A Character Analysis Of Unbroken, By Louie Zamperini

Unbroken Analysis Throughout childhood, Louie Zamperini was seen by most as troublesome and a nuisance. Very few people ever saw his soft, caring, and helpful side that was common around his immediate family. The community of Torrance, California, where he grew up, often witnessed his wild, rebellious, and reckless side. Louie’s Italian heritage also made him a target for bullies to pick on in addition to his size and build for his age. According to Hillenbrand, Louie’s neighbors, “petitioned the city council to keep them out” (8). The lessons and experiences Louie went through in Torrance would prove very useful later on in his life when he is pushed to the brink of his limitations. “He shaped who he would be in manhood. Confident… bold enough to escape any predicament” (7). “When history carried him into war, this resilient optimism would define him” (7). Louie had a reputation for being mischievous and was notorious for stealing things from stores, baked goods off of dining room tables, and whatever form of alcohol he could get his hands on. Louie was just like his mother Louise, in regards to being defiant whenever the …show more content…
Hillenbrand writes, “Thanks to the stealing, a black market with a remarkable diversity of goods flourished in camp… Whenever the thieves had something extra, they gave it to Louie, who still wasn’t managing to gain weight” (250). Louie being such a good thief from childhood, became known for his ability to steal. Part of who he was, his defiant attitude, kept him going through Omori and really kept him alive. The men who stole from their captors saw it as a way to help fellow prisoners of war who were struggling with day to day survival like Louie was. It was friends like these, along with the willpower to not let the guards break him, that helped him through the