"Such clouds of dust had risen that there was a sort of twilight around." (Chapter 1, pg. 10) (Metaphor)
Hersey uses this metaphor to describe the atmosphere around Mr. Tanimoto after the bomb hits. He compares it to twilight, or the beginning of nighttime, both because there is actual, physical darkness, but also because the bomb marks the start of an extremely dark era for the people of Hiroshima as they try to recover and cope with their ruined city. The bomb has obscured their sight both literally and figuratively, just like twilight.
"The party turned right when they came to a block of fallen houses that was one flame. At Sakai Bridge, which would take them across to the East Parade Ground, they saw that the whole community on the opposite side of the river was a sheet of fire." (Chapter 2, pg. 38) (Metaphor)
Calling the blaze set by the bomb "one flame" and "a sheet of fire" emphasizes how all-encompassing this fire is. There is no longer any distinction between individual houses; they are all engulfed by a single flame, stretching so far that the survivors cannot discern where it begins and where it ends.
"He was ashamed of his appearance, and he remarked to Dr. Machii that he looked like a beggar." (Chapter 2, pg. 45) (Simile)
In the aftermath of the bombing, Dr. Fujii is injured and has lost many of his clothes. He knows that there are other people suffering far more, but he is still ashamed of the way he looks, comparing himself to a beggar. This simile once more emphasizes the Japanese sense of personal shame that permeates so much of the book's subjects' lives, driving their decision-making.
"The museum of Science and Industry, with its dome stripped as if for an autopsy..." (Chapter 4, pg. 82) (Simile)
In this simile, Hersey compares the devastated, destroyed museum of science and industry to a corpse prepared for an autopsy. Since autopsies are performed on humans, this comparison serves to paint of picture of the city of Hiroshima as a living, breathing person who has been mangled in a tragedy. It is important to note, though, that the city has not died: rather, it has been gravely wounded, and must be slowly and carefully pieced back together again.
"Tangled among tiles and tin roofing, climbing on charred tree trunks was a blanket of fresh, vivid, lush, optimistic green." (Chapter 4, pg. 85) (Metaphor)
Hersey's word choice of "blanket" in this metaphor is deliberate and powerful, as blankets are associated with rest and the calm peace of sleep. This blanket of newly growing plants stands in start contrast to the rest of the ruined city, which evokes a sense of alarm and terror instead of serenity.
