Nagasaki’s Rebuilding

The rebuilding of Nagasaki’s infrastructure symbolizes the tension between persistent emotional scars and the necessity of remaining optimistic about the future. When Etsuko and Sachiko look down on Nagasaki from high on a mountain, they remark on how quickly the city was rebuilt in the years following the atomic bomb blast. They also speak of the necessity of maintaining optimism. However, such dynamics are contrasted against the novel’s depictions of persistent trauma.

Child Deaths

The multiple child deaths in Nagasaki in the years after the war symbolize the persistent nature of horror and trauma. In narration, Etsuko remarks on the fact that multiple children were found dead—apparently murdered—in Nagasaki in the years after the war, and that the killer was never caught. These horrific deaths contrast with the stoic demeanors that the residents of Nagasaki try to maintain, while generally...