Hiroshima Themes

This theme probably isn't too much of a shocker, since Hiroshima is structured around the memories of six survivors of the bombing of Hiroshima during World War II. Some—for example, Mrs. Nakamur...

Whoa, maybe truth is stranger than fiction. In Hiroshima there are a surprising number of chance encounters—in fact, we'd probably find the sheer number of these events to be "too convenient to b...

If anything can be classified under the category of "Grade A Nightmare Food," it's an atomic bomb. Hersey describes how fear factors into his subjects' behavior (and even survival) during the after...

Consider yourself warned: while the book isn't super graphic or sensationalistic, Hersey goes into a great deal of detail about the aftermath of the bombing, including the illnesses, injuries, and...

Huh—death is a huge theme in a book about the bombing of Hiroshima? Who'd have thunk it? Oh yeah: everyone.Even thought the six survivors at the heart of Hiroshima were, you know, survivors, they...

Culture clash is a big deal in Hiroshima—after all, if there's a better example of two cultures at odds than war, we don't really want to see it. Wartime Japan was pretty much rife with suspicion...

Some of Hersey's subjects aren't keen to philosophize on the topics of war and peace, while others (Mr. Tanimoto being probably the best example) are pretty reflective regarding war, its meaning, a...

Since Hiroshima is a piece of journalism, it totally shies away from making any grand or generalized statements about religion and its meaning/purpose in light of events like an atomic bombing. But...