Unbroken, a book by Laura Hillenbrand, presents the story of Louie Zamperini, an American Olympian who became an airman during World War II, and his perseverance and boldness as a war prisoner in the hands of the Japanese. The devastating events of war shone through as Louie was separated from his family and friends, lost his Olympics dreams and suffered immensely in the inhumane conditions of prisoner-of-war camps in Japan. It tells a story of going against all odds and finding peace in yourself through indescribable difficulties, and picking out what is left of the rubble that remains by learning to accept, to forgive. A fascinating story that you’ll only believe when you read it, it’ll change the way you think about the war and leave you transfixed to the spot.  

Many central ideas were communicated throughout Louie’s story, including themes. I explored the theme that people should persevere during hardships. I kept track of how Louie’s boldness influences his decisions and how the story turns out, and the idea that Japanese POW camps were inhumane. Read below as I supported them with evidence from my reading.

After studying how the author used descriptions to describe the places that Louie was going to, I tried to focus on them and analyze what ideas were conveyed. When Louie first entered the war and was sent to the Kahuku air base, I noticed that the place seemed not only scarred after the Pearl Harbor attack, but also tense from the impending war. Moreover, when Louie walked into Naoetsu POW camp, it was clear that the camp was full of death and suffering. Read more below as I connect these ideas with some central ideas of the book.

Throughout the book, I thought about cause and effect in Louie’s story. Events were more complicated and included more than just one cause, and one cause could affect many things. After Louie turns to alcoholism in response to trauma, I expanded my thinking to try and explore what could have caused his trauma, and how the trauma not only affected him, but the people around him and the decisions that were made. Read below as I explored the many causes and effects that came with his alcoholism.

While reading through the book, the author sometimes mentioned an event, person, or thing briefly, and I wanted to learn more about it. After Mutsuhiro Wantanabe was cleared of all charges despite being the antagonist of the story, I wanted to see what he decided to do in later life. When the author talked about the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics, I wanted to know how it was affected by the Nazi regime. Through Louie’s descriptions of guards smoking Red Cross cigarettes, I wanted to know what the Red Cross packages were like. Read below as I learned more about each topic, further expanding my perspective of the war and Louie’s story.

 

Thank you for reading my blog post. If you’re interested in reading the captivating story of Louie Zamperini, please check out the book or watch the movie directed by Angelina Jolie.

 

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Photos by Tim Photoguy and Max Di Capua on Unsplash