Throughout history there have been many atrocious acts that have befouled mankind, ranging from the holocaust of the Jewish people In World War 2, the slavery of African Americans which brought about the American Civil War and the bombing of Hiroshima in 1945 (a highly controversial action by the Truman Administration that resulted in costs to Japan where truly great) which resulted in suffering of such a large scale due to the devastating effects of nuclear warfare. In the expository text Hiroshima journalist John Heresy portrays the catastrophic effects of the nuclear bomb on everyday citizens in Japan in an attempt to challenge the reader and to also challenge the U.S view that the atomic bomb was a perfect solution to end the war. Through the use of selection of detail, style and structure Heresy depicts to the reader the powerful social issue that griped the world and destroyed Hiroshima on August 6th 1945.
             Heresy's selection of detail throughout his emotional tale of human suffering and determination presents the view that dropping a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima wasn't the best suited military strategy due to the fact that Russia was about to invade Japan 3 days after the actual bombing and also a further diplomatic resolve could have been attempted. Even though Japan was a fierce aggressor who, through their cunning tactics, disciplined style of fighting and the values of honour, tradition and endurance fuelling their war machine the feeling at the time was that they deserved what was coming to them. But to drop a bomb of such power, such destruction on innocent civilians purely to force your aggressor to surrender truly is one of mankind's lowest and darkest hours. The extract that reflects this reads,
             "some where vomiting as they walked. Many where naked or in shreds of clothing, on some undressed bodies, the burns had made patterns of undershirt straps and suspenders and, on the bodies of some women (sin...