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Book Report On Unbroken By Laura Hillenbrand

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Recommended: Impact of ww2 on American society

Imagine nearly achieving your greatest dream that you have devoted your entire life to, only for any chances of achieving it shattered in the worst possible way. The book “Unbroken”, by Laura Hillenbrand, is about an athlete named Louie Zamperini who was an Olympic runner during WWII, and he was one of the fastest milers alive at the time. He already got the fastest time for a single lap in a mile, clocked at 56 seconds, and he was expected to be the first ever man to run a four minute mile. But before he gets the chance, he is drafted into the war in the Air force. While flying with a search party to find a missing ship, one of the engines breaks down, which the ship needs to fly. The ship goes down, bringing Zamperini and the crew with it. …show more content…

This book reminded me of many others stories of POWs and people in Nazi Concentration Camps. There was one story I read called “Making Bombs for Hitler” about a Ukrainian girl who is taken to a concentration camp. The Nazis thought there was no such place as Ukraine, so they gave her the least amount of food like the Russian prisoners, which was nothing compared to the meat, potatoes, and carrot soup with pudding that the Germans got. Louie Zamperini similarly got less food than other POWs since he was sent to a camp that was not classified as a POW camp, allowing the Japanese to treat him in any way they wanted because he had none of the rights that a normal POW would have. Unbroken also reminded me of a book called “Into the Killing Seas” about 3 boys during WWII, Benny, Patrick, and Teddy, who are on the USS Indianapolis when it is hit by a Japanese torpedo. They manage to make it on to a raft with nothing but the clothes on their back, but even though they survived, they are alone in the ocean far from land with no food or water, and worst of all, they are constantly being bombarded by …show more content…

The characters from both of these stories are both very similar situations during WWII and must face the ultimate atrocity to survive. The author wrote the book for multiple reasons, but one of her main reasons was to remember those who served in WWII. Millions of Allied soldiers fought in the Second World War, and many didn’t make it home. Those who did suffered from emotional and physical pain that stuck with them for the rest of their life. As stated by Laura, “I come away from this book with the deepest appreciation for what these men endured, and what they sacrificed, for the good of humanity. It is them that this book is dedicated” (406). This book was very heartbreaking to read because Louie had started out his life at nothing as a mischievous boy from an Italian immigrant family who got picked on and called racist names. But he pushed himself to train and focus his whole life on running from then on and managed to work his way to becoming the highest prospect to run a 4 minute

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In the memoir Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand and Louie Zamperini show that having a determined mindset can help get through the horrors of POW camps. The POW camp Louie was in was terrible. He would get beaten everyday for no reason and be forced to do hard labor. The author uses words such as “broken”, “fractured, and “shattered” and paired them with the word “POW” to show that the Japanese soldiers had no mercy against the American soldiers. Throughout the POW camp terrible things happen to Louie and he is forced to see horrible events.

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Have you ever thought of yourself as a person who has the guts to do anything, but in reality when it comes time to actually do something you back out of it? In the book Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand Louis “Louie” Zamperini had partaken in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany. Not long after Louie had competed in the games he had continued on his path to success to join the U.S. Air Forces in 1940, right around when World War II had begun. When Louie and his fellow crew members were flying over the Pacific Ocean in their B-24D Army Air Forces bomber one day in May of 1943, they had crashed into the ocean due to two engine failures. After crashing into the Pacific there were only three survivors; Louie, pilot Lieutenant Russell Allen

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“Dignity is as essential to human life as water, food, and oxygen. The stubborn retention of it, even in the face of extreme physical hardship, can hold a man 's soul in his body long past the point when the body should have surrendered it” (Hillenbrand 189). In the novel Unbroken, written by Laura Hillenbrand, Louis “Louie” Zamperini goes through several life-threatening experiences. After being a troublemaker as a child, and an Olympic athlete, Louie straps up his boots and becomes a bombardier for the Army Air Corps. After a traumatizing crash and a forty-six day survival at sea, Louie is taken captive by Japanese officials.

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Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand is the triumphant story of an Olympic track medalist turned World War II hero. Within the biography, the characters are often put into gruesome settings that enhance both the conflict and characterization. This element is often enriched by the author’s diction. Hillenbrand’s choice of words to describe the setting throughout the text have the ability to make the conflict seem more intense and vivid. Within the story, the protagonist, Louie Zamperini, is put through rigorous events.

