Unbroken

Words: 670
Pages: 3

Olympic athlete Gail Devers once said, “Sometimes we fall,sometimes we stumble, but we can’t stay down. We can’t allow life to beat us down. Everything happens for a reason, and it builds character in us, and it tells us what we are about and how strong we really are when we didn’t think we could be that strong.” In Laura Hillenbrand's’ biography Unbroken, the brave Louis Zamperini related to Devers’ words when he survived his deadly plane crash into the vast Pacific Ocean where he survived for 47 days on a small yellow raft. Remarkably, Louie's bravery kept him alive throughout his long journey.

As a delinquent Louie stole until he was introduced to running and changed his ways. Hillenbrand stated, “All of the effort that he'd once put
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Even though he was home, he was still tortured by the memories of his tormentors. Louie was suffering silently; “Louie was struggling more than Jordan or anyone else knew. He was beginning to suffer bouts of suffocating anxiety” (346). Louie did not want to show that he was suffering because he knew it would cause his family to suffer. He was being brave so that they wouldn't have to be.Even though he bird was gone, he still affected Louie long after. Every night Louie would lay down to sleep, and be followed by the bird into his dreams.Louie was haunted for a long time: “Every night,in his dreams, and apparition would form in his head and burn there.It was the face of the Bird, screaming,’Next! Next! Next!”(346). Even while the Bird was off in the woods, running from the authority, he was still in Louie’s mind, terrorizing him. After Louie had discovered his faith towards god, he went back to Japan to see his former guards: “...the men who had abused him watched him come to them, his hands extended, a radiant smile on his face”(387). Louie had forgiven the guards. Even with the possibility that it would cause him pain, he went to see his old torturers. Louie wanted them to know that he had forgiven them, hoping that this would bring them happiness. This gave Louie peace, and the memories of the war, never hurt him again.
After reading the biography of Louie Zamperini’s life by Laura Hillenbrand, it’s obvious Louie’s bravery carried him through the hardships of his life. His bravery to conquer insurmountable obstacles proved that an ordinary man can become the hero of his story and inspire many