Unbroken, a book by Laura Hillenbrand, tells the story of American Olympian Louie Zamperini, following his journey through World War II and the strength he found within himself. From having a rebellious childhood to having a life of triumph and glory, we follow Louie’s journey of finding will, having hope, and resilience throughout his experiences in World War II. His journey starts in childhood, following his teenage life and his ambitious goal of running in the Berlin Olympics of 1936. His captivating story teaches the importance of dreams and aspirations, having determination, and the significance of learning to accept, and how to forgive. Louie’s odyssey through war follows a beautiful yet tragic story that can only be experienced to the fullest when read by only yourself.

CENTRAL IDEAS:

Throughout Unbroken, a recurring central idea I noticed was how peoples’ personal lives were affected. It focused on how war affects people who served in war, and how it affected their loved ones. I wanted to know more about how Louie was affected by war, and how PTSD played a significant part in his story. PTSD pushed Louie to his limits, where he faced new challenges, even after escaping the hardships of World War II. In the real world, many veterans face PTSD, a devastating disorder that affected not only Louie Zamperini, but also a countless amount of other soldiers. Take a look below:

MAIN THEMES:

Unbroken revealed many themes and ideas, especially on how determination, will, and resilience affected Louie’s life and experiences. His determination brought him victory, his dignity gave him life, and his will helped him survive the hardships and challenges of war. Determination was the motivation that drove Louie to victory, winning the Olympics of 1936 with his brother’s words: “A lifetime of glory is worth a moment of pain”. Read more below:

CAUSE AND EFFECT:

On the page below, I wanted to highlight the connections between certain ideas and themes, and how they all tie in on how Louie faced many hardships throughout World War II. Throughout these hardships, Louie learned many things about himself, about the amount of will he had in himself, and how he approached certain problems. He found dignity through will, and found life through years of suffering.

MUTSUHIRO WATANABE

Throughout the story of Unbroken, Mutsuhiro Watanabe, or The Bird, played a crucial role in Louie Zamperini’s life. However, aside from Louie, Watanabe has a story of his own. As the main antagonist, Watanabe is shown to be a man of violence, hatred, bitterness, and jealousy, and the main cause of Louie’s suffering throughout the book. However, even though Louie is depicted as light and Watanabe as dark, they both share similarities, especially on how war affected their lives. Through war, Colonel Watanabe was derailed, often feeling disgraced and infuriated. Louie, on the other hand, was pushed to his limits and was challenged by his will.

Thank you for reading! The story of Unbroken is one of will and determination, one that we should all acknowledge. If you’re interested, please check out the book, or watch the movie.