The elements discussed will include the plot, which follows the life experiences of Prisoner of War Louie Zamperini from his early childhood to his old age , the imagery that Hillenbrand uses to describe the terrifying experiences that Zamperini suffered through, the setting of the novel Unbroken which takes place on two different continents, and the overriding theme of this novel, which can be defined by one word- determination. Unbroken thoroughly describes the nature and character of Louie Zamperini and how it helped him to be a survivor. The plot of this novel, Unbroken, is the harsh life that Olympic contender turned Prisoner Of War (POW), Louie Zamperini faced since birth. Laura Hillenbrand describes how Louie earned a bad reputation at an early age, even though he didn't attempt to. Smoking, drinking, running from police and fights were all parts of his life, and he ran away from home at age 15. Upon coming home, Louie, with encouragement from his brother, realized that he had an amazing talent- running. The author describes how his brother Pete, in the fall of 1932, became Louie's mentor and running coach. This was the first step in Louie's new life, and he quickly became an Olympic contender. In 1941, Laura Hillenbrand describes another challenge in Louie's life, as he had to give up his dreams of winning an Olympic …show more content…
The reader is able to see, feel, and picture exactly what Louie experienced throughout his ordeal. She describes in detail the physical effect on his body and mind that the days in the lifeboat took when she describes the “burned lips ballooning so dramatically that they obstructed their nostrils...”and how desperately overheated they became. She explains the desperation of attempting to eat an albatross, and how they enjoyed raw fish. The fear that the sharks caused, the joy of the rain, and the relief, then terror of the rescue was strategically