Having read the two I count myself a fan of Paul Fussell. I cursed the war, I cursed the people who were responsiblefor it, I cursed God for putting me here to suffer for something I never did or knew anything about. The dramatic postwar Japanese success at hustling and merchandising and tourism has (happily, in many ways) effaced for most people important elements of the assault context in which [the dropping . Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. As with theRussian Revolution, there are two sidesthats why its a tragedy instead of a disasterand unless we are, like Bruce Page, simple-mindedly unimaginative and cruel, we will be painfully aware of both sides at once. All this is not to deny that like the Russian Revolution, the atom-bombing of Japan was a vast historical tragedy, and every passing year magnifies the dilemma into which it has lodged the contemporary world. . Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Thank God For the Atom Bomb and Other Essays at Amazon.com. The stupidity, parochialism, and greed in the international mismanagement of the whole nuclear challenge should not tempt us to misimagine the circumstances of the bombs first use. Nor should our well-justified fears and suspicions occasioned by the capture of the nuclear-power trade by the inept and the mendacious (who have fucked up the works at Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, etc.) . Momotaro was a well-known Japanese folk tale, which focused on the Japanese being superior to the white imperialists. On August 2, we observed the 76th anniversary of the atom bomb that destroyed Hiroshima. But in one of his effusions he was right, and his observation tends to suggest the experimentaldubiousness of the concept of just wars. War is not a contest with gloves, he perceived. And not just a staggering number of Americans would have been killed in the invasion. What does Fussell mean when he describes the bombing of Hiroshima as a tragedy rather . Fussell is even keener on exposing the euphemisms and illusions of others. Still thankful for the bomb By John Rossi Some years ago, Paul Fussell wrote a controversial essay titled "Thank God for the Atom Bomb." In it, he argued that dropping two nuclear bombs on Japan was necessary to end the war in the Pacific. knew war, and he knew better than some of his critics then and now what he was doing and why he was doing it. He begins his essay with a verse: In life, experience is the great teacher. In general, the principle is, the farther from the scene of horror the easier the talk. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. To conclude, Paul Fussells essay is very convincing. He will realize that such utterance can perform for the speaker a valuable double function. Why have historians chosen it, and is it appropriate?3) What has been the impact of the atomic bomb on U.S. history?4) What function does morality play in historians' views of the past? Unit Commanders will take stern disciplinary action. In short, I strongly disagree with the author because the bomb needed to be dropping in order to end the war. One does, doesnt one? He notes that thousands of allied soldiers died each week, and that the claim that "the Japanese would have surrendered if given time, so the bombings were unethical" ignores the consequences of such patience (4). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Of course few left. In his paper "Thank God for Atom the Bomb", Paul has put forward several arguments against those who oppose his stance while providing justifications from the literature to support his argument. His premise is that absent those horrific shocks, Japan would have never surrendered without a bloody invasion. With this in mind, they would have continued to drag out the war, which shows that dropping the bombs sped up the war which lessened the casualties. eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. Keep in. I wanted to forget this miserable world. The "we had no choice but to use the bomb" argument is most strongly presented in Paul Fussell's (in)famous essay, "Thank God for the Atom Bomb.". During World War II, tensions between Japan and the United States increased. The future scholar-critic who writes The History of Canting in the Twentieth Century will find much to study and interpret in the utterances of those who dilate on the special wickedness of the A-bomb-droppers. "So many bright futures consigned to the ashes of the past.So many dreams lost in the madness that had engulfed us.Except for a few widely scattered shouts of joy,the survivors of the abyss sat hollow-eyed and silent, trying to comprehend a world without war." Paul Fussell, Thank God for the Atom Bomb & Other Essays 6 likes Like All Quotes An edition of Thank God for the atom bomb, and other essays (1988) Thank God for the atom bomb, and other essays by Paul Fussell 0 Ratings 1 Want to read 0 Currently reading 0 Have read Overview View 2 Editions Details Reviews Lists Related Books Publish Date 1988 Publisher Summit Books Language English Pages 298 Previews available in: English "I have two questions about Paul Fussell's essay, "Thank God for the Atom Bomb". Why does Fussell "thank God" for the atom bomb? The atom bomb was dropped by an American B-29 Superfortress bomber named Enola Gay and the bombs code name was Little Boy. Hiroshima: A Soldier's View," The New Republic (August 26 and 29, 1981), pp. He makes this apparent with his title and with the experiences of other people. It didnt know then what everyone