Unbroken Essay Papers

Unbroken How does one 's past affect one’s identity in the future? Louie Zamperini, a World War II veteran who suffered in japanese prison camps, spent his early years getting into trouble. His brother, Pete Zamperini, pushed him out of his comfort zone and made him join the track team. Louie set many records, and made it to the Berlin Olympics. Louie starts his life as a determined athlete, but because of internal and external conflicts, he changes to an enduring patriot, and finally, to a troubled veteran. Louie, during the beginning of the story, was a determined athlete. He had troubles with stealing and getting in trouble. He had few friends, and never joined school athletics. One day he was suspended from school activities; however,

Stopping the watches in 5:03. Three seconds faster than Pete’s record. At another meet, he clocked a mile in 4:58. Three weeks later, he set a state record of 4:50.6. By early April, he was down to 4:46; by late April, 4:42. (Hillenbrand 18)
The external conflict of Pete pushing Louie to do his best has influenced Louie in many ways. He has stopped stealing and was determined to hear the applause. Louie’s identity changed the instant he was forced onto the track team. Even though Louie has beaten Pete’s record, Pete continues to push him further and further. Louie has become a determined athlete. When World War II erupts in the world, Louie’s identity changes from a determined athlete to an enduring patriot due to the extreme external and internal forces that were forced upon him. Louie was drafted into the Air Force and became a bomber. He, and his crew, flew over Japan and bombed their military bases. One time, their plane was peppered with bullets, and they barely made it back to Hawaii. On their next trip, they were assigned to the Green Hornet, a plane which hydroplanes on air. This is troubling to Louie and his crew. As they were flying to Japan, a japanese pilot shot them down. Only three members of the crew survived. Those three had to live on a raft, in the middle of the ocean, for forty-six days. Then, a japanese boat came by and took them aboard. They fed the crew and told them that once they leave this ship, they will not ensure safety. Louie and the living members of his crew were taken to a prisoner of war camp. One of the guards, the Bird, especially liked Louie. He would beat him daily, and force him to do extra exercises. One day, the Bird brought Louie out in the open and Louie