The novel’s first two chapters introduce the reader to Sadako, her family, and her city and show how the atomic bomb continues to impact the people of Hiroshima nine years later. Chapter 1 uses the Sasakis’ morning routine to present the vivacious protagonist, her parents, and her three siblings. In Japanese culture, enthusiasm and energy are associated with good health. As a result, the lively 11-year-old looks like the very picture of wellness at the novel’s start. Eleanor Coerr uses vivid verbs and similes to capture her protagonist’s ebullient personality, such as when Sadako is shown “[r]ushing like a whirlwind into the kitchen” (10). Chapter 1 also introduces Sadako’s favorite form of exercise, racing: “Her mother always said that Sadako had learned to run before she could walk” (9). This lifelong hobby later becomes an important plot point. By describing Sadako’s activity and enthusiasm in detail at the beginning of the story, the author sets up a contrast with her later health condition. The reader knows that Sadako will fall ill, which adds a somber element of dramatic irony to the novel’s joyful first chapters.

Of course, the atomic bomb impacts the Sasakis even before Sadako is diagnosed with leukemia. The Thunderbolt has already taken the lives of at least one of their loved ones, Sadako’s grandmother. The prominent placement of Oba chan’s photograph on the family altar and Mr. and Mrs. Sasaki’s frequent references to her connect to the theme of Living With Grief. The family’s morning prayer in Chapter 1 shows that the Sasakis believe they are still connected to Oba chan and their other ancestors even though they are parted by death. This belief in love’s perseverance will become a significant source of comfort for Sadako as the novel continues and she must reckon with her mortality. Mr. Sasaki’s prayer also develops the theme of War’s Impact on Children because it contains the novel’s first reference to leukemia and establishes that children are still being diagnosed with cancer even though the bomb fell nearly a decade ago. The prayer in Chapter 1 develops the novel’s major themes and foreshadows Sadako’s diagnosis.

In Chapter 2, Coerr creates juxtaposition by oscillating between Sadako’s childlike excitement for Peace Day and reminders of the grim occasion it marks. Sadako expresses fear and discomfort at the photographs that capture “the dead and dying in a ruined city” (17) and at the survivors who are “burned [...] so badly that they no longer looked human” (19). She averts her eyes because she doesn’t want to engage with the pain the scars and photographs represent. The young girl wants to maintain the cheerful illusion that Peace Day is simply an occasion to eat cotton candy and watch fireworks with her best friend. The author’s use of juxtaposition shows that the atomic bomb’s effects on the city linger, but they have not yet disrupted Sadako’s day-to-day life.

Another of the novel’s major themes is Hope and Perseverance. Chapter 2 explores how the city of Hiroshima as a whole honors the past and perseveres in the present. The author uses similes to evoke the beauty of this healing process. When hundreds of doves are released in Peace Park, Sadako observes that the birds look “like spirits of the dead flying into the freedom of the sky” (19). Doves symbolize peace, and the simile comparing them to spirits adds another layer of meaning. The birds’ release represents the people of Hiroshima’s hope that those who lost their lives to the atomic bomb are at peace and that nations can achieve peace in the world. As with the doves’ release, the lanterns convey a sense of freedom and letting go of grief. Each lantern bears the name of a person lost to the bombing, and they float down the river “like a swarm of fireflies against the dark water” (20). The simile speaks to the magnitude of the city’s losses by describing the lanterns as a swarm, but the image of “fireflies against the dark water” shows that there is light amidst darkness and beauty in healing (20).

Throughout the story, Sadako’s cheerful, hopeful personality causes her to savor life’s simple joys and to appreciate good luck signs others dismiss. Collectively, these good luck signs represent one of the novel’s key symbols. For example, in Chapter 1, Sadako delights in seeing a fuzzy spider despite her older brother telling her, “That’s silly [...]. Spiders don’t really bring good luck” (13). According to traditional Japanese beliefs, seeing a spider in the morning is an auspicious sign because spider webs connect the land of the living to paradise. By establishing Sadako’s interest in luck and wishes from the outset, Coerr helps the reader understand why the legend about paper cranes resonates so strongly with Sadako later in the story.