1.)
To start this adventure of experiences throughout the book "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand, I would like to say that the book has so far had an impact on me and what I believe is what got soldiers, families, friends, and peers through war. There are quotes so far in the book that I believe have a bit of foreshadowing in them, for example my favorite quote, "If I can take it, I can make it." Louis was told this by his brother as a big influence to follow Louis throughout his life. It all began with the way Louis started out to be, he was basically a minor criminal in his hometown of Torrance, California. He had a rough childhood, which was caused by himself, by drinking, smoking and stealing by age 11. So, to help, Louis's brother decided to get him into track and field as a way to help him cope with the struggles he was experiencing. Eventually Louis won a championship to get him onto the Olympic team. From this, I realized that Louis would run to help him cope with the war as well as telling himself the quote from above. At least he did this up until a travesty happened. 2.) Moving on from the Olympics and Louis, we shall talk about when he actually began as a part of the Army Air Force, he ended up being more than just a soldier, he was a captain, or just a leader for his soldiers, but to him his friends. Even though I would think you wouldn't want to become too close with people at war, you also should. You shouldn't because what if they don't make it? That's just one more reason/ thing that is going to cause an even more stressful mourn and PTSD. But yet, you should only because friends are also a way to get through war, those small talks and jokes that someone may "cough" up can give just the amount of relief someone may need at war. 3.) So what about the friends and families? For Louis's family it seamed rough, but Louis mourned for them just as much as they did for him. It seemed like years if it was only days, and months when it was only hours. The not knowing what could happen is what killed them all throughout this experience, not knowing if he's going to make it, not knowing if he's going to get lost and just be told that he's never going to be found. Not knowing if the last time you see or possibly saw him was a few weeks ago when the last thing you said to the one that you love so dearly was just a joke, to break the ice. I guess that is why so many people pray and go to church more and more during war, even the people you would never think of go to church during these experiences, because during war people need something or someone to believe in, to give and receive hope, for hope is the only thing stronger than fear. 4.) The worst of being stranded is trying to keep your head held high and trying to continue to believe something great will come of being stranded. It's especially terrible, when it only gets worse. This is what happened to Louis and a fellow soldier. They were found, after being stranded at sea for 46 days, by the Japanese, who were not as excited to meet them. Louis and Phil were brought back to a camp set up for the Japanese, Louis and Phil don't know how long they were locked away, slowly going insane, but it was better than coming out only to be interrogated and beaten to get just a word. To get through something as bad as being beaten for your belief and ethnicity is what ruins some soldiers the most. To destroy ones belief and love for their home, is to destroy that person. 5.) The idea of becoming a hero is what anybody wants, and some people believe that by going into something dangerous like a war is the way to be noticed as a hero. But, little do some people know is that becoming a hero is more than just going into danger. It's about the steps you take for others rather than yourself. Louis, in the novel "Unbroken" shows what a true hero is. He stood up to many people including his friends to show what's right. Multiple times he showed courage and sacrifice. To save his friend from being beaten to death, he was punched in the face by all the other imprisoned soldiers at the camp. This was an idea made by "the bird," a chief or general that worked as the warden of the detention camp. Another example includes Louis standing up to "the bird" so show what real courage looks like. He stood up to "the bird" and after that the other imprisonments saw him as a courageous hero. He sacrificed his dignity multiple times in spite of the camp and still made it. Sacrifice and Courage shows what a true hero is, it's not about yourself and what you want people to see you as, it's about how they see you in general and what you do to get there. 6.) The end of the war is when there is celebration and honor for one another. I say honor because all the imprisoned are honored for one another, they are blessed to have made it this far and glad to see that the others have as well. Some will suffer traumatic injuries to the bones, and intestines, and even brain. Yet, at the time they don't care, there is only good the moment it is announced that war is over. The moment a prisoner is told the war is done with and that they are free it feels like waking up for Christmas to see that Santa got you exactly what you wanted, except even greater. All those years of taking the pain and putting it all away in your head just to get by can finally be let out and expressed without punishment. For Louis, he was speechless, he didn't know what to think or do. He just thought of how right his brother was.... "If you can take it, you can make it." |