Angelina Jolie said: “Without pain, there would be no suffering, without suffering we would never learn from our mistakes. To do it well, pain and suffering are the key to opening the windows, without them there is no way to live." On August 6, 1945, the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, a small city whose death toll rose to 90,000-166,000. On August 9th a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, 60,000-80,000. In total, 15 million people lost their lives during the Second World War. In John Hersey's book, Hiroshima, he gives a detailed account of six people and how the bombing of Hiroshima affected their lives. John Heresy felt it was important to focus his story on six individuals to create a reminder that war not only affects nations and countries, but also real human beings. Additionally, the book details the effect the bomb had on the city of Hiroshima. “The houses all around were burning and the wind was now blowing hard.” (Hersey, 27 years old). Before the bomb, there were few laws regulating the use of a weapon of this magnitude due to the complexity and modern technology used by the bomb. To address fears surrounding the use of the atomic bomb, new laws were created to regulate its use. The atomic bomb would have to be dropped on Japan to prevent further use of such a destructive force. The benefits the bomb has had on our society have been invaluable. Allowing the use of the atomic bomb was an atrocious mistake. In John Hersey's book Hiroshima, he interviews a German priest serving in Japan. This priest, Father Kleinsorge, provides a first-hand account of immorality, justification, and its consequences; “The crux of the matter is whether total war in its present form is justifiable even when it is… middle of paper… the use of weapons of this magnitude, the American idea of ​​the Japanese people have changed and now we have put in place preventative measures in hopes of avoiding the use of nuclear weapons. John Hersey provides a satisfactory description of the atomic bombing. Most writers take sides for or against the atomic bomb. Instead of taking sides, they challenge their readers to express their opinions based on their personal reflections. One of the key questions we need to ask ourselves is: “Are actions intended to benefit the vast majority justified if they have a negative impact on a minority?” The greatest atrocity our society could commit is to make a mistake and not learn from it. It is important, as we progress as a society, to learn from our mistakes or suffer from watching history repeat itself. Works Cited Heresy, J. (1989 Hiroshima. (1st ed.). New York: Random House Inc.