Berger's "Hiroshima"

Summary:
John Berger's essay "Hiroshima" is written in response to a collection of artwork entitled Unforgettable Fire. The book consists of drawings, sketches, and memories that document the bombing of Hiroshima by its survivors. While the collection claims that the drawings are being left "for posterity," Berger finds something more important at work here (qtd in Berger 576). Instead he argues that it is through personal narrative (and art) that latter generations can truly comprehend the horror of this action (and others like it). He likens the images to "hell" and labels the action as one of terrorism--one that can never be justified no matter what political side one supports or what aims one hopes to accomplish.
Response:
Based on the types of readings I have assigned for this class, I don't think it should be any surprise that I believe in the power of the personal narrative. So, on this point, I completely agree with Berger. Reading the number of those who died in the Holocaust, or lost their loved ones in Pearl Harbor, or fell with the Towers on 9/11 has a power on its own. But it is too easy to become immune to numbers. A personal narrative prevents an audience from de-humanizing an issue, and hopefully focus on what is truly important.
Rhetorical Analysis:
Berger makes two rhetorical choices that are especially effective. The first is that he interweaves excerpts of personal narratives into his own essay. While these narratives support his point, he does not refer to them or explicate them in any way. Instead he lets them speak for themselves. Since his point is that the personal narrative brings history into "living consciousness," this move highlights his thesis (575). Second, he uses language that polarizes his readers. By using terms like "hell" and "terrorism" he is not allowing his readers to take a middle path. While this may turn some readers away, this type of rhetoric again supports his point. He closes his essay by saying that only when someone looks away can acts like these be justified (581). This type of language prevents an audience from "looking away."

Example of Reading Response Blog

I wrote this last year in response to the This I Believe essay "Are You With Us?" I'll be posting another one soon based on a personal narrative from World War II.

ENG 101 Reading Response
The This I Believe essay "Are You with Us? Are You with Us?" (written by an author only known as Roya) emphasizes the belief that any American, and possibly any world citizen, can belong to many worlds and be both part of "us" and "them." The title of this essay comes from many of those in the Bush administration after the attacks of 9/11. The attack on terrorism was presented as "you are either with us or you're against us." You're either "us" or "them." Roya is in a difficult position, being an Iranian American. He claims that due to many Americans' ignorance of world cultures, he can only be viewed as Iranian, or part of "them." In fact, he stresses the point that until a major catastrophe occurs, or America engages an area of the world in military conflict, most Americans have little to no knowledge of that part of the world. He provides Kabul, Baghdad, and Darfur as examples of this (which many of us now know of only through the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the major humanitarian conflict in the Sudan).

I have had personal experience with many of the points that Roya makes. I remember watching the events of 9/11, and sadly becoming one of those people that became consumed by the disaster. And, yet, when Bush made his proclamation of "us and them," I died a little bit inside. I knew where this idea was going. If you don't agree with the actions of the U.S. government, then you support terrorism. And while I abhor what occurred on 9/11, I don't believe our war in Afghanistan has been handled properly and I don't believe it supported a war on Iraq at all. So the "us and them" issue affects all American citizens, not just those who may be viewed as "them" based on their ethnicity.

I also taught 7th grade for many years, and the teaching of Islam is part of the social studies curriculum. Before the 2001-2002 school year, virtually none of my students had any knowledge about Islam or the Muslim areas of the world at all. From September 11, 2001 on, all my students "knew" about Islam was that it "was related to terrorism." I'm not sure which situation was worse: total ignorance or prejudice based on ignorance.Iran seems to be becoming "the new threat" to our democracy, at least as it is presented by our government and the media. But I agree with Roya: Does it make me "unpatriotic to try to understand and allow room for knowledge and tolerance so that I can effectively take part in spreading freedom and democracy?"