects on generations yet to come†(594). Bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki ruined many innocent people’s lives, and I believe that is the point John Berger is trying to get across. John Berger sounds like he is regretful that the bombing had to affect so many people. He is not scared to tell us what he thinks about it, and that is why he comes off so strongly. By Berger giving us his point of view, he also brings up some controversial issues. Berger writes, â€Å"The two bombs dropped on Japan were terrorist actions†(595). Many people in the world saw the bombings as a way to get back at Japan for attacking us at Pear Harbor. Others would agree with Berger, but by him strongly expressing his opinion, he is allowing for people to disagree with him. When you go to war, you my hurt many more people need to. I think that Berger wants us to imagine someone that we love or care for in the war, and to picture them getting hurt or dying. It is easy to say â€Å"let’s go to war† but when there is someone you know that is in the war it is a l... Free Essays on Hiroshima â€Å"Then a tremendous flash of light cut across the sky. Mr. Tanimoto has a distinct recollection that it traveled from east to west, from the city toward the hills. It seemed like a sheet of sun. John Hersey, from Hiroshima, p8 On August 6, 1945, the world changed forever. On that day the United States of America detonated an atomic bomb over the city of Hiroshima. This was something a little bigger then an ordinary bomb yet it could do so much more destruction. It could rip down houses, walls like a wrecking ball. In Hiroshima this atomic bomb killed 100,000 people mostly civilians and in Nagasaki three days later it killed 40,000 people. The Japanese government surrendered. The rest of the world rejoiced as the most destructive war in the history of mankind came to an end. Over the course of the next forty years, these two bombings, and the nuclear arms race that followed them would, come to have a direct or indirect effect on almost every man, woman and child on this earth, including the people in the United States. The atomic bomb would penetrate every fabric of American existence, from our politics to our educational system, our industry and our art. Historians have gone so far as to call this the ato mic age for the way it has shaped and guided world politics, relations, and culture. After the war, the first real piece of literature about the bombings came in 1946. The work Hiroshima, by John Hersey, first appeared as a long article in the New Yorker, then shortly after in book form. This book is a non-fiction account of the bombing of Hiroshima and the immediate aftermath. It is told from a point of view of six hibakussha’s, survivors of the atomic blast. In four chapters he traces how these people survived the blast and what they did in following weeks and months to pull their lives together and save their families. The book takes on a tone of sympathy and survival that these people were lucky enough to survive the blas... Free Essays on Hiroshima Hiroshima: Right or Wrong? The United States had dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima. Today many argue over whether or not the US should have taken such a drastic measure. Was it entirely necessary that we drop such a devastating weapon? Yes, it was. First, look at what was going on at the time the decision was made. The U.S had been fighting a massive war since 1941. Each side continued to fight, and both were determined to win. Obviously, the best thing that could have possibly have happened would have been to bring the war to a quick end, with a minimum of casualties. What would have happened had the -bomb not been used? The most obvious thing is that the war would have continued. U.S forces would have had to invade the home island of Japan. Imagine the number of casualties that could have occurred if this would have happened Also, our forces would not only have to fight off the Japanese military, but they would have to defend themselves against the civilians of Japan as well. It was also a fact that the Japanese government had been equipping the commoners with any kind of weapon they could get their hands on. It is true that this could mean a Japanese citizen could have anything from a gun to a spear, but many unsuspecting soldiers might have fallen victim to a surprise spear attack! The number of deaths that would have occurred would have been much greater, and an invasion would have taken a much longer period of time. The Japanese would have continued to fight the US with all of what they had; spears, guns, knives, whatever they could get their hands on, just as long as they continued to fight the enemy. One such novel that displayed the horrors of the atomic bomb is that of HIroshima by John Hersey. Hersey displays to the reader the true horror of the atomic bomb and it’s potential devastations. On the morning of August 6, 1945, the people were going about their normal business oblivious to any possibility of an at...