Character Clues

Character Analysis

Direct Characterization

Although Hersey generally lets his subjects' actions and the events that surround them speak for themselves, he does insert some info here and there that gives us a window into the kind of people we're dealing with—and indicates how they reacted emotionally/internally to the tremendous trauma of having survived a nuclear attack.

Just check out Dr. Fujii. Describing how life went for him in the years that followed the bomb drop, Hersey writes:

Dr. Fujii suffered from none of the effects of radiation overdose, and he evidently felt that for any psychological damage the horrors of the bombing may have done him the best therapy was to follow the pleasure principle. (5.105)

Although his tone is still really objective and journalistic, Hersey gently clues us into the fact that Dr. Fujii coped with life's challenges—including the bombing—by trying to have as much fun as possible, which definitely says a lot about who he was (a party monster).

Actions

To stick with the example of Dr. Fujii, we know he's a party animal because he acted like one. For example, when he went to New York as a chaperone to some girls who are getting plastic surgery for bombing-related scars, he seemed to have a ton of fun in his off-hours:

Sometimes, he went out alone to have a good time. The other Japanese doctor, named Takahashi, was his hotel roommate. Dr. Takahashi was a light drinker and a light sleeper. Late at night, Dr. Fujii would come in, crash around, flop down, and break into a sleep-shattering symphony of snores. He was having a wonderful time. (5.111)

So yeah, Dr. Fujii comes off as a fun dude who loves to party. However, Hersey manages to lightly suggest—without saying anything much at all—that his roommate might not have appreciated Dr. Fujii's funtimes at all…

Family Life

How the subjects treat their families ends up telling us a lot about them. For example, Miss Sasaki takes charge of her two younger siblings after her parents are killed in the bombing, doing the best she can to support them even while she's still reeling from her own injuries—that's love for sure.

Also, Mrs. Nakamura demonstrates her fortitude and love for her children in courageously digging through the rubble on her own to get them out, which can't have been easy or particularly safe.

In perhaps a point of contrast, we learn that Dr. Fujii and his wife end up having marital problems toward the end of his life when the good doctor decides to build an American-style residence against her wishes. In addition to highlighting some tension between the couple, it may say something about Dr. Fujii that he completely disregards his wife's wishes in this regard, right?