Unbroken By Laura Hillenbrand: Character Analysis

After conquering horrific tragedies during World War Two, Louie Zamperini commented, “I didn’t know it then, but my persistence, perseverance, and unwillingness to accept defeat when things looked all but hopeless were part of the very character traits I would need to make it through World War II alive.” (Louis Zamperini, Don't Give up, Don’t Give in). In Laura Hillenbrand’s book Unbroken, he had the absolute determination to survive insurmountable obstacles. Throughout his life and everything he endured, him being as determined as he had been, Louie would survive. In fact, Louie decided he would be whatever he put his mind to. If he was going to run, then by golly he was going to run, and if he wanted to make it out of a POW camp, then …show more content…
From playing pranks, to fighting against the Japanese the Superman crew went through a lot together. During a mission to go to Nauru to bomb the Japanese occupied island they were unexpectedly hit with the Zero’s bombs by the Japanese and most of the Superman crew were severely injured, and incapable of flight. On Thursday, May 27, 1943, this day would change Louie’s life forever. Since, the Superman crew had been injured the unharmed individuals were sent with another crew, the Daisy Mae, on an unairworthy plane, the Green Hornet, which had been cannibalized. Green Hornet Crew became apprehensive about the plane, although they had no choice in the matter: “The lieutenant said they could take Green Hornet. When Phil said the plane proved to be unairworthy, the lieutenant said it had passed inspection. Both Phil and Louie knew that though the word “volunteer” was used, this was an order. Phil volunteered” (121). When the plane crashes,the concerns and fears the crew had, were justified. The moment the engine shook violently the whole crew knew they should not have flown the Green Hornet. After they had got into the life rafts, Phil knew he was unable to serve as captain, he handed his duties over to Louie, and as Phil did, Louie would have done the exact same thing. Having been floating at sea for 47 days, since the Green Hornet went down, we are now POW’s. We were abruptly taken …show more content…
Soon after, the goat died. The Bird decided to give Louie an alternative punishment, the Bird was the complete opposite of Louie, he was despicable, he tortured Louie as well as other POW and even the guards who worked there. It seemed he was mentally unstable and distasteful, he was a horrendous person and deserved exactly what he had done to the innocent people who had, had to endure him. It entailed holding a heavy wooden beam, about six feet long: “He felt his consciousness slipping, his mind losing adhesion, until all he knew was a single thought: He can not break me” (302). Like a forest fire ravaging the land, each time Louie found himself in a life or death situation, his determination ignited the strength to fight and smother the obstacle in his path. He put his determination to the test and put in what he wanted out of it. In any obstacle Louie showed determination and hard work, he persevered to prove a point, Louie’s vocabulary did not include “no”. Once the war being at an end, started to be in question the guards took Louie and the rest POW,s and walked down to a stream thinking they were going to be executed. Actually: “In the instant before the plane shot overhead,the men in the water could just make out the cockpit and, inside, the pilot, standing...On each side of the fuselage and on the underside of

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Unbroken By Laura Hillenbrand: Character Analysis