knows now about leukemia and various kinds of carcinoma and birth defects. Japanese government and military leaders on trial for war crimes after the war #5. . What role does his own experience of history play in shaping his views as a historian? So many maimed. The reviewer naturally dislikes Manchesters still terming the enemy Nips or Japs, but what reallyshakes him (her?) Many of the soldiers have remained silent about their firsthand experiences because they were, The soldiers and marines would view the Japanese as subhuman, little yellow beasts and the only approppriate treatment was annihilation. The Americans dehumanized the Japanese people, merely because they were not European. Most historians now agree with Fussell. First, it can display the fineness of his moral weave. The title piece, a defense of Truman's decision to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, generated lively controversy when it first appeared in the New Republic; a spirited . The audience is the readers of the New Republic magazine. due to the strong beach defenses, caves, tunnels, and numerous Jap suicide torpedo boats and manned mines, few Marines in the first five assault waves would get ashore alivemy company was scheduled to be in the first and second waves. It would be not just stupid but would betray a lamentable want of human experience to expect soldiers to be very sensitive humanitarians. Many of those that say the bomb should not have been used are implying that, according to Arthur T. Hadley, it would have been better to allow thousands on thousands of American and Japanese infantrymen to die in honest hand-to-hand combat on the beaches than to drop those two bombs. I find this canting nonsense. KILL MORE JAPS! Herman Wouk remembers the Pacific war scene correctly while analyzing ensign Keith in The Caine Mutiny: Like most of the naval executioners of Kwajalein, he seemed to regard the enemy as a species of animal pest. And the feeling was entirely reciprocal: From the grim and desperate taciturnity with which the Japanese died, they seemed on their side to believe that they werecontending with an invasion of large armed ants. Hiroshima seems to follow in natural sequence: This obliviousness of both sides to the fact that the opponents were human beings may perhaps be cited as the key to the many massacres of the Pacific war. Since the Jap vermin resist so madly and have killed so many of us, lets pour gasoline into their bunkers and light it and then shoot those afire who try to get out. 2) Considering Fussell's discussion of the treatment of Japanese skulls during World War II, as well as all the other atrocities of World War II (the Holocaust, the Japanese invasions in Asia, the Allied fire bombing of Dresden), what do you think about . When a neutron strikes the nucleus of an atom of the isotopes uranium-235 or plutonium-239, it causes that nucleus to split into two fragments, each of which is a nucleus with about . We didnt talk about such things, says Sledge. We thought the Japanese would never surrender. Imagine living in a period in which the realities of war encased the world, and the lethal potential to end all suffering was up to a single being. In Scotch, Teacher's is the great experience.". Add to Wish List Link to this Book Add to Bookbag Sell this Book Buy it at Amazon Compare Prices. The experience Im talking about is having to come to grips, face to face, with an enemy who designs your death. Fussell, a retired University of Pennsylania professor, is editor of The Norton Book of Modern War and the author of many books, among them Thank God for the Atom Bomb and Other Essays and the award-winning The Great War and Modern Memory. More delay would have made possible deeper moral considerations and perhaps laudable second thoughts and restraint. . One remembers the gleeful use of bayonets on civilians, on nurses and the wounded, in Hong Kong and Singapore. English assignment help 24447 ) Why does Fussell "thank God" for the atom bomb? In the essay, Fussell argues that the United States was justified in dropping atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. But thank God that did not happen. ryan on apple books. . Fussell is writing for an audience (readers of the New Republic magazine) that quite likely was born after World War II and has no direct experience with the war in the Pacific, or in later wars such as Korea or, more significantly, Vietnam. Over the years, opinion has shifted sharply toward the position that dropping the bomb both incredibly cruel and totally unnecessary. It is resorted to only when laws, which are rules, have failed. Soldiers being like that, only the barest decencies should be expected of them. The people became prejudice. ) Why does Fussell "thank God" for the atom bomb? Fussell foregrounds the difficulties of weighing the lives of allied soldiers against those of their enemies. The Hiroshima bomb, he says, was dropped without any warning. But actually, two days before, 720,000 leaflets were dropped on the city urging everyone to get out and indicating that the place was going to be (as the Potsdam Declaration had promised) obliterated. Heres a link to a PDF of the original. In his article, Fussell makes this point in various manners. 