Unbroken Essay Papers

There are many challenges in life and how they are overcome can separate that person from everyone else. Louis Zamperini in Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand was one of the best runners to ever live and his road to success was not an easy one. Running is not only a sport that requires physical toughness, but requires mental toughness and both of those were key elements that helped Louie Zamperini stay alive. As a child Louie was active and enjoyed to investigate the world around him. Being a middle child can be frustrating because not as much attention will be directed towards them. As Louie reached the age of five he started smoking used cigarettes he found walking to school everyday. At the age of eight Louie started drinking and one day came

They did not know it until they got there that the current was taking them to Japan’s controlled waters. Louie and Phil were on the life raft for forty-seven days with no food and water that lasted them a few days at the most. Staying alive was not only a physical challenge but a mental one too. Other people who have been stranded on a life raft have gone insane and become delusional because their brains have not been used for weeks. Louie Olympic shaped body gave him enough strength to stay alive and he and Phil kept their brains active by playing games or telling stories to the exact detail. After being captured by the Japanese, Louie and Phil were taken to the island known as Execution Island. Hundreds to thousands of POW’s were executed on that island and according to the stories no POW’s had made it off that island alive. Louie and Phil were on Execution Island for weeks being tortured and interrogated. After what felt like months of torture the two captives were told they were being moved to a “Red Cross POW Camp”. Both Louie and Phil were shocked that they were not killed after they did not give away any secrets about the American forces to the interrogators. Louie would later find out that he was later going to be used for Japanese propaganda against the United States and that is why he was not executed on Execution Island. Louie inadvertently saved Phil’s life because if he was going to be used as propaganda he would have been more willing to if they had not killed his best friend Phil. In two of the POW camps Louie was specifically targeted by “The Bird”: a terrible Japanese guard who punished POW’s for no good reason. The Bird specifically went after Louie because he knew about his Olympic past and picked him out for that reason. As a POW his running career had a positive and negative affect on his condition and