on individual perspectives have tremendous powers, because we could easily imagine that person suffered in the war could be us. The strong wills to survive, the guilty for beloved families… all emotions are similar across human beings when a catastrophe befalls.
From victims’ drawing, we can picture the world after the nuclear bombing from tiny details of burned skin to the ruins of the whole city. Although survivors are not professional painters, the emotions are strong and real, and each represents an individual’s experience which can be emotionally connect to another individual after 74 years easily. I believe this kind of emotional connection will forever exist, as long as our yearning for peace and love exist.
Like the girl in the manga, I can imagine myself feeling guilty for not able to help others, or even feel sorry for staying alive after seeing so many people died in agony. These psychological traumas are less visible and do not seem to be as visually striking as the ruins of the city, but its long-term effects on individuals cannot be ignored. I appreciated the narratives of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum because it respects every individual who suffered in that tragedy, their names and stories will not be forgotten by history.
A large part of the individual narratives is perfectly balanced by the scientific and international politics background about use of the nuclear weapon, which enable children at any age to easily understand the natural science and contextualize the disaster in a greater historical background. Adding the history Hiroshima reconstruction and the current challenge of the Non-Proliferation Treaty shed positive light on humanity but also bring up concerns, which encourages next generations to think about the topic of peace in a newer context.
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