Christopher Booker is a scholar who wrote that every story falls into one of seven basic plot structures: Overcoming the Monster, Rags to Riches, the Quest, Voyage and Return, Comedy, Tragedy, and Rebirth. Shmoop explores which of these structures fits this story like Cinderella’s slipper.
Plot Type : Rebirth
Falling Stage
Like freakin' everyone in Hiroshima, the six individuals Hersey chronicles were living in a state of constant watchfulness/fear/horrific anticipation when day dawned on August 6, 1946. Hiroshima was one of the only major cities that the U.S. had not yet attacked, so there was a sense that it was only a matter of time. The days tended to begin with an air raid signal when the weather plan went over, so fear was becoming routine.
Recession Stage
On that particular morning, after a night of several air raid warnings, the all-clear sounded at 8:00 a.m. With that signal, at least some of the residents of Hiroshima seemed to expect a brief period of relief from fear of attack.
Imprisonment Stage
Oops. They very quickly realized how wrong they were. Only fifteen minutes after the all-clear went out, residents of the city saw a bright flash of light and felt a massive concussion as an atomic bomb landed on their city.
Nightmare Stage
As if the immediate destruction caused by the bomb weren't bad enough (and a freaking buffet of nightmare food) the aftermath turned out to be equally horrific. Many of those who survived ended up with gruesome injuries (including a lot of burns), radiation poisoning, and many contracted illnesses ranging from stomach problems and fatigue to (ultimately) leukemia and tumors.
For example, Miss Sasaki ended up stranded under a lean-to with a mangled leg for a looooong time before she was moved to a hospital. Dr. Sasaki worked for several days straight with only an hour of rest helping patients streaming into the Red Cross Hospital. Father Kleinsorge and Mrs. Nakamura ended up with long-term fatigue and other health problems in the wake of the blast. Dr. Fujii was also severely injured, so much that he was largely unable to help assist the injured, and Mr. Tanimoto suffered the effects of radiation poisoning. If that doesn't sound like a nightmare, we don't know what does.
Also (as if you needed more horror here) because the blast damaged local gas lines, fires broke out all over the city following the explosion, prompting injured and traumatized survivors to flee. Many people were alive but trapped in the rubble, with few people able to help get them out.
Rebirth Stage
In the months and years that followed, the city began to rebuild, and the six people at the center of this narrative tried to move on with their lives. Mr. Tanimoto, a minister, went on extended speaking tours in the States to help earn money for rebuilding his church and to promote the cause of peace.
Miss Sasaki, who had been extremely bitter about her injuries (and probably the fact that her jerk fiancé ditched her because of them), eventually got orthopedic surgery that significantly increased her quality of life, and she found satisfaction in a career as a nun. Climb every mountain, Miss Sasaki.
Although he suffered from lifelong health problems after the blast, Father Kleinsorge continued to work hard. He was thrilled when he got the opportunity to become a Japanese citizen and grabbed it, becoming Father Makoto Takakura afterwards.
Dr. Fujii, apparently a natural party animal, tried to enjoy himself as much as possible. He built a successful private practice and also traveled in the U.S. to help chaperone some girls scarred in the Hiroshima explosion that needed plastic surgery. Dr. Sasaki eventually left the Red Cross Hospital and started a successful private clinic in Mukaihara.
Finally, although she struggled for years financially and suffered from chronic health problems related to the Hiroshima explosion, Mrs. Nakamura ended up finding a good long-term job, made good friends, got involved in dancing, and ultimately retired in comfort.