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In his best-selling book Hiroshima, John Hershey does not overtly
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22 Aug 2025, 09:26
22 Aug 2025, 09:26
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In his best-selling book Hiroshima, John Hershey does not overtly moralize on the use of atomic weapons by the United States during World War II; rather, he tells a straightforward account of the Hiroshima bombing and its immediate aftermath, as a journalist would describe any natural calamity. But by their very nature, the people and scenes he describes are so powerful, so compelling, and so fraught with moral implications that the reader cannot escape confronting fundamental issues of how human beings treat one another, during time of war and otherwise. Many critics regard Hiroshima as the greatest single piece of journalism produced in the 20th century for the specific reason that its story so effectively demands moral engagement, even as it astounds with its objectivity. Today's journalists need not assign their stories a heavy load of moral baggage in order to strike a significant blow for the betterment of the world. They need only to recognize the universal elements contained in any story of consequence and to describe those elements in a style that is vivid, truthful and within the bounds of objectivity.
The author's primary purpose in the passage is to
(A) propose an alternative to traditional styles of journalism.
(B) criticize the lack of moral pronouncements in most journalism.
(C) describe how one author revolutionized journalism.
(D) emphasize the importance of first-person narrative in good journalism.
(E) suggest that objectivity can be valuable in contemporary journalism.
The author of the passage would probably consider which of the following stories to be most similar in style to the story Hershey wrote in Hiroshima?
(A) An author pleads for a prisoner's freedom by condemning his imprisonment from a religious standpoint.
(B) An author conveys the ferocity of a battle through first-hand accounts of what soldiers heard and said, and saw, felt, tasted, and smelled during the fighting.
(C) An author inspires donations to fund a wildlife preserve by attributing charismatic personalities to animals.
(D) An author endorses a course of political action by satirizing opponents as blundering imbeciles.
(E) An author recounts a personal tragedy by repeatedly blaming others for the misfortune.
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Re: In his best-selling book Hiroshima, John Hershey does not overtly
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23 Aug 2025, 11:05
23 Aug 2025, 11:05
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Question 1:
Answer: (E) suggest that objectivity can be valuable in contemporary journalism.
The passage's primary purpose is to highlight a specific journalistic style, exemplified by John Hershey's Hiroshima, and to advocate for its continued relevance. The author argues that by maintaining objectivity and simply presenting a truthful and vivid account of events, journalists can still evoke a powerful moral response from their readers. This is framed as a valuable approach for today's journalists.
Question 2:
Answer: (B) An author conveys the ferocity of a battle through first-hand accounts of what soldiers heard and said, and saw, felt, tasted, and smelled during the fighting.
The author's praise for Hershey's style is based on its objective, yet powerful, presentation of a story. Hershey "does not overtly moralize" and "tells a straightforward account...as a journalist would describe any natural calamity." The power of the story comes from the "people and scenes he describes" and the "universal elements" within the narrative.
Option (B) most closely matches this style. It focuses on presenting vivid, sensory details from first-hand accounts without overt moralizing or a specific political agenda. This objective yet compelling narrative would, according to the passage, naturally lead the reader to confront the moral implications of war.
Answer: (E) suggest that objectivity can be valuable in contemporary journalism.
The passage's primary purpose is to highlight a specific journalistic style, exemplified by John Hershey's Hiroshima, and to advocate for its continued relevance. The author argues that by maintaining objectivity and simply presenting a truthful and vivid account of events, journalists can still evoke a powerful moral response from their readers. This is framed as a valuable approach for today's journalists.
Question 2:
Answer: (B) An author conveys the ferocity of a battle through first-hand accounts of what soldiers heard and said, and saw, felt, tasted, and smelled during the fighting.
The author's praise for Hershey's style is based on its objective, yet powerful, presentation of a story. Hershey "does not overtly moralize" and "tells a straightforward account...as a journalist would describe any natural calamity." The power of the story comes from the "people and scenes he describes" and the "universal elements" within the narrative.
Option (B) most closely matches this style. It focuses on presenting vivid, sensory details from first-hand accounts without overt moralizing or a specific political agenda. This objective yet compelling narrative would, according to the passage, naturally lead the reader to confront the moral implications of war.
gmatclubot
Re: In his best-selling book Hiroshima, John Hershey does not overtly [#permalink]
23 Aug 2025, 11:05
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