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The incredible life of louis zamperini essay
Louis zamperini essay
The incredible life of louis zamperini essay
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Award-Winning author Laura Hillenbrand writes of the invigorating survival story of Louie Zamperini in her best selling book, Unbroken. Louie Zamperini was an ambitious, record-breaking Olympic runner when he was drafted into the American army as an airman during World War II. On the mission that led him to embark on a journey of dire straits, Louie’s plain crashed into the Pacific Ocean, leaving only him and two other crewmen as survivors. Stranded on a raft in shark infested waters, without any resources or food, and drifting toward enemy Japanese territory, the men now have to face their ultimate capture by Japanese, if they survive that long. Louie responded to his desperation with dexterity, undergoing his plight with optimism and confidence, …show more content…
The three survivors, Louie, Phil, and Mac, all had completely differing perspectives of their trouble. Louie and Phil stayed optimistic, while Maxc slowly deteriorated along with his hope. Hillenbrand wrote that "It remains a mystery why these three young men, veterans of the same training and same crash, differed so radically in their perceptions of their plight. Maybe the difference was biological; some men may be wired for optimism, others for doubt... Perhaps the men's histories had given them opposing convictions about their capacity to overcome adversity... Though all three men faced the same hardship, their differing perceptions of it appeared to be shaping their fates. Louie and Phil's hope displaced their fear and inspired them to work toward their survival, and each success renewed their physical and emotional vigor. Mac's resignation seemed to paralyze him, and the less he participated in their efforts to survive, the more he slipped. Though he did the least, as the days passed it was he who faded the most. Louie and Phil's optimism, and Mac's hopelessness, were becoming self-fulfilling" (147-148). Hillenbrand considers how each man’s perspective seemed to be guiding their future. Since Louie and Phil stayed optimistic, they pressed on, despite their predicament. Mac, on the other hand, perished along with his …show more content…
He became obsessed with the Bird, wanting revenge for the torture he had gone through. Louie resorted to alcoholism as a coping mechanism, and blamed all of his ongoing problems on the Bird. Around the world, the war was over; in Louie's mind, it raged on. For a period of time, Louie could not persevere through his plight. He began to lose his once irrevocable hope, and feared the man that be was becoming. Finally, after his wife dragged him to a religious preaching, Louie had a spiritual revelation and let go of his built up resentment of the Bird. He stopped drinking alcohol, no longer had nightmares, and devoted the rest of his life to preach and share his experience in World War II. He even visited his Japanese tormentors, now imprisoned and facing trial, and forgave them. Louie proved that it is possible to redeem yourself, and people who keep an optimistic mind during times of hardship are the ones who overcome
In the events of September 1, 1939 – September 2, 1945 world war 2 erupted and up came a man his name was Louis Zamperini. During Louie's life as a young adult, he decided to join the army to defend his country. Then during one of his missions on the way to the bomb site two, two of the four engines on their b-24 malfunctioned sending them plummeting into the ocean. In the book Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand uses the life experiences of Louie Zamperini to show the traits of optimistic and resourceful.
“It began over a chore Louie’s father asked him to do. Louie resisted, a spat ensued, and Louie threw clothes into a bag and stormed towards the front door. His parents ordered him to stay; Louie was beyond persuasion.” (15) He couldn’t take it any longer because all he did was run since Pete forced him to do so. Louie is respire, he wants to take a break. Furthermore, this is apart of his personality as he refused to listen to his parents. “The Bird demanded that Louie looks him in the eyes; Louie wouldn’t do it. The Bird tried to knock Louie down; Louie wouldn’t fall.” (181) “The Bird” was sadistic. Therefore, this explains of this character trait because he disobeyed when the bird demanded him to look at him in the eyes. “Other prisoners told him to give in or the Bird would beat him to death. Louie couldn’t do it.” (181) When he was held captive of war and “The Bird” was harangued. Consequently, this character trait because he ignored the other prisoners when they told him to give in or else the bird would beat him to death. If Louie was never rebellious his life would probably have been completely different.
In Unbroken: A world war 2 story of survival, resilience, and redemption- by Laura Hillenbrand; young Louie Zamperini is a delinquent of Torrance, California. He steals food, runs around like hell and even dreams of hoping on a train and running away for good. However, Pete, his older manages to turn his life around by turning his love of running from the law into a passion for track and field. Zamperini is so fast that he breaks his high school’s mile record, resulting in him attending the olympics in berlin in 1936. His running career however was put on hold when World war 2 broke out, he enlisted in the the Air Corps and becomes a bombardier. During a harrowing battle, the “superman” gets hit numerous times with japanese bullets destroying
The first few months of his service are quiet, and nothing more than training and a few small missions. After a while, he and his crew became like an oiled machine, working efficiently and nearly without error. After the crew’s first major battle, their plane, the Super Man, lands safely although it is filled with over five hundred bullet holes. With the Super Man out of commission, the men are transferred to a less reliable plane, the Green Hornet. While out on a mission in the Pacific, the crew and its plane is shot down, leaving only three men alive. Louie, Phil, and Mac survive for weeks, but Mac eventually succumbs to insanity and dies at sea. In the end, the two men survive for forty-six days, only to be captured and placed in a miserable POW camp. They shuffle around, but stay prisoners until the war ends. Although he has been severely mistreated by a sadistic guard, nicknamed the Bird, Louie survives and returns home.
