Imagery In Black Rain

Ihuse. Masuji. Black Rain. Trans. John Bester. London: Kodansha Europe Limited, 1994. 120

"Quite suddenly the boy, with an expression of great revulsion, came out with his story. He had been at home when the ball of fire had burst. There had been a sudden flash and a mighty roar, and he had started to run outside. On the instant, the house had collapsed and he had lost consciousness. When he came to, he found himself trapped between beams or other timbers, and his father trying to get them off him. He was using the log as a lever to raise the timbers trapping the boy's leg, urging him all the while to be brave. The flames were drawing in on them and the wreckage of their own house had already caught fire... By now, the fire was closing
In the beginning of the story, we imagine a devastating scene. “He had been at home when the ball of fire had burst. There had been a sudden flash and a mighty roar, and he had started to run outside. On the instant, the house had collapsed and he had lost consciousness.” The imagery used here implies that the boy had been trying to escape but the destruction of the house ceased all hope for the boy as he lost consciousness. The sudden flash shows that the boy feels disjointed and confused. This great roar also instills a image of a fierce beast ready to pounce on its prey in the readers mind. The reader begins to tell the boy to get out of there in their
“And flinging the log away, he fled. The boy shouted, "Dad, help me!" but his father only looked back once before vanishing from sight.” This unfortunate turn of event leaves the reader feeling shocked. The image of the father “flinging the log away” shows the loss of hope. The father's inability to persevere and stay with his son to the end makes the reader feel disappointed. This also helps develop the theme that the extent of human perseverance can sometimes be shortened by the loss of hope. This theme is often demonstrated in through Japanese people during the bombing of