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Persuasive Essay On Unbroken By Laura Hillenbrand

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General Dwight D. Eisenhower once said, “I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity.” This quote explains how Eisenhower feels about war. According to him, war is brutal, futile, and stupid. Both U.S. prisoners of war in Japan and Japanese- American citizens in the United States during World War II undergo effects to make them “invisible.” Louie Zamperini, is the hero in Laura Hillenbrand's book, Unbroken. He starts as a troublemaker in Torrance California, then he goes into World War II. As a prisoner of war he is beaten, mistreated, and humiliated. In the United States, Japanese-American citizens are placed into an internment camp that is meant to be “protective.” …show more content…

They are humiliated daily by being forced to do things that reduce their position in the eyes of others or in their own eyes. The guards will force a prisoner to do embarrassing things for amusement. “Every day at gunpoint, Louie was forced to stand up and dance, staggering through the Charleston while the guards roared with laughter” (Hillenbrand 182). The purpose of this is only for the guards mere entertainment. This is humiliating for Louie because he is embarrassing himself in front of others. As Hillenbrand states in Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, “He crawled to the door and pleaded for water. The guard left, then returned with a cup. Louie, grateful, drew close to the door to take a drink. The guard threw scalding water in his face. Louie was so dehydrated that he could not help but keep begging. At least four more times, the response was the same, leaving Louie’s face speckled with blisters” (181). Louie is left humiliated, and hopeless. He is so dehydrated that he would risk scalding hot water being splashed in his face, only to get a sip of water. His thirst is worse than it was on the raft where he had almost no water. Louie is giving up hope and thinking he is not going to make it out of the camp alive. He thinks that the dehydration will kill him and he sort of wants it …show more content…

They are stripped of their privacy and treated poorly. “Anyone leaving or entering the camp was subject to a mandatory search, and internees could only see visitors in a special room at the top of the grandstand” (Okubo 14). During World War II, Japanese Americans were put into an internment camp where they could be searched whenever, with no warning or approval. The Japanese Americans do not approve of this, but they really do not have a choice. This is humiliating for the Japanese Americans because they are losing rights as citizens. “For the rest of their times in internment camp , Minea and Toku were referred to by this number and not their names” (Okubo 14) The Japanese Americans are identified by an assigned number. They are given tags bearing the family number and they are only recognized by that number. On a daily basis, they are mortified by not even being called by their own names. Infant mortality rates were ten times higher inside the camps than outside (Manzanar: Never Again). This is degrading to the Japanese Americans because they are not being treated with respect. Children are more likely to die in the camp than outside because their environment is not suitable enough. They are not treated with respect and they are humiliated every day through different

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During World War II, a period of complete violence and outbreak between nations, there are many heroes that have endured through harsh brutalities. In Laura Hillenbrand’s monumental book Unbroken, she writes about the real life story of Louie Zamperini. As a young child, Louie was very mischievous and dangerous.” Hillenbrand states,” He hit one kid so hard that he broke his nose. He upended another boy and stuffed paper towels in his mouth… Louie beat one kid so badly, leaving him unconscious in a ditch, that he was afraid he’s killed him (pg 10).”

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Resisting Invisibility During World War II Imagine being tortured in a POW (prisoner of war) camp or being moved because of your descent into a camp away from all other people of different descents. Louie Zamperini was captured after his B-24 crashed in the pacific ocean and was stranded at sea for 47 days eating sharks and being attacked by them. Louie once imprisoned was beaten and starved to the maximum. Miné Okubo was moved to a camp outside of her town and imprisoned in the United States in fear of betrayal from all people with Asian decent after the pearl harbor attack. The experiences Louie and Miné went through a show that humans can overcome most things as long as you keep your mind set on the positives and think about the reasons you should stay alive.

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Unbroken The author wrote this story to inform the reader of the life of Louis Zamperini, while also telling the story in an entertaining way. Hillenbrand demonstrated the main idea throughout the book by using rhetorical devices such as diction, syntax, imagery, and tone. Hillenbrand’s use of these rhetorical devices contribute to the book Unbroken by emphasizing the main character, Louis “Louie” Zamperini’s, life before, during, and after becoming a prisoner of war.

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