In Chapter 3, each character shows heroism in his/her actions. Describe what makes your character of choice a hero, and detail how your character responds to the lack of help, information, and medical care provided to the survivors.
Write a minimum of 2 paragraphs, and use two textual quotes with citations.
Due: Wednesday, December 8
Throughout this chapter, Tanimoto proves himself as a hero. He spent most of his time in Asano Park ferrying wounded people across the river, since they did not have enough strength and energy to move. Tanimoto lacks paddles for his boat and has to use all of his own energy using a pole. Later, when the tide has risen more, he downgrades to using his hands to paddle.
ReplyDeleteTanimoto is a very determined and kind man. As he transports the injured, he often passes more weak and wounded people. Hersey explains his determination by saying, "Then he got out into the water and, though a small man, lifted several of the men and women, who were naked, into his boat" (45). He is willing to strain himself in order to help others in need.
The lack of help, information, and medical care angers Tanimoto. He shows his frustration by thinking he would "personally bring one to Asano Park--by the scruff of the neck, if necessary" (50). He then sets out on a search to find a doctor that will come back and help the people who are injured.
My character of choice, Dr. Sasaki showed heroism in his actions after the bomb had dropped. He stayed up for two days straight treating as many patients as he could. "By nightfall, ten thousand victims of the explosion had invaded the Red Cross Hospital, and Dr. Sasaki, worn out, was moving aimlessly and dully up and down the stinking corridors with wads of bandage and bottles..." (46). Clearly Dr. Sasaki was doing everything in his power to treat as many patients as possible and not even taking a break, he kept on working as hard as he could. He worked all day and his only objective was to treat as many people as possible, "Dr. Sasaki had not looked outside the hospital all day;" (46).
ReplyDeleteDr. Sasaki was extremely heroic throughout this whole scene. He treated so many patients and put others before himself which was absolutely a heroic thing to do. Treating people basically until he could not even stay awake, "Dr. Sasaki was incapable of dressing another wound..."(47). He did not even care how many people kept coming into the hospital he kept on working until the last of his energy, and even after his short rest he got up and went back to work. " 'Doctors! Help Us! How can you sleep?' Dr. Sasaki got up again and went back to work" (47). Dr. Sasaki showing complete heroism in his part of the bomb, helped so many others and put many people before him to make sure everyone was safe.
Through out this chapter, my character, Mrs. Nakamura shows a great deal of heroism in her actions. Even though she is ill, along with her children, she still makes sure she is being a good mother and helps her children through the tough time they are facing. "Mrs. Nakamura settled her family for the night with the assurance that a doctor would come and stop their retching" (42). Even though they are all greatly ill, Mrs. Nakamura still does a good job at being a mother, caring for them. She is assuring the children that everything will be okay and that they'll be able to make it through the situation.
ReplyDeleteAs Mrs. Nakamura returns to Hiroshima, she shows her bravery. "...she was to ill to walk much, returned to Hiroshima alone, by electric car to the outskirts, by foot from there. All week, at the Novitiate, she had worried about her mother, brother, and older sister. She discovered that her family were all dead"(63). She wanted to protect her children so she decided to leave them home. Even though she knew that there was a lot of destruction and devastation in Hiroshima, she still held on to the hope to return and find her family, not letting her sickness get in her way. As she found her family dead and returned to Kabe, she kept her emotions to herself, not wanting to bother her family. She knew that even though she lost her loved ones, she can't let it get the best of her and she must move on, for the sake of her and her children.
Throughout the chapter, Mr. Tanimoto proves himself to be a true hero. He spends all of his time and energy ferrying injured people across the river so they can get to proper medical help. He does not have paddles and instead must exert extra force using just a bamboo pole. Later, when the tide rises and the pole becomes too short, he uses just his hands. Doing this is not benefiting him in any way. He is doing solely to help those around him.
ReplyDeleteMr. Tanimoto is very dedicated to what he is doing. Even when he is in the middle of one trip he is already thinking about his next. Even when he took the injured priests upstream, “Mr. Tanimoto came back and excitedly asked the remaining priests to help him rescue two children he had seen standing up to their shoulders in the river” (44). They were not of his immediate concern but he still took time to help them. He also stops when he sees people, too weak to move themselves, lying in a sandspit. He then gets out and uses as much strength as he has to lift the bodies into the boat to keep them from drowning. He is willing to do whatever is necessary to save the innocent people.
The lack of help, information, and medical frustrates Mr. Tanimoto. He “was still angry at doctors. He decided that he would personally bring one to Asano Park…” (50). When he tries to get a doctor to come he realizes that all of the doctors are bombarded with people and can not leave their current stations. Although still upset that he could not bring a doctor to the people as he had promised, he still tries to get some food for them. At all times he is working hard and doing as much as possible to help, and if he fails or messes up he is left feeling guilty.
The most heroic character to me is Mr. Tanimoto. Throughout this entire chapter all he does is care for the wounded. With the lack of help in Asano Park, Mr. Tanimoto takes matters into his own hand and treats everyone he can, often by transporting the injured by boats so they can receive help. Even though he was exhausted he promised to help the priests, "When Mr. Tanimoto reached the bank, he said he would be glad to take the injured priests and their bearers upstream to where they could find a clear roadway"(44).
