Hiroshima English Final Paper, Assignments of English Literature

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HIROSHIMA

Madison Dittamo HST 112: U.S. History Since 1865 April 7. 2022

The bombing of Hiroshima changed lives in split seconds. From napping or working, thousands of people were caught off guard despite their preparation, and many more were injured or even killed by the bombs themselves or the radiation and environment. People were quickly finding safe meeting spots to lay down and hopefully find a doctor or food and relied on each other to survive. Hiroshima was a town full of activity. With a rich culture, Hiroshima was a major transportation hub, and where thousands of people called home. The bombing of Hiroshima forced the community members together and brought life into perspective. Society was like many others, with religion, hospitals, and mothers taking care of their children. But with rumors of attacks, a place of comfort quickly became a place of danger. Mr. Tanimoto, a local priest, was preparing for the bombing days in advanced, as he was a naturally anxious bull well-thought-out man. “He moves nervously and fast, but with a restraint which suggests that he is a cautious, thoughtful man. He showed, indeed, just those qualities in the uneasy days before the bomb fell.”^1 Mr. Tanimoto was moving everything portable out of the church in preparation, in hopes of preserving the religion and himself. He was preparing for the bombing, because his work was important to him, especially if more people were going to need his help after getting injured from the bombing. Another person preparing was Mrs. Nakamura, who was a widower and a mother of three children. “When she looked at the children and saw how tired they were, and when she thought of the number of trips they had made in past weeks, all to no purpose, to the East Parade Ground, she decided that in spite of the instructions on the radio, she simply could not face starting out all over again.”^2 She was preparing and following all orders and bringing her children along, but after them being restless, decided to let them sleep at home despite the alarms. Unfortunately, they awoke abruptly to the bombing. (^1) John Hersey, Hiroshima (New York: EFL Club , 1946), 2. (^2) Ibid, 4.

“barracks.”^6 By these people recycling materials, they are helping the community by giving them shelter other than public places to live temporarily. Because everything was unpredictable, they did not know how long it would take before reconstruction. This help from the community helped every family to have some sort of protection from other environmental factors. People’s lifestyles before the bombing were quickly changed from leisure to survival to protect themselves and their children as many were burned, crushed, and lost from the explosion. Luckily, from the nature of Hiroshima, they were able to help cure the injured and give them places to call temporary home in such time of distress. From protecting their children to rescuing community members, the people looked out for each other during the tragedy. The bombing of Hiroshima was a tragedy, but it showed how life in perspective is much more fragile and temporary than we think. (^6) Ibid, 42.

Bibliography Hersey, John. Hiroshima. Originally published in 1946. Online article: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1946/08/31/hiroshima. Available via Canvas course website.