War Combat, loyalty, enmity, bloodshed, and duty, all words that fit under the category of war. The novel Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand is about Louis Zamperini a strong willed man raised in Torrance, California. He started as a young troublemaker until he discovered his passion for running in high school. That very passion led him to compete in the Olympics. Later he enlisted in the Army Air Corps, a brave decision that would change his life. War and its affinities have various emotional effects on different individuals, whether facing adversity within the war or when experiencing the psychological aftermath. Some people cave under the pressure when put in a situation where there is minimal hope or optimism. Two characters that experience …show more content…
Louie Zamperini and Commander John Fitzgerald show strength and resolution in the face of adversity. For example, when Louie’s plane crashed and the men were on the raft, Laura Hillenbrand wrote, “Louie was determined to keep himself and the others lucid”(114). During their journey on the rafts, Louie tried to keep Phil, Mac and himself hopeful in a seemingly hopeless situation. He tried to distract them from hunger and troubling thoughts by singing songs and talking about comforting memories of the past. Commander John Fitzgerald demonstrated his fortitude in Ofuna. Hillenbrand wrote, “Fitzgerald had never broken, and as one of the highest-ranking captives, did his best to protect the men”(152). Commander Fitzgerald felt it was his duty to protect the secrets of his country and the men who served it. His leadership demonstrated a gallant and loyal character. Finally, when Louie was at Omori, he was offered an opportunity by a radio station, “If Louie would do the broadcast, they said, he could live here”(191). Louie knew that they were conspirators trying to make him become a propaganda prisoner and that the broadcast was meant to discourage American troops. He then chose to go back to the horrible, slipshod POW camp rather than degrade and betray his country. These men exemplify people standing up in the face of adversity and the embodiment of a noble