Reconstruction: A Defining Process

Pictured to the right is a Japanese woman ca. late-1940s.  The geometric shapes covering her arm, back, and shoulder are not tattoos or any other form of permanent (or temporary) body art.  Rather, they are burns that reflect the patterns on the kimono she was wearing at the time.  The uninjured parts of her back correspond with where the kimono was both lighter in color (reflecting the intense thermal energy from the bomb) and looser. This graphic image evokes – or should evoke – a visceral reaction from all those who see it.  David Serlin introduces numerous examples of atomic bomb victims similar to the one discussed above in a book chapter titled “Reconstructing the Hiroshima Maidens.”  In this chapter, Serlin recounts the devastation suffered by Japanese atomic bomb victims – especially young females – and chronicles their journey to the United States to undergo reconstructive surgery.  Further, Serlin analyzes the widespread  social, political, cultural, and societal impact that both the use of nuclear weapons and the decision to bring these “Hiroshima Maidens” to the United States effected in Japan, America, and the world as a whole.  The crux of Serlin’s argument is that the only altruism involved in this decision was that of Rev. Kiyoshi Tanimoto, the Christian minister who first proposed this project.  The United States’ involvement was motivated by purely political means, and, ultimately, the Hiroshima Maidens were exploited by the U.S. State Department, pro-, and anti-nuclear groups. Regardless of whether or not this exploitation occurred, it is clear that these surgeries were crucial to erasing both the physical and psychological scars that crippled Japanese bomb victims.  Serlin writes that the very nature of surgery “crystallized around popular fantasies…about the possibility of self-improvement and upward mobility” (p. 62).  Thus, the Hiroshima Maidens were far more than simple victims of war undergoing cosmetic surgical procedures; rather, they were the human embodiment of optimism, hope, and reconstruction. This idea of reconstruction – especially in the context of post-war societies – is integral in the creation of a country, ethnic group, or – on a smaller level – single person’s cultural identity.  Simply put, reconstruction after trauma is a defining characteristic to most people.  This theme is discussed at length in the American Psychological Association’s (APA) report Resilience & Recovery After War: Refugee children and families in the United states.  While this report focuses on refugee children and how their experiences affect their resilience levels.  While the report is quite expansive (citing over 150 sources), the essence of the research is that experiencing and overcoming conflict as a child gives you innate coping strategies and higher measures of resilience that individuals with a more comfortable background.  Simply put, the act of overcoming obstacles – in essence, reconstruction – is character-defining. The Hiroshima Maidens is a case study that offers valuable evidence as to how impactful the process of reconstruction is to an individual, community, and society.  While the Hiroshima Maidens and the APA report on refugees provide an explicit and heart-wrenching glimpse into this, the theme is consistent among individuals who have experienced trauma and can be extrapolated to communities and societies at local, national, and global levels.