Unbroken
By Laura Hilenbrand
DESCRIPTION
Unbroken is a true story about Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner from Torrence, California and a POW during World War II. Zamperini's plane, Green Hornet, crashed in the Pacific Ocean on May 27, 1943. The only survivors from the crash were Louie, Phil, and Mac. They drifted on a raft for 47 days, living on rainwater and occasionally fish or birds that they caught. Louie and Phil were the only ones that were alive when the Japanese navy captured them. The Japanese didn't tell America that they caught Louie, so America soon declared him officially dead. But Louie's family refused to give up hope. Louie and Phil were treated kindly and they were given time to recover in a hospital. When they were transferred to the first POW camp, they were treated harsh. They were soon sent to separate camps. Louie was sent to a camp where Mutshiro Watanabe, also known as "The Bird," was stationed at. The Bird hated Louie and beat him terribly and he nearly died from his fatal wounds. Soon the war was over and Louie was able to go home. Every night Louie had nightmares of The Bird beating him and he started drinking to forget about the bad memories. He ruined his relationship with his wife until one day he found the Lord and eventually forgave his captors and moved on.
THEME
I think the theme of this book is suffering and forgiveness. Louie suffered when he was on the raft for 47 days and when he was at the different POW camps. He also suffered after the war because he kept having nightmares about The Bird beating him and he thought alcohol could solve his problems. Forgiveness was also a theme because a few years after the war ended, Louie found the Lord and his addiction with alcohol stopped. He went back to Japan to forgive all the guards that were at the POW camps he had been. He also found The Bird and forgave him too.
Quotes:
"A lifetime of glory is worth a moment of pain." -Louie Zamperini
"If I knew I had to go through those experiences again, I'd kill myself." -Louie Zamperini
WHAT DID YOU ENJOY ABOUT THIS BOOK?
I liked this book because I kept wanting to read it. The book was entertaining, full of action, and it was also sad.
WHICH CHARACTERS PLAY IMPORTANT ROLES THAT RELATE TO THE OVERALL THEME?
Louie because he suffered getting through the war. He also suffered after the war because he was depending on alcohol to get rid of his problems, and that ruined his relationship with his wife. But then when he found the Lord, he stopped his alcohol addiction, and his relationship with his wife was better. And he also forgave all the guards that were at the POW camps he had been at.
WHAT WAS THE AUTHOR'S PURPOSE FOR WRITING THIS BOOK?
The author's purpose for writing this book is to inform readers about the inspiring and powerful life story of Louie Zamperini.
WHY WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THIS BOOK?
Yes, I would recommend this book because it was really entertaining, full of action, and also sad. I liked that the author wrote about Louie's whole life and not just one part. It was interesting to learn what Louie went through during the war and also after the war.
Unbroken - Trailer 2 (Universal Pictures) HD