Hersey begins his first chapter by introducing four elements that will provide the drama of his story: the setting, the six survivors, irony, and suspense. Each of these elements will play a part in the dramatic unfolding of survival under horrifying conditions.
The city, which is also part of the drama, comes alive in the first chapter. Hersey describes it as fan-shaped. This traditional Asian image has a twofold purpose: It provides a symbol well known to Hersey and to others familiar with Japanese culture, and it also reinforces the culture and beauty that is about to be destroyed in an instant. Hiroshima lies on six islands formed by seven estuarial rivers. It is a city of rivers, residences, factories, docks, airports, and inland seas. Its commercial and residential area is in the city's center and occupies 4 square miles. Most of the city's population lives in this area. The number of citizens was reduced from 380,000 to 245,000 after people left for safer places. Around the edges of the city are factories and other homes and in the south are docks, an airport, and the Inland Sea. Surrounding the other three sides of this delta is a rim of mountains. On this sleepy and warm morning in August, the air raid sirens signaled during the night, but an all-clear blast sounds at 8 a.m. right before the bomb detonates.
Within the confines of this time and place, Hiroshima, Hersey inserts factual details of the six survivors through each of their narratives. These accounts accomplish a second purpose: The survivors will be witnesses to both similar and contrasting experiences that will help Hersey interweave their stories and make them come alive to the readers. Furthermore, these are not six statistics; they are human beings caught up in a huge and shocking event and their stories enable readers to understand the human facet of this historical happening.
