Randy Pausch once said, “No matter how bad things are, you can always make things worse (Goodreads).” This statement reflects the theme of human conditions that have been encountered by the characters in the novel, Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. Human condition discusses the idea of the positive and negative aspects of existence as a human being (Dictionary). As Hillenbrand recounts the journey to survival during the World War II of Louie Zamperini, she created an inspiring, non-fiction literature. Louie Zamperini was once a young boy, completely different compared to what he had become as a man. As a young boy, he was persistent and stubborn who listened to no one. In the long run, his persistent character derived him to be an Olympic runner, …show more content…
As a teen, Zamperini acknowledges that great things demand hard work and if a person is exceptionally persistent, he will become unstoppable to achieve his goal. The words, “A lifetime of glory is worth a moment of pain (34)” illustrates Zamperini as a strongminded character. Although this quote has only been said in chapter four, it remained remarkable since the beginning of the story. These were the words of Pete that resonates in Zamperini’s head during the exhilarating moments he encounters. Pete is a loyal friend of Zamperini and the coach who never gets tired to motivate Zamperini. The inspiration words of Pete also echoes the social commentary of the human experience that people at any point in their life will experience pain, and the question is not why they have to suffer. But, will the outcome worth the pain. Since, everyone has the free will to decide which goals they desire to accomplish, it is also essential for them to realize that accomplishment is the product of hard work. In the novel, Zamperini strives to win Olympics for distance running. He trained so hard to prepare for this big competition that he begins to be numb from any pain. Therefore, Zamperini as a teenager discovered his defiance character is indeed the key into running. Due to perseverance, he uncovers a phenomenal gift that lead him …show more content…
In the novel, the author emphasizes that the dignity of a person will be challenged, and they have to fight to preserve it no matter what. In World War II, many American prisoners had their dignities robbed by the Japanese tormentor. At that unspeakable moment of their lives, they have struggled to maintain their human dignity. “Dignity is as essential to human life as water, food, and oxygen. The stubborn retention of it, even in the face of extreme physical hardship, can hold a man 's soul in his body long past the point at which the body should have surrendered it (205).” With this quote, hillenbrand highlights the importance of human dignity as she compares it to basic needs of people. Therefore, each person should fight for their dignity regardless what might challenge it. There were various unbearable events that have challenged the human dignity in Unbroken. There were times when Zamperini was on the verge of giving up to preserve his dignity when he was taken by the Japanese army from the ocean. However, he discovered that he was much stronger than he thought he was. Another conflict is when Zamperini suffered to maintain his dignity while being held captive by his tormentors. “He felt his consciousness slipping, his mind losing adhesion, until all he knew was a single thought: He cannot break me (264).” Hillenbrand illustrates that challenging times often
In the events of September 1, 1939 – September 2, 1945 world war 2 erupted and up came a man his name was Louis Zamperini. During Louie's life as a young adult, he decided to join the army to defend his country. Then during one of his missions on the way to the bomb site two, two of the four engines on their b-24 malfunctioned sending them plummeting into the ocean. In the book Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand uses the life experiences of Louie Zamperini to show the traits of optimistic and resourceful.
In the book, Unbroken, the POWs became delusional after being poorly treated at the camps. Even twenty-six-year-old Louie Zamperini had wasted his athlete body in one of these camps. Being POWs to the Japanese was not easy. The men were treated as if they were beasts. While in the other book, Manzanar, Japanese homes were ransacked and families were forced to leave with what they could carry to go to camps. Japanese men were disgraced and had no rights in these camps. Everyone who was in these camps had a significant lost in their weight. At the end of their sufferings, the internees would come out of the ...
In Unbroken: A world war 2 story of survival, resilience, and redemption- by Laura Hillenbrand; young Louie Zamperini is a delinquent of Torrance, California. He steals food, runs around like hell and even dreams of hoping on a train and running away for good. However, Pete, his older manages to turn his life around by turning his love of running from the law into a passion for track and field. Zamperini is so fast that he breaks his high school’s mile record, resulting in him attending the olympics in berlin in 1936. His running career however was put on hold when World war 2 broke out, he enlisted in the the Air Corps and becomes a bombardier. During a harrowing battle, the “superman” gets hit numerous times with japanese bullets destroying
Being Unbroken is defined as not being damaged or being fractured. Throughout the two stories; Unbroken, written by Laura Hillenbrand and Night, written by Elie Wiesel, both Louie Zamperini and Elie Wiesel were challenged on many levels, both emotionally and physically. However, their perseverance through their struggles and their optimistic views is what truly got them through the pain and hardships and allowed them to stand tall and not let their faith fail them.