Conflict arises in several aspects of life. We often have conflicts with ourselves, with other people, and even with nature. These three main conflicts, which bring Louie to redemption are seen in Hillenbrand’s Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption. These conflicts are between the man and nature, Louie and the Bird, and the internal conflict as Louie struggles with alcoholism
“The commandant announced that we had already covered 42 miles since we left. It was a long time since we had passed beyond the limits of fatigue. Our legs were moving mechanically, in spite of us, without us” (Wiesel 83). Elie was forced to run at two in the morning on a regular basis, and if anyone slowed down or stopped they were immediately shot or beat. Elie was mentally fit and told himself that he wouldn’t give up, however, his father was slower and a lot older, making it much harder for him to be quick on his feet. In Unbroken, the quickness that Louie showed as a child and while growing up, helped him prepare for the future of being quick on his feet as well as being mentally and physically strong. “The same attributes that had made [Louie] the boy terror of Torrance were keeping him alive in the greatest struggle of his life” (Hillenbrand 34). In many of the conditions that Louie faced on a daily basis, only someone with his faith still holding together and can persevere through the struggles in his life is going to make it out
In the book, Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand, it follows a Olympian named Louie Zamperini, and his journey. Louie Zamperini was born in Olean, New York, his family later then moved to Torrance, California. Louie is: rebellious, resourceful, among many other things. Louie is who he is because of how he grew up, and the obstacles he overcame. Louie Zamperini shows rebellious and resourceful characteristic traits through his actions.
Laura Hillenbrand’s novel Unbroken incorporates the improbable life of the main character, Louie Zamperini. She introduces both the inspiring and powerful journey that Louie encounters in his life as he grows up. Hillenbrand looks to and successfully does catch the versatility of the human soul. Zamperini’s story including his involvement in World War II gives a persuasive stage in which the author demonstrates numerous qualities of Louie. Leaving readers to appreciate his courage, quality, grit and above all else, his bravery. “Confident that he was clever resourceful, and bold enough to escape any predicament, [Louie] was almost incapable of discouragement. When history carried him into war, this resilient optimism would define him.” Louie
In the novel Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand uses both internal and external conflict to show the theme people can stand up against enemies even when the odds seemed stacked up against them. Whether it be simply defending himself or lying, Louie found a way to get through prison camp alive. After the war, this left him leaving the camp feeling euphoric. Louie’s experiences really show that no matter what situation someone is in, they can stand
Lewis and Hazel’s journeys were not effortless, but because of their determination they were able to keep the morale high within their groups.
I enjoyed reading Unbroken which is a book that showed the struggles of a grueling air warfare between United States and Japan. Throughout the book, Laura Hillenbrand, author of Unbroken gripped the reader’s attention through the details of gut-wrenching conflicts. By showing the art of survival through the character, Louis Zamperini, Hillenbrand demonstrates the theme of resilience through persistency, intelligent choice making, and willingness to live.
In the novel, Lisa, written by Carol Matas, the main character, Lisa has become a heroic person. People become courageous after they have gone through a tragic event. Lisa becomes braver through her experience on her first mission, she learns to become adventurous through relationship with her mentors, and expanding her fearlessness through experiences with her allies. During her hero’s journey, Lisa developes by becoming a braver and stronger person, therefore she is able to help her family and friends find freedom.
It is undeniable that human struggle is relative. It is relative to one’s background, life experiences, and strength- and at some point everyone is faced with an obstacle that they feel incapable of overcoming. In Surviving Hell, written by Leo Thorsness, the author is captured after a mid-flight ejection in the Vietnam War. He spent years undergoing torture and solitary confinement, not knowing if he would make it out alive. Physically shattered, his spirits remained strong.
Neddy and Charlie caused their own failure because of the choices they made. Both characters shared similar lifestyles and problems but were presented differently in each story. Also conclude that there is no definite solution to their problems, leaving a sense of ambiguity. This gives the story’s a human feeling, causing the reader to feel compelled towards the characters. Both characters endured through a sequence of misfortune to convey a similar message; the present depends on your past actions.
As I grew up throughout my childhood I accepted the word “no” from my parents with blatant frustration. I grew up in a well off home and never had to worry about where I will spend the night or if I will be able to eat that night, I used to never be as thankful as I should have for those reasons. Thoughts constantly ran rampant through my head of, “Mommy and daddy have so much money why can’t I have this!” I never grasped the fact of if my parents could provide me with a certain luxury that I did not need but wanted, why they did not. As a child I saw all the kids around me with many luxuries I desired but could not have as my parents refused, although I was completely unaware of their own financial status as a kid I could only look at everyone