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Date Assigned
Reading Assignment
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5 p. 91-109
Chapter 5 p. 110-134
Chapter 5 p. 134-152
Date Due
Hiroshima
Chapter One – A Noiseless Flash
Vocabulary
abstinence – the act of voluntarily doing without
convivial – sociable; jovial
diathermy – medical treatment in which heat is produced beneath the skin by highfrequency
electric current or radiation to warm or destroy tissue
estuarial – like an inlet
hedonistic – concerned with pleasure
incendiary –designed to cause fires, flammable
incessant – never ceasing
philanthropy –a desire to help mankind by giving gifts to charitable or humanitarian
institutions
prefecture – any of the regional districts of Japan administered by a governor
repugnant – distasteful, disagreeable
sampan – small boats used in China and Japan
volition – exercise of the will; a conscious or deliberate decision
xenophobic – fear or hatred of strangers
IDENTIFY the Question-Answer Relationships: RT, TS, AM, OMO
1. What is the setting for this book?
2. The six main characters are real people who survive the atomic bomb. Hershey
writes:
“A hundred thousand people were killed by the atomic bomb, and these six were
among the survivors. They still wonder why they lived when so many others died.
Each of them counts many small items of chance or volition – a step taken in time, a
decision to go indoors, catching one streetcar instead of the next – that spared him.”
(Pg. 2)
What does the above statement suggest to the reader about how the six survivors feel
about being alive when so many others are killed?
3. Who is Mr. B? Why are the citizens of Hiroshima “jittery”?
4. Briefly describe Mr. Kiyoshi Tanimoto. In your description, include his appearance,
his general personality traits, and his occupation.
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5. The citizens of Hiroshima are preparing for an American attack on the city. How is
Mr. Tanimoto making preparations for this attack?
6. Why does Mr. Tanimoto become the chairman of the Neighborhood Association (the
tonarigumi)?
7. Where is Mr. Tanimoto when the atomic bomb strikes the city? What item of
“chance or volition” do you think saves his life?
8. Describe what Mr. Tanimoto sees, hears, and feels just as the bomb explodes.
9. Describe Mrs. Hatsuyo Nakamura, including her general personality traits and her
occupation.
10. Why does Mrs. Nakamura decide to ignore the new air-raid warning on the radio?
11. What precautions is the City of Hiroshima taking to prepare for a quick evacuation of
the city in case of bombing attacks and the resulting fires?
12. What is Mrs. Nakamura doing when the atomic bomb explodes? What item of
Hersey’s “chance or volition” saves her life?
13. What is Dr. Masakazu Fujii’s physical appearance, general personality traits, and
occupation. Explain how his life is spared when the bomb explodes.
14. Who is Father Wilhelm Kleinsorge? Where is he when the bomb explodes, and how
is he able to survive? What does he remember about the explosion?
15. Write a description of Dr. Terufumi Sasaki that includes his physical appearance,
general personality traits, and occupation. Describe his actions when the atomic
bomb explodes and what saves him.
16. Briefly describe Miss Toshiko Sasaki. Include in your description her physical
appearance, her family duties, and her occupation.
17. Where is Miss Toshiko Sasaki when the atomic bomb explodes? What item of
“chance or volition” do you think helps to save her life?
18. The last line in this chapter reads:
“There, in the tin factory, in the first moment of the atomic age, a human being was crushed by
books.” (Pg. 16)
For what reasons is this statement ironic?
