Introduction
When the atomic bomb, ironically dubbed “Little Boy,” was detonated in Hiroshima in August 1925, at least 80,000 people died instantly. According to Brau (2017), there were between 90000 and 140000 casualties (those who perished from radiation and injuries). The bombing had severe repercussions; the explosion’s blast was about equal to 13 kilotons of TNT. At least 90% of Hiroshima’s buildings, according to government records, were either destroyed or severely damaged. However, such information can also be presented through personal presentations such as oral history and recollections. Such knowledge regarding the previous historical activity can only be discovered in written records such as books, monuments, textbooks, and films.
Oral history is essential to one of the most fascinating and significant stories surrounding the 70th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings. Japanese culture’s oral and written traditions have survived for a long time and are still active. Different modes of emotion and thought are encoded differently into spoken and written language and the various language forms used in both.
How Personal Experience Has Aided in Reinforcing Public Presentations on Atomic Bomb
Personal experiences such as oral history and memoirs are significant because it gives mission history and analysis depth, texture, flavor, character, and color. It completes the picture, provides those who are voiceless a voice, and enhances, confirms, and modernizes the historical record as social history (Passerini,2021). An older generation might interact with the younger generation through oral history
The events surrounding the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August capture some of history in writing, but they leave out essential details on the number of victims, the extent of their anguish, and the extent of the destruction of property. Publications may only be able to cover events of that day to a certain extent, but personal presentations give an intimate view of how the bombing unfolded. In contrast to unreliable sources, personal presentations like oral histories involve survivors sharing their experiences of what happened and what they encountered. It is a direct way to gain a sense of what the real victims went through, which written publications cannot detail; therefore, it acts as a support factor to written history and ensures further understanding of the atomic bomb event.
By integrating information from public presentations, statistical data, images, maps, letters, diaries, and other historical sources that were published to chronicle events of the bombing, personal experiences help paint a more comprehensive picture of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bomb (Passerini,2021). When any impacted individuals, who range in number from 90000 to 140000, are questioned, they offer a variety of opinions and points of view that assist fill in the gaps in the history that have been written down, occasionally modifying or even disputing the written record. Interviewers have the opportunity to elicit information not found in other documents and speak with individuals whose accounts of the bombing’s impacts have been hidden or forgotten. Interviews are conducted with firsthand witnesses of the August atomic explosion to learn more about what transpired and the impact the bomb had on their lives.
The victims of the attack, who are ignored and left to face their problems due to the explosion, are given voices through personal presentations. The younger generation only hears about some incidents; they have no firsthand knowledge of how the atomic bombing happened. In order to support the atomic bombing narrative presented in textual presentations, oral historians are crucial. Oral historians describe in precise, unedited detail what they saw and the consequences of the bombing. Even the most heinous deed is described in detail by personal experiences, which may not be in written publications. While written records can teach future generations about the atomic bombing incident, they do not offer the entire explanation since they often exclude details that oral historians reveal. Thus, it is easier to comprehend the events leading up to the bombing and the suffering endured by the survivors when written and spoken information are combined (Naono,2018).
How Personal Experience Has Contradicted Public Presentations on Atomic Bomb
In-person interviews with survivors of the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki serve as firsthand experiences. However, the results may conflict with the written accounts of the atomic bomb incident. It could result from false witnesses who give statements based solely on what they read rather than on their actual appearance in the impacted locations. It will automatically present several perspectives on how the atomic bombs occurred and the difficulties survivors are experiencing. In order to comprehend the actual events surrounding the bombing, finding the appropriate witnesses is something that should be taken into account. False witnesses tell their version of the events, which may not be factually accurate and cannot always be verified.
When survivors and witnesses give fabricated accounts of what happened during the bombing, instances of discrepancy from written presentations may also occur. Some witnesses could embellish the events and give contradictory information. Some people might lie or withhold information to protect the act’s perpetrators, while others might do it for their motives. When information about the atomic bombings is presented based on personal feelings, hate, rage, and anger, the forthcoming events are subsequently swept aside and replaced with falsity that may be inconsistent with the data in recorded documents. Giving misleading information could prevent survivors from learning the truth about their suffering in Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Personal experience based on these other purposes leads to these differences.
In conclusion, personal experiences are one of the most effective methods a social or cultural historian can use to understand memory production and refute isolated historical accounts. However, the power imbalance that underpins the discipline of history prevents endless categorization and theory from capturing the essence of the source of personal experiences. To interact with the past “as it was” and reduce the exploitation that naturally occurs through historical methods, the oral historian must be aware of their own biases and contextual constraints. However, after careful consideration of the individuals and survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki attack, a combination of personal experiences and written evidence should be supported.
References
Brau, M. (2017). The atomic bomb was suppressed: American censorship in occupied Japan. Routledge.
Naono, A. (2018). Ban the Bomb! Redress the Damage!: The History of the Contentious Politics of Atomic Bomb Sufferers in Japan. Asian Journal of Peacebuilding, p. 6.
Passerini, L. (2021). Mythbiography in oral history. In The myths, we live by (pp. 49-60). Routledge.
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