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Over the summer I read about a person who was a really good track star and served in World War II. Written by Laura Hillenbrand, Unbroken is a non-fiction World War II story about a young man named Louis Zamperini. The story takes place in the pacific islands and Japan during World War II Louis grew up as a restless and naughty boy, but then became a good and famous track star before getting drafted into the second world war. Louis faces the challenge of surviving on his own and enduring cruelty against Japanese leaders as a prisoner of war. One day in 1943, an Army Air Force Bomber crashes into the Pacific Ocean, leaving Louis and some of his crew trapped in the Pacific.

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Unbroken is a biography about World War II veteran Louis Zamperini, who was a former olympic track runner who survived a plane crash in the pacific ocean. Spent up to 47 days drifting in the ocean. However that wasn’t even close to how long he spent as a prisoner of war in three Japanese camps. Louis had an interesting , and suspenseful life, but he managed to survive which is the surprising part of it all. This book gave us an insight into Louis Zamperini’s life about how belief is the most powerful, if not essential part of growing and overcoming crisis.

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Unbroken centers around a soldier named Louie Zamperini. Louie is on the American side fighting for peace in the South Pacific against the Japanese during WW2. Louie was a lieutenant in the U.S Air Force ,and served as a crewmember on the Green Hornet(B-24) Louie functioned as a bombardier who took pride in his duty. He was a true patriot.

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Louie Zamperini went through more pain and suffering than most people will ever endure in their entire life. In the book Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, Louis Zamperini was an Olympic runner. He was drafted during World War II . During the war, his plane crashed in the middle of the ocean and he was stranded with little resources to survive. This book follows his incredible story battling starvation and abuse in Prisoner of War camps (POW).

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During this time, Louie and two other crew members faced extreme conditions, including starvation, dehydration, and exposure to the elements while being lost at sea. In the novel it states, “He was a body on a raft, dying of thirst. He felt words whisper from his swollen lips. It was a promise thrown at heaven, a promise he had not kept. If you save me, I will serve you forever.

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Louie Zamperini and Commander John Fitzgerald show strength and resolution in the face of adversity. For example, when Louie’s plane crashed and the men were on the raft, Laura Hillenbrand wrote, “Louie was determined to keep himself and the others lucid”(114). During their journey on the rafts, Louie tried to keep Phil, Mac and himself hopeful in a seemingly hopeless situation. He tried to distract them from hunger and troubling thoughts by singing songs and talking about comforting memories of the past. Commander John Fitzgerald demonstrated his fortitude in Ofuna.

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Though WWII ended in 1945, countless American war veterans were still torn with mental illnesses, and over 40% of all enlisted men during the war were discharged because of traumatic psychiatric conditions. The story of Unbroken speaks about the life of a man named Louis Zamperini, an American olympic athlete in long distance running, who eventually was captured as a POW by the Japanese in the pacific front of WWII. This story, in both a novel and movie, defines years of trauma and suffering overcome by perseverance and determination. Throughout the story, the theme of suffering is displayed as the undergoing of extreme pain and hardship, whether it be mentally or physically. Suffering and trauma are commonly recurring themes in literature

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She did an absolutely wonderful job of creating this time period with just her words and it’s one of my favorite things about this book. The As a boy, Louie Zamperini was always in trouble, but with the help of his older brother, he turned his life around and channeled his energy into running. He set his first record in high school, “He ran a field of milers off their feet, stopping the watches in 5:03. Three seconds faster than Pete’s record. ”(17)

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“To persevere, I think, is important for everybody. Don’t give up, don’t give in. There’s always an answer to everything”-Louie Zamperini. This man, Louie Zamperini was a bombardier for the US in World War II. He and his crew were shot down and forced to survive at sea for forty six days.

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Louie Zamperini was stranded in the middle of the ocean, on a raft for 47 days, then endured over 2 abusive years in POW camps. Louie was born a troublemaker and became a troublesome boy, but his brother, Pete, led him into the career of running, which loomed in his life until he passed. Later, he enlisted into the army and his bomber went down, Louie and Phil made it to Japanese camps, unlike the third crewmate, and luckily survived the harsh treatments of the camps for 2 years. Louie came back to America and decided to live his life to the fullest and take nothing for granted. In the novel Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand, she uses Louie’s real life experiences to show his two most important traits: courageousness and determination.

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It was very disappointing to see that the movie did not include what influenced Louie to run because it inspired incredible events. Also, the movie did not include that Louie recieved pneumonia when he was two years old, making it difficult for him to run. This put even more hardship onto Louie’s career of running. It shows how hard Louie worked to become an Olympian.

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