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Chapter Two – The Fire
Vocabulary
apathetic – feeling little or no emotion; not interested, listless
atavistic – to have some characteristic found in a remote ancestor but not in nearer ancestors
awry – with a twist to a side; not straight; askew
breviary – a book containing the Psalms, readings, and prayers of the Divine Office
catechist – a person who catechizes or instructs adults in the fundamentals of Christianity
conflagration – a big, destructive fire
convection – the transfer of heat through its absorption by a fluid at one point followed by
motion of the fluid and rejection of the heat at another point
extricated – to set free, release, or disentangle
miasma – an unwholesome or befogging atmosphere or influence
palpable – recognizable; perceptible by touch
pickaback – piggyback
porte-cochere – a kind of porch roof projecting over a driveway at an entrance
punt – a flat-bottomed boat with broad, square ends, usually pushed along by a long pole
razed – torn down completely; leveled to the ground; demolished
solicitous – showing care, attention, or concern
unkindled – not on fire
1. In this chapter, Hershey chronicles the actions of each of the six survivors immediately
following the explosion. He relates how each person first reacts, how each survivor comes to
understand the magnitude of the attack, and finally what each survivor does after realizing that
the whole city has been destroyed.
What is Mr. Tanimoto’s first action after the explosion?
How does Mr. Tanimoto come to understand the magnitude of the attack?
What action does Mr. Tanimoto take once he realizes Hiroshima is on fire?
2. What is Mrs. Nakamura’s first action after the explosion?
How does she come to understand the magnitude of the attack?
What is the cause of some of the fires in Mrs. Nakamura’s neighborhood?
For what reason does she decide not to stay to help put out the fires? Where does she take her
children?
3. What is Father Kleinsorge’s first action after the explosion?
What might Father Kleinsorge’s papier-mâché suitcase represent in this story?
How does Father Kleinsorge come to understand that the destruction from the American attack
extends beyond the church buildings?
4. What puzzles Dr. Fujii about the explosion?
Who does Dr. Fujii help to rescue?
Why does Dr. Fujii return to the river after rescuing his nurses? What do you think of his
decision to do this?
5. Why do so many injured citizens die in the explosion?
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6. What is Dr. Sasaki’s first action after the explosion?
How does Dr. Sasaki come to understand the magnitude of the attack on Hiroshima?
Of the two hundred and forty-five thousand people living in Hiroshima at the time of the
explosion, how many are killed or injured?
How does Dr. Sasaki react to the overwhelming number of causalities entering the hospital?
7. What is Miss Sasaki’s first thought after the explosion?
8. Mr. Tanimoto runs toward the city searching for his family. How does he feel about the
wounded he passes?
9. Why is Miss Sasaki very fortunate to be rescued from the tin factory?
10. In what way do the wounded and suffering Japanese people in Asano Park surprise
Father Kleinsorge?
11. The tone of a novel is a term referring to the author’s attitude toward the subject matter.
For example, tone can be described as formal, intimate, pompous, ironic, light, solemn, or
objective. Read the following excerpt from this chapter. How would you describe the tone of
this passage? Why do you think Hershey writes this novel in this way?
As Mr. Tanimoto’s men worked [to put out the fire in the park], the frightened people
in the park pressed closer and closer to the river, and finally the mob began to
force some of the unfortunates who were on the very bank into the water. Among
those driven into the river and drowned were Mrs. Matsumoto, of the Methodist
School, and her daughter. (Pg. 38)
12. Why does Mr. Tanimoto want to find a boat?
Chapter Three – Details Are Being Investigated
Vocabulary
charnel-house – a building or place where corpses or bones are deposited
immolate – to sacrifice; to offer or kill as a sacrifice
moribund – dying
putrescence – rotting and foul-smelling
staves – sticks, rods, or poles
stupefied – to bring into a state of stupor; stun; make dull or lethargic
succinct – clearly and briefly stated
succor – to give assistance to in time of need or distress; help; aid; relieve
suppurated – festering, discharging pus
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1. Mr. Tanimoto helps men and women with grotesque, putrid wounds. He is sickened by their
injuries, but he is able to help them. He is a strong man who seems to be in control of his
emotions. Why then does Mr. Tanimoto experience a moment of rage while he is trying to help
the wounded in Asano Park?
2. Why is Dr. Fujii not at Asano Park helping the wounded?
3. On the short-wave radio, the President of the United Stated identifies the bomb dropped on
Hiroshima as a new atomic weapon. How do the Hiroshima survivors react to this
announcement?