588 Words. His most valuable pieces deal with the horrors of modern warfare and its literaturesomewhat extending and generalizing his powerful The Great War and Modern Memory (1975). On the contrary, the Americans were also known as demonic. What had I done to deserve this? Three days later, on August 9th, 1945, America dropped another bomb on Nagasaki with the code name Fat Man. Within seconds of reading you understand his claim that there was justification in dropping the atom bomb. In an exchange of views not long ago in The New York Review of Books, Joseph Alsop and David Joravsky set forth the by now familiar argument on both sides of the debate about the ethics of the bomb. In general, the principle is, the farther from the scene of horror the easier the talk. The aim of war is to destroy an enemy who is trying to destroy you. These bombs were thought to end the war between Japan and America before other countries could get involved. . On the tragic day of August 6, 1945, US Air Force deployed the first atomic bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. that in order to finish with the Japanese quickly, it will be necessary to invade the industrial heart of Japan. The invasion was definitely on, as I know because I was to be in it. Thank God For The Atom Bomb4 Pages886 Words. Mr. Summary Of Thank God For The Atom Bomb By Paul Fussell 499 Words | 2 Pages. Change). Another bright enlisted man, this one an experienced marine destined for the assault on Honshu, adds his testimony. Enjoy eNotes ad-free and cancel anytime. . Already a member? The entire Japanese problem has been magnified out of its true proportion largely due to the physical characteristics of the people (Martin 31). These soldiers experienced the brutality and mostrosities of the war. View fussels.docx from HIST MISC at Longwood University. That is the reason Fussell said, "Thank God for the Atom Bomb." I am writing about these events neither to justify nor to condemn the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. List Price: $17.95. Understanding the past requires pretending that you dont know the present. Someone, please. As Samuel Johnson said of thesmothering of Desdemona, the innocent in another tragedy, It is not to be endured. Nor, it should be noticed, is an infantrymans account of having his arm blown off in the Arno Valley in Italy in 1944: I wanted to die and die fast. Being aware of the segregation against blacks, the Japanese created propaganda such as books that illustrated the racism in America along with how the African Americans were treated. David F. Labaree is Lee L. Jacks Professor at the Stanford University Graduate School of Education and a professor (by courtesy) in history. The past, which as always did not know the future, acted in ways that ask to be imagined before they are condemned. The combat soldier, he says. on Paul Fussell Thank God for the AtomBomb, Follow David Labaree on Schooling, History, and Writing on WordPress.com, Paul Fussell Thank God for the AtomBomb, The Winning Ways of a Losing Strategy: Educationalizing Social Problems in theUS. What role does his own experience of history play in shaping his views as an historian? Experience whispers that the pity is not that we used the bomb to end the Japanese war but that it wasnt ready in time to end the German one. Fussell argues vigorously and, to my mind, convincingly that the bombing was crucial in cutting short the war and preventing the much greater loss of life that would have occurred as a result of a full-fledged invasion. Sitting in stunned silence, we remembered our dead. He looked to be in great pain but there was nothing that I could do for him. It's been for me a model of the short poem, and indeed I've come upon few short poems subsequently that exhibited more poetic talent. Explains that paul fussell's thank god for the atom bomb is one of many essays written in favor of the bomb that aided the ending of world war 2. Indeed when the bombs were dropped he was going on eight months old, in danger only of falling out of his pram. As a result, Truman ordered the atomic bomb, a deadly revolution in nuclear science, to be dropped on the towns of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Dower explains that the often overlooked component of racial hatred and propaganda was a driving force in the kill or be killed atmosphere of no surrender, in the Pacific compared to the European theater (Dower 12). It requires feeling its own pressure on your pulses without any ex post facto illumination. Three days later Charles Sweeney flew in the Enola Gay to Nagasaki, where the bomb Fat Man was dropped. what we had experienced [my emphasis] in fighting the Japs (pardon the expression) on Peleliu and Okinawa caused us toformulate some very definite opinions that the invasion . From his point of view, as someone who served in the infantry during WWII, the bomb saved thousands of lives that would have been lost if there had been a D-Day style invasion of the Japanese home islands. Planners of the invasion assumed that it would require a full year, to November 1946, for the Japanese to be sufficiently worn down by land-combat attrition to surrender. What was required, said the Marine Corps journal The Leatherneck in May 1945, was a gigantic task of extermination. The Japanese constituted a pestilence, and the only appropriate treatment was annihilation. Some of the marines landing on Iwo Jima had Rodent Exterminator written on their helmet covers, and on one American flagship the naval commander had erected a large sign enjoining all to KILL JAPS! (A good place to interrupt and remember Glenn Grays noble but hopelessly one-sided remarks about injustice, as well as suffering.). . 3 Pages. 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