Compare and Contrast Theme Essay “The safety of this nation, cannot lie wholly or even primarily in its scientific or technical prowess. It can be based only on making future wars impossible.” (Sheinkin 214). Both novels, “Bomb” by Steve Sheinkin and “Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy” by Gary D. Schmidt, share the common theme, “In order to save yourself it is not worth corrupting another.” Both secondary characters make this realization. In Bomb, a young scientist responsible for the creation of the atomic bomb, realizes the burden he has placed on Japan for the success of America. In comparison, the novel Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy focuses on an old Reverend named Turner Buckminster ll who realizes the importance of…show more content… In 1912, all the people on Malga were evicted by the town of Phippsburg for financial reasons. They were called crazy, poor, feeble minded, but the people of Phippsburg never gave them a chance to escape this fate. It took a lot to make Reverend Buckminster see things clearly. At first, he wished to fit in with the rest of Phippsburg, the small town he had moved into, yet as the novel develops onward he looks away from the opinions of everyone else long enough to see the truth. “Still, the disapproval of First Congregational stifled him like the silence a fog brings upon the ocean. And when his father spoke again, he sounded like an invisible buoy.” (Schmidt 160). Unfortunately, all everyone else wanted was to better themselves, but the opinions of everyone else persuaded Reverend Buckminster that terminating Malaga Island was the right thing. Whereas, the only one who thinks differently from the rest of the town is the only person who had seen what the people of Malaga had gone through, Reverend Buckminster’s son, Turner. Even then, Reverend Buckminster could not see Malaga clearly. “Turner, no one on that island is fit company for a minister’s son. Not a single one.” (Schmidt 86). Thus, Turner saw Phippsburg for what it was, but he never truly saw the people of Malaga; neither did the rest of Phippsburg. Namely, due to issues with funding…show more content… In “Bomb”, Oppenheimer did what he must for the sake of America, but more importantly due to oppression by authority, yet he never looked at things long term until it was too late. Another civilization had already been lost. “‘If you ask, ‘Can we make the more terrible’ the answer is yes,’ Oppenheimer told a reporter. ‘If you ask ‘Can we make a lot of them?’ the answer is yes.’ This is what he was hoping to avoid.” (Shenkin 213). Conversely towards Oppenheimer’s will to end the war, he realized the effect of his creation too late. It was no longer his choice, the government had made up their mind. In “Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy,” Reverend Buckminster also realized his mistake too late. The people of Malaga Island were to be evicted, but things were only looked at in Phippsburg perspective. The only one who knew what was coming was his son, Turner, yet even he had no say in the matter “Turner realized what was being plotted. And there wasn’t a thing he could say without helping the plot all more.” (Schmidt 71). Moreover, a mistake is made in both novels, yet the mistake is not realized until it’s too late. The books both end in tragedy with no way to stop the problem because of other’s perspectives. However, in “Bomb,” things seemed more public. The author used a well known scientist, a well
