Genre
Biography
Setting and Context
Set in the 19th Century in the United States of America.
Narrator and Point of View
Third-person narrative
Tone and Mood
The tone is complimentary, and the mood is optimistic.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The central character is J. Robert Oppenheimer, and the antagonist is not mentioned.
Major Conflict
There was a major conflict between Oppenheimer and the United States Authorities when they decided to use atomic bombs in Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Oppenheimer voices his disagreements on the inappropriate use of atomic bombs because it leads to massive loss of lives.
Climax
The climax comes when Oppenheimer successfully creates the first atomic bomb in the Manhattan Nuclear Project, where he is the head coordinator.
Foreshadowing
The looming dangers of World War I foreshadowed the launch of the Manhattan Project by the American authorities to develop nuclear weapons.
Understatement
n/a
Allusions
The memoir alludes to the myth of Prometheus in Scientific Monthly in 1945, which states, "Modern Prometheans have raided Mount Olympus again and have brought back for man the very thunderbolts of Zeus." Mount Olympus refers to Nagasaki and Hiroshima, which were bombed by the United States of America using nuclear weapons, which resulted in massive loss of lives and the destruction of property within seconds.
Imagery
The narrator depicts the sense of sight when describing the devastating impact of the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima in Japan by the United States of America.
Paradox
The main paradox is that Oppenheimer celebrates his success in creating the first atomic bomb, but still feels guilty that it will kill several people during conflicts.
Parallelism
There is a parallelism between Oppenheimer's statement against the use of nuclear weapons and the statement made by fellow physicists to oppose America's decision to bomb Hiroshima.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
n/a
Personification
The sun is personified as a god who can be destructive when provoked.
