Part One: The character that has been most interesting to me so far is Dr. Sasaki. So far after the bombing, he has been taking care of most of the people who were injured. On the top of page 26, John Hersey does a really nice job describing his character. "Dr. Sasaki lost all sense of profession and stopped working as a skillful surgeon and a sympathetic man; he became an automaton, mechanically wiping, dubing, winding, wiping, daubing, winding." Because he was only few of the Dr's that make it through the bomb alive, he really didn't have a choice if he wanted to help other people or not, he simply just did. When something major happens like that, I feel people don't really think about the situation, they simply just help take care of the people who truly need it.
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| Japanese Solider's during Hiroshima |
http://www.pbs.org/mosthonorableson/shame.html
Dr. Sasaki was a skilled doctor and it is really cool that he did everything he could to help others. I like how you mentioned John Hersey's description of his work after the bombing. Dr. Sasaki had to prioritize patients in order to save as many lives as possible, which he was successful in saving many lives. I also like the research question you looked into. I never understood why Japanese soldiers were willing to die for their country in such a manner. America does not have that mindset. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, the pilots of the planes were called Kaimakaze fighters in which their main goal was to simply bomb and crash into the land, knowing they would die many soldiers signed up for this.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like if there is a traumatic event in the world, whether it be a world war, a natural disaster, or some other major event, people come together to help each other get through it. National pride seems to play a big part in wars especially like when the workers of America would do almost anything to end World War II even going to the point of dropping the atomic bomb.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine sacrificing your own life for honor and duty. It is an extremely hard decision specially if you have people waiting for you at home, people who really care about you. It makes you question what it would take for a country like to Japan to surrender if they were even willing to sacrifice their own lives for their country.
Dr. Sasaki is a pretty fascinating character. I surprised that cutting their stomachs is the only way to have honor. I wonder why the stomach is so special.
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