Biodegradation In Unbroken By Laura Hillenbrand

Demoralization: to cause (someone) to lose confidence or hope; dispirit. Being physically degraded is much different than mental degradation; physical abasement includes loss of muscle, fat, and other bodily necessities. Mental ignominy is getting stripped of your dignity, self-worth, and confidence. The novel Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand follows Louie Zamperini, an olympic runner and world war 2 bombardier, through his journey of agony and triumph. Prisoners of war (POW’s) were often treated similar to slaves, while being isolated from the rest of the world. POW’s were forced to work for their captor’s country, while being underfed. Both Louie and WWII internee, Mine Okubo, were demoralized and stripped of their dignity. All of these acts were illegal according to

At night, all Louie could see were walls, stripes of ground through the gaps in the floorboards, and his own limbs, as slender as reeds,” (Hillenbrand, 206). Keeping people isolated in cells, with little to no contact to the outside world could make them feel invisible.“Transferred to a train, the POWs rode all night, moving west, into a snowy landscape,” (Hillenbrand, 199). Louie and his fellow POWs had minimal contact with the outside world which could lead them to feel invisible. Additionally, knowing that they wouldn’t be found, and would continue to be isolated could bring up feelings of seclusion and alienation. “Miné wrote, ‘We were close to freedom and yet far from it… Streams of cars passed by all day. Guard towers and barbed wire surrounded the entire center. Guards were on duty day and night’,” (Life of Mine Okubo). Mine felt unexposed to the outside world, and despite her past in the United States, contact with past friends was extremely limited. As shown, Mine and Louie were so isolated from the outside world, they felt invisible and