Hiroshima Bombings Issues - Essay Example

? Hiroshima Bombings Kort’s book The Columbia Guide to Hiroshima and the Bomb discusses key issues surrounding the eventsat the time of the bombing. It presents an entire overview of significant debates in Hiroshima and the effects of the warfare. The author presents the history of the bomb and the government, emphasizing on the role of the president during that time. There is a concentrated focus on the different types of battles, mainly sea, air and land. In addition, the picture of the Japanese and Americans has a clear illustration in the cautiously written history. Step by step the reader understands reasons why Japanese surrendered from the new form of war. Part two analyses the questions and interpretations surrounding the Hiroshima bombing of 1945. It raises the controversial events leading to the warfare that was extremely destructive in that region. There are ten crucial questions that the author poses and presents documents for appropriate interpretation1. In the process, the circumstances that lead to making decisions of using atomic bombs are outlined and well examined. The aftermath of the war is exposed to the reader; this assists them to get a real picture of the war’s intensity. The language used is clear and easy to understand; thus, it is efficient to the reader. It is rich in symbolism which is appropriate for the topic in discussion. The use of symbols in the narrative helps the reader to concentrate and gives the imagery of the occurrence of events in Hiroshima. Kort uses copies of original documents to present his facts and arguments. This enables readers to give their opinion on the crisis. Michael Kort uses primary sources to get his information and this makes it reliable. He bases his argument on this data, thus making it correct and precise. The original documents attached in the book are evidence enough that the content in the book is reliable and easily accessible for reference. Further, he gives other articles in between the lines to support his literature. This shows that the author’s work has its foundation on real life experiences that can be verified. It is a durable and permanent source that can be accessed by people of all diversities thus efficient for study. The author quotes parts of live speeches delivered by individuals this helps to connect the reader to the events that took place in the 1990’s. It revives the memory of readers and stirs feelings essential for proper reading. The Decision to Use the Bomb by Walker is a book that gives in details the facts considered on the revenge mission by the Americans. It examines key questions that lead to the dropping of the bomb in Japan. The author engages the reader in viewing the intention by the Americans to destroy Japan in such a horrible manner. The motives of the government and the attention given to the victims form a substantial part of the book. It is an update of past happenings that are saved in museums for exhibition2. This helps the public to relate to the effects of the war and their current problems. The artwork of the plane that dropped the bomb is presented in the museum buildings with the assistance of curators. Different journals are used to compare the views of various people regarding the bombing. The author refers to research from scholars, and this supports his information to a large extent. He brings in the role of the policy makers in reaching the decision to bomb Japan and end the war. In addition, considerable emphasis is put on the debate that was historiographical and its consequences in Japan. However, this book does not put a large focus on the aftermath of the bomb, but on the reasons why the bomb was the best alternative in ending the war. The goals of America to attain political power in the region over the Soviet Union are keenly examined. Truman’s participation in the war is closely illustrated in the entire book. For example, the letters he wrote to his wife in regard to the war depicts his input to facilitating the warfare. Truman was American’s president at the emergence of the war thus his contribution was vital. Walker gives examples of historical projects in relation to the war and the atomic bomb. The use of questions engages readers in the process of internalizing the magnificence of the war. The content in Walker’s book is reliable as it commemorates events that occurred in the past. The sequence of events flows and this show clarity of the information it contains. In addition, the use of other articles emphasis the intended message. It facilitates understanding of ideas. The reliability of this book is clear from the use of notes from Truman’s diary. However, it has faults in that the information does not add up to answering the questions that are put across. By comparing two sides of the story, a lot of content is left out thus decreasing its reliability3. In his book Hiroshima, Hersey discusses two themes: the bombing itself and the aftermath. He traces the survivors of the atomic bomb that killed 100,000 people out of the overall population of 250,000. The injured are 100 000, and the author follows them in crafting his story. These real life experiences are thrilling and easily get the reader intensely emotional. It is a sad story especially when the victims tell of the terrifying incidence. This is an excellent strategy to assist the victims as readers sympathize with them. The immediate effects of the bombing are illustrated: sickness, radiation effects, loss of lives and many orphaned children. He focusses on the rebuilding of Hiroshima as the citizens return to their jobs, but the process fails. The people are emotionally disturbed and live in a lot of fear. It is then that two doctors volunteer to help the victims in the recovery process. The six victims discussed in the book represent the entire country; their lives are destroyed. The themes in the book are clear and direct to the topic of discussion. Further, he outlines the long term effects of the warfare up to 1985 where the people continue suffering. The intensity of the atomic bomb was terrific and caused immense damage in the country. The title given to every chapter represents the occurrence of events. For example, ‘The Fire’ in chapter two analyses the immediate effects of the bomb where the victims look for their families. They loss their essentials and tools of work, and this begins a life of want and need for them4. This book is rich in symbolism and motifs which creates a clear picture of the happenings in Hiroshima. The reliability of this book is impressive as the victims connect with the readers giving them first-hand experience. The use of primary sources is efficient and not tampered, and conclusions can be easily drawn from their stories. The conversation is a durable source as it is saved in different methods enhancing the reliability of the book. The use of a video enhances understanding through the visual images. The use of both sound and images facilitates easy capturing of the story. From the pictures shown, it is clear that the aftermath of the bomb was of negative impact to Hiroshima. Rivers dried up and this resulted to drought 50 years later. People suffer of sickness that has grown through generations. Children are born with disabilities and defects that resulted from the atomic bombing. It polluted the entire environment, and people could not consume the water. This is the use of irony as water is referred to as the source of life, but it causes death. From the video, it is clear that the people’s lives have been significantly affected. They try to adjust to their new lifestyle, but the memories of the 1945 attack hinder their progress. This video is a reliable source as it represents live footage of their lives. However, some parts are not clear and not everything is covered in the video. It only shows the life of the people after 50 years5. The audience hardly knows of the initial occurrences in Hiroshima, and they do not link the events. The above sources have their strengths and weaknesses as they are presented in different ways. The authors use diverse styles in delivering their messages. However, the content implied is similar and discusses one topic - the atomic bomb of Hiroshima. For example, the video has an advantage over the written source for it has visual images. The audience sees the events happening, and this enhances their understanding. Importantly, the book by John is a comprehensive approach of the situation compared to the other two which discuss specific issues6. Hiroshima focusses on the bombing and its aftermath giving a close observation to the victims of the war. Walkers book examine the reasons why an atomic bomb was used and fails to focus on the entire war. In addition, relying on primary data is a characteristic by all the sources that enhance their work. The video fails to give a complete summary of events thus not an efficient source. Unlike the other books, Kort gives interpretations to his questions in chapter two which is an advantage to the reader. It is evident that source must incorporate details that are useful and effective. Bibliography Kort, Michael. The Columbia guide to Hiroshima and the bomb. New York: Columbia University Press, 2007. Hogan, Michael J. Hiroshima in history and memory. Cambridge [u.a.]: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1996. Hersey, J. Hiroshima. New York: Wildside Press, 2011. Read More