can be summed up by the quote, The bombing almost seemed a natural disaster one that had smply been her bad luck, her fate, to suffer. Despite all her misfortune and bad luck, she works hard and raises her children the best she can. Finally at age fifty-five, she felt at home in her body now....it was time for her to enjoy life. Hersey does a phenomenal job in starting off with such a sad tone and gradually working up towards a resolve, when Nakamura is finally at peace. This may not have been the case for all victims, but it is a good illustration of life after the bombing for many victims. The tone of Laurences piece, on the other hand, is neither uplifting nor depressing. In fact, it can almost be seem as a normal day at work for the main character. This comes from the observation that, as mention earlier, that the crew members account appears as if it were more of a journal than a firsthand narration. Though he seems humbled by the power of the bomb, he speaks of the mission and carries himself in a nonchalant manner. This leads one to think that he is unconcerned of the innocent lives that are soon to be lost. He goes on to say, Does one feel any pity of compassion for the poor devils about to die? Not when one thinks of Pearl Harbor and of the Death March on Bataan.The underlying theme between both stories is how differently such a horrible event can be perceived relative to who you are and where youre from. Nakamura felt firsthand what such a destructive weapon could do. She nearly lost her family and had to live the rest of her life with the burden of radiation sickness. Before the bomb dropped, she was a civilian living her everyday life just as you and I. Laurences character, on the contrary, doing his job. He sees this as a step towards ending the war and nothing more....
