a unifying idea that is a recurrent element in literary or artistic work

Making the shift from fiction to non- fiction: The theme of a fable is its moral. The theme of a parable is its teaching. These are examples of theme in fiction…

The theme of a piece of non-fiction is its view about life and how people behave. In Hiroshima, the theme is not intended to teach or preach. In fact, it is not presented directly at all. You extract it from the characters, action, and setting that make up the story. In other words, you must figure out the theme yourself.

There are a few questions we can ask ourselves when looking for the theme… Remember we should be able to summarize the theme in one sentence from the clues and cues we are about to look at!

1. Check out the title. Sometimes it tells you a lot about the theme. Thinking aloud: Hiroshima. A one word title. Hersey could have used a few more words at least, but he didn’t. I wonder if this one word is supposed to stand as a monument or testament to all those who were affiliated to Hiroshima- A place that was once a home, a city, a culture? Hmmm.. Lets look further

2. Notice repeating patterns and symbols. Sometimes these lead you to the theme. Turn to an ear peer and discuss repetition you are noticing in the text. What do all 6 characters have in common, before, during, and after the A-bomb was dropped. Write your findings in the appropriate space on your theme organizer.

The morning routines of the characters are simple and quiet: reading, rolling up sleeping mats, carrying a tray down a hallway, all mundane and something they all do without a lot of thought There is frequent mention of how silent the flash was. Mention of what each person thought the bomb was- either right when it exploded or shortly after: they are all trying to make sense of the confusion by using past experience to explain what’s going on.

What descriptions are made throughout the story? Think of ways the bombing was described by the victims. How did they describe it when it first dropped? How did they describe the damage? Turn to your ear peer again and note a few things the witnesses compared the bombing to

The flash of the bomb was compared to the flash of a camera. Sheet of sun Local cloud of dust darkened the sky Dr. Fujii was pinned like a morsel held by chopsticks Father Kleinsorge imagined a scene from comic books he read as a boy when a meteor collided with Earth.

What are the details and particulars in the story? What greater meaning may they have? We look to the language choice of these details. Remember, the author doesn’t put anything in the text by accident. If there is something interesting in the text, its definitely there for a reason. What details does the author put in that caught your eye or made you feel a particularly strong feeling? Or maybe a detail that was just really vivid?

The calmness of the morning and the blueness of the sky Flowers and plants growing after the bomb, and the vegetable garden Father Kleinsorge wandered around in when he was in shock. The simple pleads of victims trapped under rubble The way Hersey describes the horrible wounds, with such matter-of-fact vocabulary People and horses even, hung their heads in silent defeat and sorrow……and the list goes on..

Remember that theme, plot, and structure are inseparable, all helping to inform and reflect back on each other. Also, be aware that a theme we determine from a story never completely explains the story. It is simply one of the elements that make up the whole.

We have looked at many aspects of the text in deciding what the theme is- If we keep this in mind while we read, it helps guide us and keeps us emotionally engaged in the character’s experience Example: Hiroshima maintains its theme of Humanity despite the destruction of community, family, and city alike.

So we have looked at the title, patterns and symbols, descriptions, and finally details, to figure out what our Theme is. Lets define the theme once and for all: Look at all your evidence on your organizer and craft a single sentence that defines the theme of our text