In his essay, Fussell discusses the necessity of the atom bomb during World War II. Many claim that using the bomb on Japanese civilians was cruel and inhumane while others believe that utilizing such an explosive was the most successful way to prompt the enemy’s surrender. Fussell addresses the debate over the effectiveness of the atom bomb in his piece. Fussell makes several claims as to why the atom bomb was essential in making the Japanese surrender and bringing about peace among the two nations. He supports these claims with several facts about the war throughout his essay and uses quotes from numerous individuals to strengthen his argument. For example, John Kenneth Galbraith argued that the atomic bombs were “unecessary and unjustified” (18) because they only ended the war about “two or three weaks early.” (18) However, Fussell states that bombing Japan aided in saving a multitude of American soldiers would have otherwise died on the …show more content…
However, his emotion gets in the way of his argument, creating some ambiguities. For example, on page 27 of his writing, Fussell’s feelings towards the subject matter is clearly evident in his words, allowing for his audience to question his morals and beliefs. Instead of writing coherently, Fussell seems to be writing his thoughts as they pop up in his head, which is seen through the many questions he writes in this passage. As the essay progresses, his words and ideas seem to become more partial. He becomes more hostile in his writing, which can be interpreted as Fussell’s attempt to convince his audience that his point of view is correct. Towards the end of the passage, however, Fussell seems to calm down as begins to speak of the soldiers lost before the use of the atom bombs. His attempt to coherently argue his opinion, however, is greatly weakened after he raves about the justification of annihilating innocent, Japanese