Journal 8 from Cory

The main thing I want to take away from this novel is to hold onto the past and to not let it repeat its self.  While also trying to remember the effect the dropping of the A bomb had on this world. We still have the threat of nuclear warfare in this world, with countries threatening to drop a bomb on each other every day. I believe some have forgotten about the true magnitude of these weapons on a population. Total annihilation in any situation is never the answer.

The two characters I wish to hold onto are Mr. Tanimoto and Ms. Sasaki. These two people impressed me the most with the way they handled their situations. Sasaki was unable to find and keep a husband with her disability and having the stigma behind her of being a Hiroshima Survivor. So she decided her life should take a different path. She chose to give up any chance of having a family and went into a convent where she became a Nun. She ended up becoming very successful in career and handled the cards she was dealt extremely well. At the same time Mr. Tanimoto also impressed me by doing all the good he did. He raised thousands of dollars for his church and congregation. He suffered through the humiliation of the American television show and all the troubles that came with it, all for the good of his people. He started a peace memorial even though it was constantly being stifled by the Japanese government for fear of stirring up emotions. Both these people took the horrific event they experienced and brought good out of it all.

I do not want to forget the emotion I had for all the characters by the end of the book. I was rooting for everyone to have happy lives by the end of the story. Some lived happily ever after and some did not. I want to remember this ending and this book for years to come.

“He was slowing down a bit. His memory, like the worlds was getting spotty” (152) this quote goes along with my idea of not forgetting your past. Forty years after the bombing the world was beginning to forget and this truly cannot happen.

Lewis: “I wrote down the words, “My God, what have we done?” (146) this is from the Television show when Mr. Tanimoto was broadsided by the host with painful memories of the bombing. This scene shocked me to the question, in what world does bringing the person who killed all of the guests friends sound like a good idea? This scene made me angry for Mr. Tanimoto, I can only imagine what he was thinking. 

“I shall not dwell on the past. It as if I had been given a spare life when I survived the A-Bomb. But I prefer not to look back. I shall keep moving forward.” (126) this is Ms. Sasaki talking about after the bomb. It showed me her true resolve to get through the bomb and define her own life. She was dealt a crappy hand but she ended up on top of the world bringing religion and success.

This book inspires you to not forget the past and keep it in mind. We can learn from the past and change our future for the better. If we simply keep horrific events in the past we can shape the future.