Examples Of Heroism In The Odyssey

The Heroism of Odysseus and Louie Zamperini

Emptiness is all they feel, there must be a way home, but how will they find it with so many obstacles in the way. In the books Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand and The Odyssey Homer by Robert Fitzgerald, both main characters Louie Zamperini and Odysseus have proven that they are heros in the story. They are both lost and are in search for their way home although often, certain things get in their way. Through this tough journey they defeat each enemy that comes their way, well through a long period of time of course. The great Louie Zamperini was an olympic athlete who was very known in his town, he got drafted to the military during the war against Japan. He gets lost on a raft and gets imprisoned

These heroes often show bravery in the novels when they are desperate to get out of a dangerous situation. All they want to do is survive throughout their journey. Staying alive is very important to them which is why they become brave because they know that if they are weak, then they will fail. For instance, Louie wants to stay alive but he also doesn’t want to be controlled by Japan and he becomes a leader for standing up for what he believes in, he turns down the radio job for Japan because he feels that it is false propaganda and he shows his pride for the United States. In the novel it states, “For louie any camp had to be better than Omori.The producers gave him one last chance to change his mind. He did not.”(364-365, Hillenbrand). Louie Zamperini refused to participate in the propaganda of Japan to prove to them that he will gladly go back to the prison camp rather than joining and supporting their country. This also showed the other POW’s that he infact is brave, he inspires other men who are also shocked from his decision but also respect him for his loyalty to his country. In the novel, The Odyssey, there is a scene where Odysseus must go to the cyclops but realizes that he will kill Odysseus and his men. He does not allow that to happen, he comes up with the clever idea of giving the Cyclops wine to drunken him so they may escape. For example the book says,

For example, Odysseus gets stays with hope majorly for his family, he wants to come home to his wife and son. In the Odyssey, it states,”...Odysseus’ own hearth / by heaven , all I say will come to pass! / He will return and he will be avenged / on any who dishonor his wife and son.”(252,Homer). In this passage it talks about Odysseus telling the other character that he will return home and he will protect, his wife and son, he does not doubt himself at all, in fact he is sure that he will be back soon. This shows how much pride he really has because he doesn’t mind having to defeat monster on the way home as long as he return to his family, Also, Louie Zamperini shows that how believes that he will survive the war by being his crews rock meaning he is supporting everybody and helping them during times of panic.However he is also angry and has so much hatred which causes him to want revenge but keeps positivity on him getting back home. In Unbroken, it states Louie could take no more.he joined about a dozen officers in a secret meeting. By the time they parted, they had a plan to kill the bird.”(365, Hillenbrand). This means that he believes that he will make it