Josephine Surer

Hiroshima is about the chaotic life of a young Japanese girl living through the daily bomb threats in Japan during World War II. The concept of loyalty towards her country and family is very significant because it shows the strong anti-Americanism of that period. It also shows the strong sense of community of one country during such dangerous times and how the people all face these types of tests together. The story also points out the strong Japanese pride and honor by having the main character constantly comparing her ways to the ones of a powerful samurai. “But for a samurai when his belly is empty it is a disgrace to feel hungry.” (165) Although the characters try to act tough during this time, the disparity of the situation is pointed out through the repetition of important words such as “strong”, “fearless”, “glorious”, and “alive”. The author’s style is to repeat many of the words and quotes from the characters to minimize the content and show just how limited the people were during that time.