4. How do the children in the park react to all of the tragedy surrounding them?
5. In what way(s) has Father Kleinsorge changed in the twenty-four hours since the bomb
explodes?
6. When does Father Kleinsorge first realize the magnitude of the devastation resulting from
the atomic explosion?
7. Some critics believe this novel points out the inadequate care the wounded receive from the
Japanese government and from the doctors. Describe the medical attention Miss Sasaki
receives for her injured leg. In what ways do you think her care could have been improved?
8. The following excerpt describes Father Kleinsorge as feeling guilty? Why do you think he feels
this way?
“On August 9th, Father Kleinsorge was still tired. The rector [at the Novitiate where
Father Kleinsorge is recovering] looked at his cuts and said they were not even worth
dressing, and if Father Kleinsorge kept them clean, they would heal in three or four
days. Father Kleinsorge felt uneasy; and he could not yet comprehend what he had
been through; as if he were guilty of something awful, he felt he had to go back to
the scene of the violence he had experienced. He got up out of bed and walked to
the city. He scratched for a while in the ruins of the mission house, but he found
nothing. He went to the sites of a couple of schools and asked after people he knew.
He looked for some of the city’s Japanese Catholics, but he found only fallen houses.
He walked back to the Novitiate stupefied and without any new understanding.”
(Pg. 57)
9. In the above excerpt, Father Kleinsorge is having trouble processing the full extent of the
disaster. Find another incident in this chapter describing a survivor who seems to be unable to
comprehend what he or she has been through and the consequences of the disaster on his or
her life.
10. What evidence is there in this chapter that the Japanese government is not giving survivors
of the bomb accurate information concerning the disaster?
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11. Cite incidents from the story to support the following statement: An atomic bomb
indiscriminately destroys the lives of anyone in its path.
12. What is the Japanese word for the atomic bomb?
13. Describe the Japanese customs and attitudes concerning the dead.
14. What evidence is there in this chapter that the Japanese people revere the Emperor?
Chapter Four – Panic Grass and Feverfew
Vocabulary
anemic – a reduction of the number of red blood corpuscles, resulting in generalized weakness
capricious – tending to change abruptly and without apparent reason
consecrate – to devote entirely; to dedicate
decrepit – broken down or worn out by old age
feverfew – a bushy plant of the composite family, with finely divided foliage and flowers with
white florets and a yellow disk
macabre – grim and horrible
malaise – a vague feeling of physical discomfort, as early in an illness
moxibustion – the burning of the moxa (a soft downy material, burned on the skin as a
cauterizing agent in traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine) treating various diseases or
disorders
petechiae – a small hemorrhagic spot in the skin
plutonium – a radioactive, metallic chemical element used in nuclear weapons
talismanic –bringing good luck
verdancy – covered with green vegetation
1. Why does Father Kleinsorge consider his papier-mâché suitcase a talisman?
2. Briefly describe the symptoms of radiation sickness Father Kleinsorge, Mr. Tanimoto,
Mrs. Nakamura, and Miss Sasaki experience.
3. This nonfiction story was originally written as a magazine article for The New Yorker
Magazine and was published in that magazine in 1946. The objective mood of the story is
typical of newspaper articles and magazine articles. However, the story is enhanced by Hersey’s
writing style, including his use of metaphors, similes, and descriptive language. Analyze the
following excerpt and point out the different uses of language Hersey includes to help the
reader visualize the devastation resulting from the atomic explosion.
Father Kleinsorge is walking through the streets of Hiroshima after the blast.
“By now he was accustomed to the terrible scene through which he walked on his
way to the city; the large rice field near the Novitiate, streaked with brown; the houses
on the outskirts of the city, standing but decrepit, with broken windows and
disheveled tiles; and then, quite suddenly, the beginning of the four square miles of
reddish-brown scar where nearly everything had been buffeted down and burned;
range on range of collapsed city blocks, with here and there a crude sign erected on a
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pile of ashes and tiles (“Sister, where are you?” or “All safe and we live at Toyosaka”);
naked trees and canted telephone poles; the few standing, gutted buildings only
accentuating the horizontality of everything else (The Museum of Science and
Industry, with its dome stripped to its steel frame, as if for an autopsy; the modern
Chamber of Commerce Building, its tower as cold, rigid, and unassailable after the
blow as before; the huge, low-lying, camouflaged city hall; the row of dowdy banks,
caricaturing a shaken economic system)…” (Pg. 67)
4. Briefly describe the three states of radiation sickness Dr. Sasaki and his colleagues help to
define.
