IBarefoot Gen ilandisa ngokuqhunyiswa kwamabhomu eHiroshima ngokombono womfana omncane, uGen, nomndeni wakhe. Kepha izingqikithi zencwadi (ukulimala ngokomzimba nangokwengqondo abantu abavamile abahlupheka ngamaqiniso empi) ziyiqiniso ngokusha namhlanje. UGen nomndeni wakhe sekunesikhathi bezabalaza ngaphandle kokudla okuningi, imali noma umuthi, kepha naphezu kobunzima, bazama ukugcina ukufana kwempilo ejwayelekile. Abantu abadala bakhathele futhi bacishe baphelelwa yithemba; izingane zihlasela emoyeni futhi zibhuqwa yindlala. UNakazawa, owasinda eHiroshima, ukhombisa ngempumelelo ubunzima bokuphila kule ndawo futhi ukhombisa ukuthi imizamo yokuzigcina ehlukumezeka ezimweni ezinzima ngezinye izikhathi ibonakala kanjani njengehlaya lomuntu, elingenangqondo. Indaba inikeza ithemba: abalingiswa benza izinto zokuzidela ngenxa yomakhelwane nabathandekayo (isb., Lapho umama kaGen ekhulelwe egula ngenxa yokungondleki, yena nomfowabo bazenza izintandane futhi basebenze emigwaqweni, baphonsa imali ngaphezulu izindonga zendlu yabo ukuze bangabanjwa). Ngaphansi kwalesi simo sengqondo sokwenza izinto kunecala elijulile labazali nokuzizwa bengenakuzisiza. Lapho izingane zikhala ngokuthokozile ngenxa yesigaxa sokudla, abazali bancibilika benamahloni nosizi. Ubuciko budonswe ngokucijile nangokucacile, futhi umlando unesigqi semvelo esinjalo, kulula ukudonswa empilweni yomndeni, okwenza abafundi be-cataclysm bazi ukuthi babalindele kakhulu, basondele futhi bakunzima ukuthatha. Ngaphandle kohlobo lwalo olwesabekayo, lo msebenzi ubaluleke kakhulu ezifundweni ozihlinzekayo emlandweni, esintwini kanye nozwelo.
