Unbroken Character Analysis

Louie Zamperini survived almost two months at sea facing starvation, extreme thirst, and shark attacks. During WWII, Louie was captured and taken to many Japanese prison camps where he was drained emotionally and physically. Though his conditions were obviously not ideal, Louie kept up his lively personality and found ways to take care of himself to survive. 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.

First of all, Louie stood up and defended himself against the guards, despite the consequences. When the guards were jabbing him with a stick repetitively, “Louie yanked the stick away,” showing that although

his life is in the hands of these men and “he knew he might be killed for it,” he is not intimidated, and will always defend himself (140). Also, Louie didn’t always fight back in a physical way. The guards would throw scalding hot water in his face whenever he asked for water, but “desperately dehydrated, Louie kept begging,” trying to tell the guards that he is determined to get what he wants, no matter what they do to him in the process (140). In the camps, “Louie and the others whispered in code,” refusing to let their captors have complete control over them (154). The consequences would be severe if anyone were to find out, but that didn’t stop the prisoners from communicating. Louie knew how to fight back, whether it be physically or simply with words.
Sometimes Louie would have to cheat his way through the prison camps, and he was luckily confident enough to stand up for himself.

After being interrogated, Louie was asked by a friend how he knew about the plane he described (that he knew nothing about), and he replied with “it was a lie,” surely knowing that if he was caught he would most likely be killed, but he did it anyway (141). When “Louie was asked who would win the war” by a Japanese sailor, he responded with “‘America,’” showing how he refuses to side with Japan, despite the fact that he will be severely punished (145). Louie sometimes lied in a way that would benefit Japan. For example, “to ensure his message aired, he decided to speak positively about his captors,” though he was certainly not treated well by the deranged guards (187). This is evidence of Louie’s emotional strength, speaking highly about the people who left him despondent. Knowing that he would be punished for his actions, Louie had a snarky attitude and lied to his captors, not caring what the effect would be.

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

up for themselves with the right amount of confidence and determination.