Unbroken Essay

985 Words4 Pages

Unbroken is a book written by Laura Hillenbrand. The book is about Louie Zamperini. Throughout his childhood, he was always a troublemaker. He stole, he lied, and wreaked havoc in his town. In highschool he decides to do track and dedicates all his time to it. A lifestyle of danger changed to a lifestyle of success, he wins numerous races and even attends the olympics. When the Olympics became suspended due to WWII, Louie became depressed. In order to do something with his life, he enlists in the military. A lot happens which causes him to be captured by the Japanese and he ends up working at a Japanese camp for many months. After this traumatic experience, Louie and many other officers suffer from PTSD. PTSD, also known as Post-traumatic stress …show more content…

The name may not be very fitting for him, but the officers chose that nickname because it didn’t have a negative connotation which would help them avoid getting beaten. He was a sadist, which is a person who derives pleasure from others' pain or humiliation. The Bird would often find the most miniscule reasons to abuse the officers. For example, Louie was simply existing when The Bird came up to him and accused him of doing something he didn’t even do. The Bird proceeded to attack him. This occurs on page 175, “No sooner had Louie stepped outside than the Bird found him, accused him of an imaginary infraction, and attacked him in a wild fury. The next day came another beating, and the next, another.” After this, Louie talks about how the Bird continues to target him for no apparent reason. However, readers can make an inference that he was picked on because of his past. He’s a former Olympian, and The Bird may be targeting him because he’s jealous of his success. He also may be targeting him because he’s simply …show more content…

There were multiple incidents with the POWS because of their PTSD. People suffering from PTSD can be triggered by anything that reminds them of the traumatic event that caused them to have it. The triggers for the POWs are anything that remind them of the war, or the camp they were kept in. Some of these are loud noises, asian people and certain smells. For example, the text states that some men had episodes when they saw an Asian person (Japanese or not), or heard even a little japanese. Most men suffer from constant nightmares, some even feeling like they’re trapped in a loop of their traumatic

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