Unbroken By Laura Hillenbrand: Novel Analysis

Most people believe that a nonfiction novel is just a true story that includes real people and real events, but what most people do not know is that a nonfiction novel is supposed to be written so it can withstand the test of time. Truman Capote once said in an interview that a nonfiction novel needs to have “a timeless quality about the cause and events.” The novel Unbroken, written by Laura Hillenbrand is a New York Times bestseller that tells an inspiring story of a young soldier in World War Two, Louis Zamperini. Unbroken exhibits the “timeless quality” that Capote deemed as essential to a nonfiction novel by providing statistics, a remarkable journey, and explaining the effects of World War Two.
In order for a novel to be timeless it needs …show more content…
Louies journey is deemed remarkable and will be read about forever because nobody has experienced anything like he encountered. Unbroken gives an insight on Louie's journey from the time he was drafted all the way until he was rescued as a prisoner of war. During his journey, Louie conquered many impossibilities, for example, thirteen months after Louie’s disappearance the military had declared him dead due to fact that no search planes found any sign of Louies plane and red cross wasn’t informed of Louies capture in Japan (Hillenbrand, 226). Another reason Unbroken is timeless, is because of the severe treatment Louie and other soldiers endured was written about. Prisoners of war were beaten everyday even if there was not a reason. The author wrote a lot about a very violent camp official named Watanabe, “Watanabe beat POW’s everyday, fracturing their windpipes, rupturing their eardrums, shattering their teeth,tearing one man’s ear half off, leaving men unconscious.” (Hillenbrand, 242). Louies journey is unbelievable, and sadly it is a part of history, and will withstand the test of time because of the absurdness that Unbroken