Final answer:
The climax of 'Hiroshima' by John Hersey is the bombing itself, marking the turning point and peak of action in the narrative, with the external conflict being the survivors' struggle in the catastrophic aftermath. Option 2 is correct.
Step-by-step explanation:
The climax of the conflict in the book 'Hiroshima' by John Hersey is not like a conventional story's climax where a main character might take a decisive action or have a major showdown. Instead, the climax can be seen as the bombing itself, which is the central event that the entire narrative has been building towards.
This event represents the peak of action and the turning point of the conflict within the story. The event forcefully resolves the existing stasis in Hiroshima and thrusts the characters into a state of survival, marking the highest point of tension and leading towards the resolution of the narrative.
In John Hersey's non-fiction book, the main conflict is an external one, caused by the environment the characters find themselves in as a result of the atomic bomb dropping on Hiroshima. The aftermath of the bombing, which affects all the characters in the book, serves as the developed series of events that produce increasing tension. This emphasizes the conflict between humanity and the catastrophic effects of war.
The survivors' stories and their struggles culminate in this unprecedented disaster, which stands as the turning point for the individuals involved and the world at large. Consequently, the climax in 'Hiroshima' does not involve the main characters choosing to take action but instead describes their reaction to a pivotal historical event beyond their control.