flowers on graves and vomiting river water: images from atomic bomb
This book made me sad, the lives of these characters. The ways that they each felt the impact, saw death. The way that for some of them, Dr. Sasaki, Mrs. Nakamura, Dr. Fujii, small changes in daily routine affected their survival of the day.
The way that confusion becomes such a theme in the text. Radio broadcasts unheard by survivors, confusion over where to go, where safety is located. The confusion that each of the characters share in this text felt visceral.
Some of the images in the text that stuck out to me the most, were of cremated bodies shoved in x-ray envelopes, disposed. Mrs. Nakamura and her children vomiting from river water, just trying to quench thirst. Hemorrhages on skin, all over body, radiation.
But at the end, I wondered about why finances mattered, part five. It feels like after surviving an atomic bomb money is not important. But maybe, my perspective is too different, too far off. Maybe, I would like to think I’d be enlightened after surviving horror, but would still care, because I live in a capitalist culture. And maybe the reality is that money is part of survival, that after an atomic bomb money is still a part of life. Mrs. Nakamura needed money to provide for her family.
The final images of these characters that remain with me most are of Mrs. Nakamura embroidering, finally. Father Kleinsorge’s grave always with fresh flowers.
