How Is Helen Keller Portrayed In Laura Hillenbrand's Book Unbroken

Born blind and deaf, the American writer Helen Keller once said, “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet, only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” In Laura Hillenbrand’s nonfiction book Unbroken, the determined Louis Zamperini represented Helen Keller’s words when he survived his 47 day journey stranded on the raft and arrived at the island of Kwajalein. He still maintained the strength to travel on the island and endure the beatings from camp officials at the POW camps. In the beginning of his life, Louie’s delinquent behavior had him running around the town taking things right out from under people’s feet, but Louie thought that stealing and giving away his earnings to the people in the community was a good thing. As Louie grew older, he gave up his delinquent behavior and began running like his brother Pete. Pete was not the reason that Louie started running track: “It was Louie’s weakness for girls” (15). Determined to impress the ladies Louie began running on the track team. After his first meet, Louie wasn’t very interested, but Pete made him train harder, and Louie kept getting better. In high school, Louie “Ran a mile in 4:21.3 but said if he would’ve ran his second lap faster he could have run it in 4:18” (21). Training harder and harder, Louie earned a scholarship to USC. Where he trained even harder to achieve his goal of becoming an Olympic runner. In 1936 Louie finally made it; he

Louie overcame insurmountable odds surviving 47 days stranded on a raft and then having the strength to endure the beatings given to him by the guards at the POW camps shows that he was never ready to give up; he proved to audiences that a regular man can become the hero of his own story. Louis Zamperini was a man who remained