Day Of Two Suns Summary

Beginning from 1942 to 1992 the United States has done almost 1032 nuclear bomb testing around the equator. Even though it was a big step forward for the United States, when it comes to developing nuclear bombs. Consequently, the bomb testing resulted civilians to move from their hometown, furthermore left them exposed to radiation as a result causing them several unwanted diseases and genetic mutations. The worst part is at times, the civilians were left with no right to express their opinion nor feelings towards the bomb testing. That’s when Jane Dibblin a British journalist steps up. In her book the Day of Two Suns: U.S. Nuclear Testing and the Pacific Islanders Dibblin projects to the world the unheard voices of the native villagers
behind the testing. Throughout her book Dibblin manages to emphasis the struggle and destruction the islanders had to face due to nuclear bomb testing. During her introduction(preface) Dibblin herself acknowledges that “this book mainly focuses on two of the pacific communities devastated by nuclear testing” (Dibblin ix). Basically, Dibblin is saying that she made it clear to her audience that she mainly focuses on the social and psychological impact that the Marshall islanders had to face when their village was taken for nuclear bomb testing. Dibbling tends to convey countless amount of information throughout her book that could spark ones’ new ideas to come up with some research ideas. One thing that amazed me about Dibblin is her use of language, she made it simple for anyone that reads it to understand her. Her use of simplicit language prompts anyone to read the book easily no matter what level they are in. Dibblin didn’t stop there, her book has a clear transition from one chapter to another she tends to go in a chronological order which is helpful for the reader because it is more clear for the reader to understand what is going on. Even though Dibblin conveys a good amount of information about the lives of the Marshall islanders. However, when it comes to recording another side of an opinion, she tends to fail at it. Instead of balancing her report it happens to be once sided. To take a case in point, Dibblin dedicated one whole chapter for the women who lived in Marshall Islands. Throughout the chapter she tends to convey the role of the women and how they manage to hold the household together while working at the same time. She also compares women’s lifestyle before and after colonization. For instance, throughout page 138 Dibblin celebrates the fact that the power of unity the Marshalls women had and how they were able to keep/treasure the culture and language of the Marshalls “despite 400 years of colonization” (Dibblin 138). She concedes how developed the women has become, even though she doesn’t say it, but she gravitates an assumption that she is sending a feminism message or empowering women in way. One thing all the women she interviews had in common was that they were all successful women. Even though her ambitions tend to be unclear it does for sure empowers to the women readers who seeks inspirational opinions. Another weakness of this book is that she doesn’t go in-depth when she asks questions. For instance on page 44. When Dibblin interviewed Nelly Aplos about her experience in US military hospital Dibbling states that Aplos “was told by the doctors that her illness had nothing to do with exposure to radiation – but she doesn’t believe them” (Dibblin 29). Basically, Aplos was not able to trust nor believe the doctors the fact that they told her diseases was unrelated to the radiation effect. Dibblin supports Aplos views via scientific facts, she gives the statistics of the expose children under age ten to radiation (page 45). However, when to comes to her sources she tends to use sources that comes from organizations and activists. For instance, on page 45 Dibblin supports her claims from a source called Gensuikin. According to the website Gensuikin is an anti- nuclear and peace movement organization. Given the information that Dibblin is an anti-nuclear activist, and of her to cite a source from an organization that doesn’t support nuclear testing rather than citing from a research institution. Some readers my challenge the view that she gathers her information from an activist organization rather than an institution. Who solely their purpose is to study the effects of a radiation, in addition they have no stance, unlike an activism or organization. This reasoning could clearly put Dibblin into her being in the biased category. In her book Day of Two Suns: U.S.
Nuclear Testing and the Pacific Islanders Dibbling mostly defies the scientific data that are report by scientists and doctor. As an illustration after the bomb bravo dropped increasingly women started to have miscarriages. When Doctor Conard was asked what is the reasoning of these several miscarriages. He replied that the miscarriages are due to illegal abortion. Dibbling didn’t stop there she criticize Conard by stating that it’s culturally acceptable for women to have unwanted babies in the village in fact she provokes the scientists by saying “what the study fails to question is whether the ‘unexposed; women began to have more miscarriages as they ingested radioactive substance in food and water on Rongelap”(Dibblin 40).The essence of Dibblin argument is that the scientist didn’t do enough research or follow up to check whether the unexposed women were consuming radioactive in any format. Although she doesn’t have a certified proof to support her claim for the cause of miscarriage she goes on by stating a general assumption of how “by 1960 it was widely known that radiation could produce fetal and genetic damage and doctors should have been on the lookout for it” (Dibblin 40). Dublin’s point is that it’s a known fact that by 1960 radiation could cause birth defects, the doctors should have known by now that the women in Rongelap might have had the same effect. This shows that she doesn’t have a certified proof but she does stay still in her
stance. Through her book Dibblin is trying to convey the power betrayal, manipulation and colonization. For instance, of how the Rongelap people were manipulated/tricked by religious sentiment and they were tricked to move from their island and they were promised they will get their island back but they ended up being betrayed, by the same government who assured them. The bigger message about this book to stop nuclear testing once and for all. She tries to prove her point with the power of sentiment and persuasion. Although her argument might not be fully supported by other researchers, she still tends to figure her way out by providing as credential resources as she can. furthermore, through out the text Dibblin is supporting feminist movement by interviewing the ten women. Although Dibblin tends to be against US, through out the end of the books she delivers the good side of the US. When she interviews of how the arrival of us affected her lifestyle. The woman replied by that the US encouraged them to be optimistic to “stand up and say what they believe now” (Dibblin 145). Meaning the US helped in the development of independency and to think freely when it comes to women. Dibblin is a British journalist and also an anti nuclear activist. She does a good job sending her message across. Some my critic is it’s a one sided book, so it would be considered biased. However, the main goal of Dibblin is to persuade and convince her readers to take action to not support nuclear test and that I think she had achieved the goal. The upshot of all this is that Dibblin may not be considered as primary resource when it comes to conducting research. Nevertheless, the interviews she conducted could be considered as one or she could be quoted as a support for a claim