Hiroshima

Hiroshima

• Genre: Nonfiction; historical; journalism
• Originally Published: 1946
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 1190L; grades 10-12; college/adult
• Structure/Length: Approximately 160 pages; approximately 5 hours and 23 minutes on audiobook
• Central Concern: Hiroshima chronicles the immediate aftermath of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945. Through the personal stories of six survivors, Hersey paints a vivid picture of the devastation and the human suffering caused by the bomb, while also highlighting the resilience and spirit of the Hiroshima residents.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Graphic descriptions of injuries and death; themes of nuclear warfare and its ethical implications; scenes of immense human suffering

John Hersey, Author

• Bio: Born 1914; died 1993; American journalist and novelist; served as a war correspondent during WWII; was one of the first Western journalists to visit Hiroshima after the atomic bombing; his reportage and fiction have garnered significant acclaim.
• Other Works: A Bell for Adano (1944); The Wall (1950); The Child Buyer (1960); The Call (1985)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• The Horrors of Nuclear Weapons
• The Simultaneous Fragility and Tenacity of Life
• The Commonalities of Humans

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:

• Consider the role that New Journalism played in shaping nonfiction storytelling, and how this style and philosophy succeeds in certain contexts.