5. Hersey includes many statistics on the aftermath of the atomic explosion. For instance,
a. What percentage of the people killed by the bomb die from direct exposure to the explosion?
How many die from other injuries? How many die from radiation burns?
b. What is the extent of the property damage in Hiroshima?
c. What was the heat of the blast at ground zero?
6. General MacArthur is the leader of American forces in Japan after the Emperor surrenders.
He tries to prevent Japanese scientists from studying and recording sensitive information about
the atomic explosions. To what degree is he successful at keeping this information confidential?
What information do the Japanese scientists have about the bombs?
7. What explanation does Father Kleinsorge give to Miss Sasaki when she asks him how a good
and kind God could let his people suffer?
8. Hersey writes:
“In Japan, face is important even to institutions, and long before the Red Cross
Hospital was back to par on basic medical equipment, its directors put up a new yellow
brick veneer façade, so that the hospital became the handsomest building in
Hiroshima – from the street.” (Pg. 86)
Find another instance in this story illustrating the importance of “face” to the Japanese.
9. Briefly describe how the survivors begin to rebuild their lives?
10. Hersey writes about the survivors of Hiroshima:
One feeling they did seem to share, however, was a curious kind of elated community
spirit, something like that of the Londoners after their blitz – a pride in the way
they and their fellow-survivors had stood up to a dreadful ordeal. (Pg. 87)
Relate two instances from the story illustrating this “elated community spirit.”
11. Hersey discusses how the Japanese people feel about the ethics of using the bomb to end
the war. How do Mrs. Nakamura and Dr. Sasaki feel about this issue?
12. Define the term “total war.” In what way do some of the German priests justify the decision
by the United States to drop the atomic bomb on civilians?
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13. What lasting impression does the bombing of Hiroshima have on the children who survive
the attack?
Chapter Five- The Aftermath
Vocabulary
atrophied – wasted away
attitudinizing – striking an attitude; posing
cenotaph – a monument or empty tomb honoring a person or persons whose remains are
elsewhere
chagrin – a feeling of embarrassment and annoyance because one has failed or been
disappointed
cirrhosis – a degenerative disease in an organ of the body especially the liver, marked by
excess formation of connective tissue
convivial – having to do with a feast or festive activity
dendrology – the scientific study of trees and woody plants
deterrence – the policy or practice of stockpiling nuclear weapons to deter another nation
from making a nuclear attack
efficacious –producing or capable of producing the desired effect
expiation – the making of reparations or amends for wrongdoing
hardihood – boldness, daring
lassitude – the state of feeling tired or listless
ligature – a tying or binding together
melancholy – sadness and depression of spirits
nonsectarian – not confined to or affiliated with any specific religion
nontransient – not passing with time
pastoral – rural, peaceful; simple and natural
progeny – children, descendants
redolent – smelling of
self-abnegating – lacking consideration for oneself or one’s own interest
subjugation – subservient; in service to another
sybarites – those very fond of self-indulgence and luxury
tenacity – persistence; stubborn courage
tomographic – an x-ray photograph by which a single plane is photographed with the outline of
structures in other planes eliminated
vivifying – to give life to; animate, make more lively
Chapter Five was added to the original four chapters in 1985 after Hersey returned to Japan
forty years later to find out what happened to the six main characters. The questions for this
chapter will be divided into six parts covering the long-term consequences of the atomic bomb
on the lives of the six civilians.
