Unbroken By Laura Hillenbrand Analysis

Author, Laura Hillenbrand was quoted for, “Without dignity, identity is erased” (Hillenbrand 189). Louie Zamperini, olympic runner and WWII hero, went through the stripping of his identity and survived to tell the tale. The novel Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand, is the story of Zamperini’s life, of his running adventures to fighting for survival during WWII, and returning home an unfamiliar man. Suffering through imprisonment has left Zamperini with a loss of identity, which was countered with a faith in God.
The time spent imprisoned by the Japanese, the suffering stripped both Louie and his friend Phil’s dignity away. Soon after landing in the Marshall islands, Phil and Louie were imprisoned and tormented. It started with eating off the ground, “...Louie crawled about their cells, picking up slivers of biscuit and putting them into their mouths” (Hillenbrand 185). The Japanese believed being captured by the enemy is a man without his dignity. As a result of

One day his wife had convinced him to go see Billy Graham, a evangelical preacher, to help Louie through his difficulties. He stayed through the second visit, despite his wish to leave. He stays and experiences an epiphany, “...Louie felt rain falling” (Hillenbrand 382). The rain he thought he was really was a representation of himself being cleansed. Louie believes that God saved him so Louie could serve him. This realization transforms his life, this allows him to past all his demons haunting him. “...If you will save me, I will serve you forever...It was the last flashback he would ever have” (Hillenbrand 382). Louie then keeps his promise and devotes his life to Christianity. He had gone home that night to dispose of all his liquor, and the next day started reading his