Laura Hillenbrand’s novel Unbroken incorporates the improbable life of the main character, Louie Zamperini. She introduces both the inspiring and powerful journey that Louie encounters in his life as he grows up. Hillenbrand looks to and successfully does catch the versatility of the human soul. Zamperini’s story including his involvement in World War II gives a persuasive stage in which the author demonstrates numerous qualities of Louie. Leaving readers to appreciate his courage, quality, grit and above all else, his bravery. “Confident that he was clever resourceful, and bold enough to escape any predicament, [Louie] was almost incapable of discouragement. When history carried him into war, this resilient optimism would define him.” Louie
“It is your reaction to adversity, not the adversity itself, that determines how you life’s story will develop” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf). Most people can deal with difficulties, but their reactions to the hardships are different. Only some people can manage their problems. We should try to manage our behaviors in tough situations. If we can deal with our situations, we can overcome difficulties easily. In the story of Farewell to Manzanar written by Jeanne Wakatsuki, the story shows how war can change humans, their life, and their ranks. Although all of the characters of her book face the same problems due to the war and the camps they had to live in, they responded to those situations differently. All of them presented
Throughout life people encounter a numerous amount of obstacles, some of these obstacles can be tougher than others. These obstacles don’t define who you are, how the situation is handled does. In the book The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen, Jessica encounters a tremendous obstacle that life could throw at her. Jessica has had to learn to adjust her life from the way that she used to live. Her life is changing and she has to decide if this accident defines who she is going to be while being surrounded by the love and comfort of her family.
...he shows us her character, not by how she gives herself respect, but by the continued respect that she gives to others: even her tormenters. Her secret shame was kept inside, and it was an impossible burden to bear. She was brave.
Often, we find ourselves facing dramatic events in our lives that force us to re-evaluate and redefine ourselves. Such extraordinary circumstances try to crush the heart of the human nature in us. It is at that time, like a carbon under pressure, the humanity in us either shatters apart exposing our primal nature, or transforms into a strong, crystal-clear brilliant of compassion and self sacrifice. The books Night written by Elie Wiesel and Hiroshima written by John Hersey illustrate how the usual lifestyle might un-expectantly change, and how these changes could affect the human within us. Both books display how lives of civilians were interrupted by the World War II, what devastations these people had to undergo, and how the horrific circumstances of war were sometimes able to bring out the best in ordinary people.
In the novel The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton a teenage boy named Ponyboy lives with his two older brothers named Soda and Darry, and there is some controversy on whether or not his brothers are able to take proper care of Ponyboy. All three of the brothers are apart of the neighborhood gang called “The Greasers”, which is more like a brotherhood of underprivileged boys that have eachother’s backs rather than a gang. Ponyboy finds himself involved with the murder of an egotistical “Soc” named Bob, and is at risk of being taken away from his family and friends. Ponyboy should be able to stay with his brothers, because he is a well-rounded student that obeys the law for the most part, and his brothers are able to provide financial and emotional
After an event of large magnitude, it still began to take its toll on the protagonist as they often “carried all the emotional baggage of men who might die” during the war (O’Brien 1187). The travesties that occurred with the brutality of war did not subside and began to affect those involved in a deeply emotional way. The multitude of disastrous happenings influenced the narrator to develop a psychological handicap to death by being “afraid of dying” although being “even more afraid to show it” (O’Brien 1187). The burden caused by the war creates fear inside the protagonist’s mind, yet if he were to display his sense of distress it would cause a deeper fear for those around him, thus making the thought of exposing the fear even more frightening. The emotional battle taking place in the psyche of the narrator is directly repressed by the war.
The story The Outsiders By S.E Hinton is said to be “timeless” because kids can relate to the characters and themes of the story. In my opinion the story The Outsiders is not timeless because kids these days can’t relate to the characters in the story The Outsiders. Kids today aren’t riding in rodeos, roll drunks, jump smaller kids, walk to a stranger's house, or get in a stranger’s car, also they get arrested at the age of 10. Saying the statement “The Outsiders is a “timeless” book “ is an invalid statement. So, Kids today often don’t relate to The Outsiders anymore in many ways.
Isolated and alone, many attempts from both sides, America and Japan, to force the feeling of invisibility on their POWs or Japanese-American internees. Separated from friends, denied human rights and on the brink of starvation demolishing their dignity. Louie Zamperini was a POW who was originally an Olympian athlete. He was taken captive by Japan while laying raft for over a month. Miné is a Japanese-American intern who had been condemned to an intern camp during World War Two. The experience that Louie and Miné have undergone are those that challenge the two in a very psychological way. However, they have recovered showing their resilience and how humans can recover even from scarring events.
If This Is a Man or Survival in Auschwitz), stops to exist; the meanings and applications of words such as “good,” “evil,” “just,” and “unjust” begin to merge and the differences between these opposites turn vague. Continued existence in Auschwitz demanded abolition of one’s self-respect and human dignity. Vulnerability to unending dehumanization certainly directs one to be dehumanized, thrusting one to resort to mental, physical, and social adaptation to be able to preserve one’s life and personality. It is in this adaptation that the line distinguishing right and wrong starts to deform. Primo Levi, a survivor, gives account of his incarceration in the Monowitz- Buna concentration camp.
The Outsiders is about the life of a 14-year-old boy. The book tells the story of Ponyboy “Curtis” and his struggles with right and wrong in a society in which he believes that he is an outsider. Ponyboy and his two brothers, Darrel (Darry), who is 20, and Sodapop, who is 16, have recently lost their parents in an automobile accident. Pony and Soda are allowed to stay under Darry's guardianship as long as they all behave themselves. The boys are greasers, a class term that refers to the young men on the East Side, the poor side of town. The greasers' rivals are the Socs, short for Socials, who are the "West-side rich kids."