Hatsuyo Nakamura
1. What is the lowest and saddest moment of Hatsuyo Nakamura’s life?
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2. Why do the Japanese dislike the word “survivors” and refer to the people who have lived
through the atomic bomb as hibakusha or “explosion-affected persons”?
3. For what reasons does the Japanese government fail, in the first few years after the atomic
bomb, to provide special assistance to the hibakusha?
4. Why are Japanese employers reluctant to hire hibakusha?
5. Cite incidents from the story to support the following statement: Mrs. Nakamura
does not hold the pilot of the Enola Gay responsible for her problems finding employment.
6. List three types of employment Mrs. Nakamura finds before she begins working for Suyama
Chemical wrapping packages.
7. What is the Lucky Dragon No. 5 incident? How does this incident benefit Mrs. Nakamura?
8. Why do Mrs. Nakamura and her children avoid attending antinuclear activities and
conferences?
9. At the time of the writing of the Aftermath, where is Mrs. Nakamura living? What does each
of her children do for a living?
Dr. Terufumi Sasaki
1. What does Dr. Sasaki learn about treating the keloids many hibakusha develop as the
radiation burns heal?
2. List eight physical problems hibakusha may develop years after the atomic explosion.
3. What life experience does Dr. Sasaki refer to as the most important event in his life?
4. Why does Dr. Sasaki decide to build a new clinic for the elderly?
5. For what reasons is Dr. Sasaki “considered a bit strange by Hiroshima doctors”? (109)
6. What is Dr. Sasaki’s “one bitter regret” concerning his experiences in Hiroshima after the
bomb?
Father Wilhelm Kleinsorge
1. Hersey describes Father Kleinsorge in the following excerpt:
“Father Kleinsorge lived this life of misery with the most extraordinarily selfless spirit.” (Pg. 110)
In what ways is Father Kleinsorge’s life a “life of misery”? In what sense does Father
Kleinsorge embrace the Japanese spirit of “enryo”?\
2. Why does Father Kleinsorge change his name to Father Makoto Takakura?
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3. How does Father Takakura die?
Toshiko Sasaki
1. Why is Miss Sasaki’s marriage contract broken?
2. For what reasons does Miss Sasaki decide to be baptized by Father Cieslik?
3. Why does Miss Sasaki enter her brother and sister into the Garden of Light orphanage?
4. How does Miss Sasaki feel about the antinuclear conventions and political organizations that
are against the atomic bomb?
5. Why does Miss Sasaki enter a convent? What special character traits does Miss
Sasaki possess which help her to succeed in the convent and to become Sister
Dominique Sasaki? What is Sister Dominique Sasaki’s greatest gift?
Dr. Masakazu Fujii
1. Cite incidents from the story to agree or disagree with the following statement: Dr. Fujii does
not suffer any ill effects from the atomic bomb.
2. How does Dr. Fujii die?
Kiyoshi Tanimoto
1. Why are many of the Japanese angry with the Japanese government instead of the
Americans for the dropping of the atomic bomb?
2. How does Mr. Tanimoto plan to use the horrors of Hiroshima to promote world peace?
3. Who is Pearl Buck? How does she help Mr. Tanimoto further his goal of creating a Hiroshima
center?
4. For what reasons is Mr. Tanimoto often criticized by his church?
5. How does Mr. Tanimoto feel about being the subject of the television program This Is Your
Life?
6. Who is Robert Lewis? Why is he called to the Pentagon after he appears on This is Your Life?
7. Cite incidents from the story to support the following statement: Mr. Tanimoto’s efforts to
establish a Memorial Peace Center fail, and he loses the respect of the Japanese people.
8. Who is Koko? How does the bombing of Hiroshima impact her life?
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9. What is the inscription on the memorial Cenotaph for the Hiroshima victims?
10. What evidence is there that the conferences held each August 6th to discuss how to
prevent further nuclear bombings are ineffective?
11. The last line in this book describes Mr. Tanimoto in his seventies. It reads, “His
memory, like the world’s, was getting spotty.” (152) What do you think Hersey is saying about
the world’s attitude concerning nuclear weapons in 1985 when this was written?