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Unbroken Reflection

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Unbroken Reflection
Max Yon
Dr. Lemp
English 411- Final Essay
11/24/2014
Unbroken: Wars Reflection In the novel Unbroken, written by Laura Hillenbrand, Louis Silvie “Louie” Zamperini is depicted as a courageous and resilient American World War II prisoner of war survivor. Human warfare can bring out the worst in people through sacrifice and suffering. To be a prisoner of war, a soldier endures the most unimaginable brutality that war brings. During World War II, Second Lieutenant Louie Zamperini experienced horrific suffering after he survived a plane crash, 47 days at seas without food or water, numerous shark attacks, and torturous prisoner of war camps where he was forced to do daunting tasks that tested his body to the very limit. Although, Louie didn’t …show more content…
Louie displayed remarkable attributes in his thoughts and actions for how he was able to keep pushing forward through his war experiences. However, Louie faced a bigger demon when he returned from the POW camp that had brought him so much physical and emotional stress. Even after surviving some of the most excruciating burdens, the years after the war proved more tumultuous than he had anticipated. Spiraling downwards, Louie spent each night haunted by Watanabe’s beatings in his dreams. Louie tried to forget his harrowing experiences, but inside him the scars and trauma of war festered. The celebratory drinking turned into severe alcoholism where he drank to ignore the past. Louie couldn’t discover what his purpose in life was to be ever since he returned from war. He became obsessed with the idea of returning to Japan to kill his former tormentor. Rather than center his energy on tackling the depression he faced like he was able to do through his most trying challenges, Louie was consumed with the fantasy of finding Watanabe and killing him. Louie’s value system became blurred and he felt like he had no purpose other than to bring justice to his tormenter personally. Laura Hillenbrand offers a very deep and truthful explanation on the paradox on revenge. Laura states “The paradox of vengefulness is that it makes men dependent upon those who …show more content…
"U.S. Wars and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder." SFGate. N.p., 22 June 2005. Web. 21 Nov. 2014.
Hillenbrand, Laura. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption. New York: Random House, 2010. Print.
O 'Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried: A Work of Fiction. New York: Broadway, 1998. Print.
Robinson, Roxana. Sparta. New York: Sarah Crichton /Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2013. Print.
Segal, Elizabeth. "Summer 2003 - Trojan Family Magazine." Summer 2003 - Trojan Family Magazine. USC News, June 2003. Web. 24 Nov. 2014.
Yellin, Jerry. "WWII Veteran Writes Book about Overcoming PTSD." Transcendental Meditation. TM, 6 Nov. 2010. Web. 24 Nov. 2014.

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