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Chapter 18: Tokyo, 1942
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in After Darkness, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
The Dangers of Nationalism
Isolation and Trauma
Kindness, Compassion, and Selflessness
Racism, Xenophobia, and Division
Guilt and Atonement
Summary
Analysis
One day, 47 years later, Dr. Ibaraki wakes up and begins a typical day. Though he is retired, he still makes an effort to have an active life. Ibaraki runs into a neighbor, Mrs. Ono, in the hallway. They greet each other. Upon seeing the newspaper, which includes a story of bones found underground, Mrs. Ono expresses that it is a shame. Ibaraki, knowing the true reason for the bones, avoids the subject. Mrs. Ono advises him to get out more, which Ibaraki dismisses because he has a very active social life and close relationships with his family.
In this time jump forward, the reader sees how Ibaraki’s life turns out. Despite the tragedies early in his life, he has managed to become a successful doctor and active community member. The fact that the bones from Ibaraki’s labs are in the news highlights the historical weight of Ibaraki’s past and work in the lab.
Themes
After Dr. Ibaraki’s conversation with Mrs. Ono, he reads the article about the bones discovered beneath the National Institute of Health building. Though there will not be an investigation, many historians believe that the bones are connected to Unit 731—Ibaraki’s former unit. Ibaraki feels overwhelmed with guilt. Over the years, he has been able to let the memories fade, but the article brings them back.
The fact that the article brings back buried memories demonstrates the fact that, though Ibaraki has managed to build a full life, his time in the laboratory was a deeply traumatic event that has stayed with him for his whole life.
Themes
Dr. Ibaraki reaches into his desk and takes out a letter from Sister Bernice, which she wrote in 1942 but which Ibaraki did not receive until 1948. At the time, still grieving Kayoko’s death, he didn’t write back and decided to leave it in the past. In this moment, he rereads the letter. In the letter, Sister Bernice apologizes for her behavior that night at the hospital, when she questioned him. She also expresses that she loved getting to know him a little bit and only wished to know him better and close the distance between them. Upon rereading the letter, Ibaraki finally understands that his silence was harmful. Despite his knowledge that his and his family’s reputation will suffer, he begins to write a letter to the newspaper about the truth of Unit 731.
Though Dr. Ibaraki and Sister Bernice have not spoken since the 1940s, it is clear that his relationship with her is one of the most impactful in his life. Her final letter to him confirms the fact that Ibaraki’s distance and silence is what caused the dissolution of their relationship. Though Ibaraki previously found honor in silence, he now sees that speaking out is the right thing to do. His decision to publicly tell the truth about his work with the laboratory shows the impact that Sister Bernice had on him as a certain kind of role model and as a friend, and furthermore highlights the extent of Ibaraki’s personal growth throughout the novel.
Themes
