Denise Cervantes

5th Period
January 6, 2016

1. The author of this work is Keiji Nakazawa.

2. The title of the work is Barefoot Gen. The significance of the title is the
way he was suffering during the atomic bomb and how hard it was to survive and
to make really hard decisions.
3. The work was written in 1940s. The important background of this work is
Keiji Nakazawa was present when the atomic bomb hit Hiroshima and his family
were killed. He moved to Tokyo to become a cartoonist and make series of how it
was like when the atomic bomb had occurred.
4. The intended audience may have been people who were involved in the
atomic bomb from Hiroshima and had family members dead. They could connect
to this story because he talks about his experience in that event.
5. Summary: It was 8:15 am when the atomic bomb hit. Nakazawa was at
school when the first bomb was flying. He was about to get hit by it, but thanks to
a concrete wall in school he got covered, if not he would of been burnt to death.
Nakazawas mother was in their balcony and eight months pregnant. She was
hanging their clothing when all the sudden a bomb exploded on the balcony, but
his mom survived with no scratched, miraculously. The house was half way
collapsed the second floor wasnt there anymore. There house was flat and his
dad, brother and sister were trapped in the house. His sister died instantly. As the
years past after all that had happened Nakazawa became a cartoonist and
Barefoot Gen shows his experience toward the atomic bomb. (134)
6. The work makes the argument/point that during war there are many
people hurt and communities destroyed. There are many people suffering and
are hurt mentally and physically. Families are being separated because there are
people that dont survive such an ugly massacre. Its not worth going into war
because later you dont know what would happen, what comes around goes
around. (62)
7. My overall assessment of the work is sad because of how he had to make
a huge decision and be the strong one in the family and take care of his pregnant
mom all by himself because his siblings and dad had died. Also, it was sad when
he was helping everyone that needed it, but when he was in need of help no one
was there for him.