Unbroken Quotes And Analysis

Faith makes Forgiveness Possible

After World War II, Louie Zamperini writes a letter to Mutsuhiro Watanabe, also known as “the Bird” saying that, “The post-war nightmares caused my life to crumble, but thanks to a confrontation with God through the evangelist Billy Graham, I committed my life to Christ. Love has replaced the hate I had for you. Christ said, ‘Forgive your enemies and pray for them.”’ This is demonstrated in the novel, Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. This tells an emotional story about Louie Zamperini's experiences as an Olympic athlete, World War II veteran, and an American POW. After his Olympic dreams are crushed when he gets drafted at age 24, he experienced things most people cannot even imagine, when he returns he makes

a life changing decision. Through Louie Zamperini's coming to faith after returning home from World War II, he is able to bring himself to forgive those who tortured him for years.

After the war, Louie suffered from extreme post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and like many other Vets, turned to things such as alcohol for relief. However, because of his wife, Cynthia, he was able to change his life around by finding God. Prior to this new coming, their marriage suffered, they were on the verge of divorce. Louie became an uncontrollable alcoholic, he even became abusive towards Cynthia and their daughter. The two were unhappy, coexisting with each other just waiting until they could get the divorce papers. Cynthia still convinced Louie to accompany her to see Billy Graham, a popular gospel speaker. Hillenbrand illustrates this by stating, “Louie knew nothing of Graham. Four years after returning from the war, he was still in the Hollywood

apartment, lost in alcohol and plans to murder the Bird” (377). Even under the circumstances, Louie agreed to join her. During Graham’s message, Louie became aggravated, he even felt as Graham was insulting him by telling him he was not good enough. Because of this, Louie got up to leave, ignoring Graham’s orders to wait. Suddenly, Louie felt as if he was the only one there and he was back on the raft, remembering something he had said, “It was a promise thrown at heaven, a promise he had not kept, a promise he had allowed himself to forget until just this instant: “If you save me, I will serve you forever.” The author continues, “And then, standing under a circus tent on a clear night in downtown Los Angeles, Louie felt rain falling” (Hillenbrand 382). In this moment, Louie knew he was changed, he had been set free of who he was before. He even went home and poured out all of the alcohol he owned and never picked it up again.
In the end, no one’s experiences will replicate those of Louie’s, but all people will experience hardships.

There is a purpose behind these struggles. Louie found this purpose through finding God. After the war, Louie struggled with different battles, this is consistent for everyone. An overwhelming peace comes along with finding this purpose. Through Louie being saved, both physically and mentally, he found this peace. Each and every person has some type of faith, whether it is faith in one’s self, faith in someone else, or religious faith. This faith is what keeps humans going, it keeps people pushing

themselves.
After the war, Louie experienced a change of heart, his previous bitterness had been dissolved and he was able to forgive. Once Louie was able to straighten out his own life he knew that because of the forgiveness that God had granted him he must then give this same forgiveness to the Japanese prison guards. In the book it says, “That night, the sense of shame and powerlessness that had driven his need to hate the Bird had vanished” (Hillenbrand 386). This demonstrates how Louie was able to put aside the past and his frustrations toward these men for the greater good. The same night Hillenbrand describes that, “At this moment, something shifted sweetly inside him. It was forgiveness, beautiful, and effortless and complete. For Louie Zamperini, the war was over” (386). This forgiveness was unnecessary and undeserved but for Louie it was what he knew he had to do to move on from the past.
Although it is highly unlikely that anyone will have to experience events that will require the same amount of integrity that was necessary for Louie, everyone will be required to forgive someone, sometime. Forgiveness comes from being able to accept the actions that have already occurred. Everyone will experience some kind of conflict that will affect their lives, but in order to move on to the next step in life forgiveness acts as closure to the problem.
When Louie was able to accept faith after the war, he was finally able to forgive those who wronged him in the process. Faith and forgiveness act as a two way street, faith leads to forgiveness but forgiveness also builds up faith. As one experiences faith they are able to see a greater picture and realize that life is not worth holding grudges against people. Being able to move past conflict and forgive is essential to living a healthy life. With faith, it does not matter the difficulty of the situation, it is possible to overcome it and grow from it.