The Hope in John Hersey’s “Hiroshima”

“up through the wreckage of the city…was a blanket of fresh, vivid, lush, optimistic green…The bomb had not only left the underground organs of the plants intact; it had stimulated them.” 

After reading this particular part of Hiroshima, it got me thinking about why John Hersey decided to include a piece like this, and what made it relevant to the message he was trying to bring across to the readers throughout the book. It was his diction and use of the word “optimistic” that struck my attention. The most destructive device ever made by man has instantly annihilated 80,000 people, destroyed an entire city and changed the future of modern warfare forever—yet nature still persists in the cracks caused by this bomb. His inclusion of a piece such as this one, provides the story with hope. Which is what I realized proceeded throughout the book. 

The book started off with a tone of panic, as the survivors are trying to keep themselves alive and help others after the bombing. However, Hersey later made the conscious choice to add a 5th chapter to this book, discussing the aftermath 40 years later. Additionally, Hersey made another conscious choice to focus the story on 6 particular individuals. And from doing so, the readers were able to experience a much more up-close and human look into what the people on the ground, at that exact time, were experiencing, feeling and overcoming.

Hatsuyo Nakamura – commons.wikipedia.org

“Her children were no longer dependent on her, and Toshio was ready to take on a son’s responsibility for his aging mother. She felt at home in her body now; she rested when she needed to…It was time for her to enjoy life.” At first, life was not looking good for Mrs Nakamura. She was a widow, suffered illness due to the bomb and faced difficulties in finding work. But in spite of all that, she was eventually able to find her peace. She finally found a good job that didn’t overwork or underpay her, her children were no longer dependent on her and she was able to take care of herself, as well as her children taking care of her.  

Toshiko Sasaki – commons.wikipedia.org

“I shall not dwell on the past. It is as if I had been given a spare life when I survived the A-bomb. But I prefer not to look back. I shall keep moving forward.” Toshiko Sasaki was a character whose life arguably changed the most from the bomb. After suffering the horrific leg injury, getting abandoned from her fiancé and losing many loved ones, Sasaki copes with misery and pain by turning to religion, and becomes a nun. As a result, she finds the spiritual strength to live a long, rewarding life spent helping others, and preferred not to think about her past. This wasn’t the only time that the book included allusions to the bible and Catholicism, which shows that it was something that some hibakusha turned to for comfort in these horrid times.


Continuing on the theme of hope, Hersey’s choice to add a 5th chapter to this book helped in assisting the readers to develop a sense of peace, rather than being left wondering what could have happened to the survivors. And with this final chapter, he was able to end the book off transitioning the tone to one of resolve, as the survivors adjust into their new lives. It’s mind-blowing to think that this book, despite it’s subject being of such an unspeakable tragedy, still allowed the reader to feel hope.

I feel as though having this aspect of hope was not only important to the book, but to the characters in the story. Those who were amongst the “luckier” ones and didn’t die instantly from the nuclear bomb, had no choice but to adjust to their new lives. And there’s no doubt that it wasn’t an easy process. However, most of the 6 individuals had something that kept them going. Father Kleinsorge had his love for Japan and helping others. Ms Nakamura had her 3 kids. And Dr Sasaki enjoyed helping others as well, and even risked getting penalties by treating patients without a permit.

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