Atomic Bombing :: Essays Papers

Atomic Bombing When asked, many people can think of an event that changed their lives instantly. For example, a near death experience may lead a person to see that life is fragile and that it should be lived to the fullest. Unfortunately, sometimes these events require the loss of innocent lives. In 1945, the United States dropped nuclear bombs on the japanese cites of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in retaliation for the attack on Pearl Harbor. In the years following the attack, many writings have been published in order to capture the horrid nature of this event. The two that we will look at are â€Å"Hatsuyo Nakamura† by John Hersey, and â€Å"Atomic Bombing of Nagasaki Told by Flight Member† by William Laurence. Hersey’s Story chronicles life after the bombing for one of the survivors while Laurence tells the story of the attack through the eyes of one of the crew members aboard one of the bomber planes. Both readings focus on the drastic events of Hiroshima and Nagasaki thr ough the utilization of different styles while conveying two completely contrasting points of views; however, Hersey’s comes across more effectively in the end. One of the more apparent differences is that Hersey’s â€Å"Hatsuyo Nakamura† is written in the third person. Telling the story in the third person prevents readers from seeing things through that person’s eyes. However, it gives a clearer overview of the situation as opposed to breaking down the person’s every thought. In this case, we see the effects of the radation on Nakamura; described as being â€Å"weak and destute† in the aftermath of the bombing. She ends up living in a wooden shack for the next few years where she would â€Å"begin a courageous struggle† in order to â€Å"keep her children and herself alive.† These quotes capture the very essence of her struggle and at the same time promote a feeling of empathy for Nakamura. She continues to struggle for a long time; she justifies this with the phrase, â€Å"Shikata ga-nai†, meaning â€Å"It can’t be helped.† In telling Nakamura’s story in t he third person, Hersey conveys the true feelings and experiences of the bombing victims through a fictional character. Instead of putting out facts and figures, he creates a world in which the reader is able to become engrossed in and even at times experience vividly.

Nationalism in the 19th century

Nationalism is a term used to identify two phenomena. First, it describes the attitude of individuals towards their nation which result to the rise of national identity. Second, it pertains to the action that members of a certain nation take in order to achieve the sustainability of self determination (Miscevic). During the era of industrialization and urbanization in Western societies, nationalism emerged as one of the most successful political forces. Nationalism became the foundation with which western societies were organized. Between the years of 1850 and 1914, the establishment of nation-states gained the support of all social classes. Hence, the equilibrium in the international political power arises. The masses were diverted towards governance that does not adhere to the class war socialist doctrine. In France, Napoleon III spearheaded the successful campaign for nationalism. During his mild dictatorship for nearly 20 years (1852 to 1870), Napoleon promoted the idea that national states and the programs provided by the government could appeal to all social classes such as the rich, the poor, the conservative, and the radical. Consequently, Napoleon’s political initiative became a landscape where national states became an avenue for the rapid changes in politics and economy (Lloyd). In 1860, Count Cavour, the nationalist leader of Sardinia unified majority of the areas in Italy. His initiative to promote nationalism resulted in Italy’s emergence as a single political state without the use of drastic actions in addressing economic and social matters. Two years after, Prussia hailed Otto von Bismarck as the country’s chief minister. Under his leadership, the states of Germany were unified into a single political state under the Prussian governance. This was only made possible after Bismarck fought three wars. The unification of the states of Germany strengthened the pride of nationalism. Likewise, the country attained an anti-liberal and conservative force (Lloyd). In order to attain national identity, the United States competed for national aspirations which eventually led to the civil war. A slave-based cotton industry in the south expanded rapidly right after new lands were utilized for industrialization. Thus, the south was able to generate much demand from cotton production. Due to this, a conflict emerged between the people from the south and the north’s urban culture and family farm agriculture. The triumph of north against the south marked the end of slavery. However, land reforms and racial discrimination were not totally addressed (Lloyd). Nationalism also played an important role in the lives of Russian. Right after the Crimean War, major reforms were put forward. In 1861, the freedom of the serfs was attained. Likewise, the government spearheaded the development of modern industries and railroads (Lloyd). As nationalism continued to grow, most of the politicians and national governments responded accordingly in order to strengthen and meet the demands of the people. Because of nationalism, most of the Western societies managed to promote reforms that appeal to all social classes. Works Cited Lloyd, Jim. â€Å"19th century nationalism.† Fresno Unified School District. 2008. 28 October  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2008 . Miscevic, Nenad. â€Å"Nationalism.† Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 24 September 2005. 28 October 2008 .   

A Utopian Society By John Locke - 1257 Words

It is a natural tendency for men to become a part of societies, and most commonly these societies also have governments which maintain order and protect the people under said government. However, there are many forms of government, all of which have flaws and none can be considered a perfect government. One government which is commonly found in beginning of many societies is a monarchy. The flaws and unjust division of power within a monarchy leads John Locke to create a utopian society, which is a perfect or ideal society. John Locke attempts to create a utopian society in his Second Treatise of Government in the following three ways: his desire for the equality of men and women; his perspective on slavery; and his beliefs on property.†¦show more content†¦Locke explains that the honor that a child has an obligation to repay his parents with belongs to both the mother and the father. Not only do both parents receive this honor, but the authority of the father is not able to take away this honor from the mother. Through his discussion of the division of power within a household or family, John Locke depicts the necessity for the equality of both men and women. Locke demonstrates that the father and mother of a household both have equal power in the parenting of their children and they both have equal rights to receiving honor from their children. In a similar way, John Locke attempts to create a utopian society through his perspective on slavery. John Locke’s perspective on slavery demonstrates his attempt to create a utopian society. He believes that a man is unable to give power over his life to another person if he himself does not possess that power over his own life. Thus, Locke believes that because one does not have the liberty to take away his own life, he is unable to give this power to another person. After stating such restrictions, Locke states, â€Å"a man, not having the power of his own life, cannot, by compact, or his own conse nt, enslave himself to anyone† (Chapter 4, Section 23, Page 17). This demonstrates that John Locke believes that if one does not have power over his own life, another man is unable to enslave him. Locke’s beliefs place restrictions upon aShow MoreRelatedUtopian Society Essay1286 Words   |  6 PagesJohn Locke points to man’s natural tendency to become a part of a society, and most commonly these societies also have governments which maintain order and protect the people under the said government. However, there are many forms of government, all of which have flaws and none of which can be considered a perfect government. One government, which is commonly found in the beginning of many societies, is a monarchy. 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