Analysis Of Unbroken By Laura Hillenbrand

In the words of Paul Boose, from the book, Chicken Soup for the Soul, “Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future” (Moore). Louie Zamperini, after several years of torture as a prisoner of war, is able to experience this by forgiving the ones who caused him to suffer. In the novel Unbroken, the author, Laura Hillenbrand, retells the story of Louie Zamperini, a war hero. The reader is first introduced to Louie as a mischievous child who becomes an Olympic runner. The story then follows his journey into World War II, where the reader understands the struggles he faces as a prisoner, to the way he reacts after returning home. Upon arriving in his hometown following the war, Louie’s faith is developed and strengthened, leading to his forgiveness of the guards who treated him so poorly while imprisoned at camps.

Louie undergoes some extremely challenging circumstances throughout his time spent at war. In these times of trial, he would pray, even though his faith wasn’t prominent. One difficulty Louie experienced was the unexpected crash of a B-24 Liberator, called Green Hornet, while on a mission to hunt for another plane that had recently gone down. The brave bombardier, along with his crew were aboard the plane when one of the four engines stopped operating, causing them to immediately

As the old saying goes, “forgive and forget”. Unfortunately, that is easier said than done. However, digging deep down and finding a way to let go of the ill feelings that are created by someone’s wrong doings, or what is perceived as such, can be liberating. Harboring such anger and animosity can be nearly crippling. Freeing those negative feelings allows one to experience peace and joy that cannot be achieved with such upset in not only the head, but also the