The book Unknown, written by Laura Hillenbrand, is a story about Louie Zamperini facing off against unprecedented odds. He was stranded at sea for forty-seven days, was captured and tortured by Japanese soldiers, and struggled against the nightmares that faced him after the war. However, he found it within himself to carry on and overcome each of these obstacles. With some optimism and hope at his side, Louie never gave up even when the odds were stacked against him. His empowering story of resilience has one purpose, to provide hope to those who need it. As was portrayed in the novel, “Louie and Phil’s hope displaced their fear and inspired them to work toward their survival, and each success renewed their physical and emotional vigor” (155). This shows that just a sprinkle of hope can benefit a person’s life and give them the determination to carry on. Without hope, no one would feel inclined to change their circumstances and so some might continue to live in a damaging environment. Louie had this same experience, “The alcohol had brought on a pleasant numbness….When the harsh push of memory ran through Louie, reaching for his flask became as easy …show more content…
Although some aren’t as abrasive as others, each one provides its own set of challenges. Sometimes, this can prove too much for a person and they try to find an outlet where they can “hide” from the world. They turn towards drugs and alcohol instead of fixing their situation. Eventually their “outlet” becomes an addiction and soon that addiction takes over their lives. It becomes a part of them and they feel they require it to survive. Louie often headed down this same path, however he continued to trudge on because he believed “A lifetime of glory is worth a moment of pain” (35). With the same mindset, lives can be turned around and faced down a better path. Addicts must find hope in themselves to overcome their challenge and work towards a brighter