ReplyDeleteWith the lack of medical supplies, Mr. Tanimoto results to paddling people by boat without oars, using his hands, or by removing dead corpses. He also goes and gets a tent, from where he met his wife, to put sick people under. He is therapeutic to some because he will listen to what they have to say. Mr. Tanimoto's genuineness shines through when he is unable to help someone and feels as though he failed, "He began to keep away from her, but whenever he looked at her, she was staring at him and her eyes asked the same question"(58). He couldn't look at the woman because he knew he could not help her. Mr. Tanimoto always thought of others before himself and never stopped caring for the injured, showing incredible heroism.
A hero is a man distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility and strength. All of which characteristics make up Dr. Sasaki throughout this novel. He was very determined to help all whom came into his hospital, even if the chances of survival were slim. Hersey shows Dr. Sasaki’s commitment, “At the Red Cross Hospital, Dr. Sasaki worked for three straight days with only one hour’s sleep” (56). The dedication and strength Sasaki demonstrates is truly only one of a heros.
ReplyDeleteThe lack of help, information, and medical care provided did not seem to stand in Dr. Sasaki’s way. He still was very determined to helping the hurt and did not let all the problems elsewhere distract him. He made do with what medicine he had and was very grateful when medicine would show up. As Hersey recalled, “Fortunately, someone had found intact a supply of narucopon, a Japanese sedative, and he gave it to many who were in pain” (56). Even though he may not have in regular conditions given this to everyone hurt, he had to adapt to the little supplies available in this situation.
Mr. Tanimoto shows the most heroic actions in this chapter. With such little help he made the greatest effort to assist everyone. Most people were incapable of moving and Mr. Tanimoto would take them to a place where they could get care. He would try to help as many people as he could no matter how unmanagable there case was "They did not move and he realized that they were too weak to lift themselves. He reached down and took the woman by the hands, but her skin slipped off in huge, glove like pieces"(45). This shows Mr. Tanimots's perserverence to help others to survive.
ReplyDeleteHe feels ashamed walking with his head held high while the rest suffered, "...embarrassed at being able to walk upright.."(46) he did not want others to see him being unaffected. He did all he could to try and save the others and he would try evenharder because he was not as damaged as the others. Mr. Tanimoto was also frustrated with the lack of other people helping the less fortunate ".. a moment a feeling of blind, murderous rage at the crew of the ship, and then at all the doctors.Why didnt they come to help these people?"(46) Mr.Tanimoto is not worried for his life, he is only concerned with the people in need wich proves very heroic.
Mr. Tanimoto is definitely a hero. After the bomb dropped, he was left practically unharmed. So, to make up for this, he decides to aid as many people as he can. He ferries others across a river away from the city's fires; he helps move the sick and dying away from the embankments when they are about to drown; he delivers food to the people residing in the park; and he comforts a dying rival through his religion. Most importantly though, he never once thinks of himself.
ReplyDeleteTanimoto works to save as many people as he can, quickly getting angry when others are not trying to help. So, he makes the decision to "...bring one [doctor] to Asano Park - by the scruff of the neck, if necessary" (50). He travels to the East Parade Ground to retrieve doctors, but they tell him, they are responsible to the slightly wounded, first. Mr. Tanimoto now worries that the severely injured will "die feeling cheated"(51). So, he tries as hard as he can to make them comfortable by feeding and caring for them.
Throughout the beginning of "Hiroshima", Mr. Tanimoto works alone. He is ashamed of not being injured. So, he assists many people as much as he possibly can. He angrily thinks of how others are not doing what he is. "Why didn't they come help these people?" he wonders (46). Mr. Tanimoto is responsible for saving many lives in the days after the bombing, and this makes him a great hero to all those he helped.
Throughout Chapter 3, Dr. Sasaki shows incredible heroism. As a doctor, he was expected to give donate single bit of time and energy to assisting the wounded. There was a lack of medical supplies to help the injured, as all Sasaki had were "wads of bandage and bottles of Mercurochrome" (46). Sasaki and his few fellow doctors did all they could with their limited resources, but the hospital was completely unorganized, and people were everywhere, crying out for help.
ReplyDeleteAlong with the lack of medical supplies and personnel, Dr. Sasaki and the rest of Japan had a complete lack of information concerning the bomb and survivors. He spent nineteen hours straight working, and when he tried to take a nap, the injured found him and demanded his help. Later, after working for three days straight, his mind and body were completely exhausted. After visiting his mother, he "went to bed and slept for seventeen hours" (56). Dr. Sasaki had strength that few others had, and he saved thousands of lives.
I think the most helpful and heroic character was Dr. Sasaki. I say this because he was the one of the only surviving doctors in the hospital. He could have easily escaped to a safer place, but he stayed to help with the countless people who went to the hospital seeking care. He worked constantly for nineteen straight hours, finally trying to rest, “But within an hour wounded people had found them; a complaining circle formed around them,” (47). Because of this, Dr. Sasaki continued to work and heal the wounded. He worked continuously for three straight days, only operating on that single hour of sleep. Out of those three days, the first day was the worst, “By nightfall, ten thousand victims of the explosion had invaded the Red Cross Hospital…” (46).
ReplyDeleteDr. Sasaki is happy with all the help he can get, the only problem is the time it takes for that help to arrive. It takes up to four days for a small number of doctors to arrive from different cities nearby. There help was tremendously needed, and because of this, Dr. Sasaki was now able to finally unite with his mother. He does not seem to be phased by the lack of knowledge, but does show that he is curious as to what type of bomb had landed on the city. He does at times seem to be a little disturbed by the lack of equipment and materials that can be used for helping the survivors. Some help does come with the other doctors, though. They bring a small amount of antiseptics and bandages.