The Novel ‘Black Rain’ by Masuji Ibuse Essay

Both the novel Black Rain and the science fiction film Gojira are very impressive in terms of expression the strongest effect which the atomic bombing has left in the minds and hearts of Japanese people. However, the novel presents the most detailed, touching and thought-provoking description of all the saddest consequences the trauma of being a victim of an atomic explosion may leave in the life of any individual who went through such a terrible tragedy.

The novel Black Rain written by Masuji Ibuse is based on the historical events of the atomic bombing in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The author describes what Mr. Shigematsu, the main protagonist of the novel, had to go through after the explosion:

There had been a dozen or more people suffering from radiation sickness in the village, but now only three survives – mild cases, of which Shigematsu was one. All three had checked the progress of the disease by taking care to always get plenty of food and rest. Where the rest was concerned, however, it was not enough—nor was it tolerable for the patient himself—simply to lie in bed all day. The doctor had suggested doing light jobs about the place, supplemented by “walks”. Unfortunately, it was out of the question for the head of the family, to all appearances in the best of health, to stroll idly through the village. For someone to “go for a walk”, in fact, was quite unheard of. A “walk” was unthinkable in terms of traditional custom, and this was unthinkable in principle (Ibuse 8).

The main conflict of the novel becomes evident when this man finds himself in a very sad situation connected to his niece. After the tragedy of suffering an explosion of the atomic bomb, the man adopts his niece who was affected by the black rain of radiation. The time comes when the girl is to be given as a wife for some man to create a family; however, Mr. Shigematsu is not able to find the man to agree to take his niece as his wife on the reason of her apparent atomic disease.

Speaking about the film Gojira is a science fiction describing the events which are caused by applying atomic weapons which leads to appearing of a terrible giant creature called Godzilla. The creature makes shattering incursions to the city of Tokyo and seems to be invincible. As the film’s conflict develops, the audience learns about all the saddest consequences which the tragedy brings on a global scale and to the lives of the film’s main protagonists. It shows the scale of the tragedy, the way the whole country along with millions of people is affected and the way the world is endangered on the reason of experiments with atomic weapons.

My belief is that the novel Black Rain is more effective at expressing and working through the trauma of the atomic bombings than the film Gojira. The personal tragedy of a human being described in the smallest details is more touching than the description of the devastation caused on a global scale. The novel describes the smallest details of the feelings by a human being, the whole scale of hard emotions and suffering arising in the person’s mind and soul. Of course, this is my personal opinion and I understand that people are differently affected by the two masterpieces reflecting on the tragedy of atomic bombing; however, from what I believe, a detailed description of the sufferings of one or two human beings is more touching and thought-provoking that showing the tragedy on a global scale.

In addition, the novel shows the consequences of the events of atomic bombing in the light of real events, when normal life goes on, people keep on working, eating and drinking, and getting married; whereas the other ones who suffered from the tragedy have to face a new reality that they are no longer considered to be a part of normal society, though they are still alive their death sentence is signed by the others. When it comes to the film, it is still science fiction. Yes, it definitely boggles the mind of any person, and I am not an exception, but it is fiction anyway. You return to your daily reality and forget about this fiction, however, daily reality is what is described in the novel and the issues of daily life will always be of greater concern. That is why I am so touched by the novel. In addition, the trauma of the atomic bombings is also a real thing that people have to keep on living with until their dying day; that is why the description of common reality after the bombing is more ‘touching’ to my mind.

Concluding on all the above mentioned, it should be stated that my opinion is that the novel Black Rain by Masuji Ibuse is more effective at expressing and working through the trauma of the atomic bombing than the film Gojira as it describes the deepest feelings and sufferings of the novel’s narrator and his niece whose whole life is destroyed as a result of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The novel relates the most painstaking and thought-provoking picture of all the saddest consequences the trauma of being a victim of an atomic explosion leaves in the mind and soul of an individual who went through such a terrible tragedy.

Works Cited

Ibuse, Masuji. Black Rain. United States: Kodansha USA, 1988. Print.