Unbroken Hero Louie Zamperini Analysis

War can be loud and visible or quiet and remote. It affects the individual and entire societies, the soldier, and the civilian. Both U.S. prisoners of war in Japan and Japanese- American citizens in the United States during WWII undergo efforts to make them “invisible”. Laura Hillenbrand’s Unbroken hero, Louie Zamperini, like so many other POW’S is imprisoned, beaten, and denied basic human right in POW camps throughout Japan. Miné Okubo, a U.S. citizen by birth, is removed from society and interned in a “protective custody” camp for Japanese-American citizens. She is one of the many Japanese- Americans who were interned for the duration of the war. Louie Zamperini, as a POW in Japan, and Miné Okubo, as a Japanese- American internee, both experience …show more content…
Dehumanizing tactics by Japanese guards deny prisoners their dignity and humanity. On Execution Island, prisoners are repeatedly told they “ will be killed,” suffer torture, and are humiliated by prison guards “roared with laughter” (188). In Kwajalein Prison, prisoners are forced into solitary confinement and were put into isolation. At the camps they couldn't do anything, all of the prisoners were locked up and could not do or say anything. For example, “ At night, all Louie could see were walls, stripes of ground through the gaps in the floorboards, and his own limbs as slender as reeds” (206). With the things they did to the prisoners it left them in brutal conditions. The living conditions in the prisons were so poor there was nothing left to them. Further, communication with the outside world is impossible. To the world, including Louie’s family, he has vanished. Initially declared missing at sea and later declared dead by the U.S. military, he becomes invisible to the outside world. However, Louie does what he can to resist these efforts; “The officers who worked in the camp “deliberately stitched leather improperly”(247). “To deprive the Bird of the pleasure of seeing them miserable, the men made a point of being jolly”(248). The Bird is fighting against the war rules by making the prisoners work till sundown. …show more content…
Miné is one of thousands of Japanese- Americans that were sent to camps when president Roosevelt signed executive order 9066. As WWII went on American citizens went to internee camps because of their Japanese heritage. After they were put into internment camps the internees were isolated from the community and other people in the camp. As it says in Life Of Miné Okubo, “ I hereby authorise and direct Secretary of war to prescribe military areas from which any or all persons may be excluded, and with respect to which, the right of any person to enter, remain in, or leave shall be subject to whatever restrictions the Secretary of War may impose” (The Life of Mine Okubo). The guards and leaders made sure that the internees had no communication with each other or any outsiders. These Japanese- American were put into camps so they were made to be remotely cut off from the country. Before the transition started for the camps posters were hung to show what laid ahead of their future. After the FDR signed the Executive order 9066 there were posters around the town telling the Japanese- Americans that they were having to pack their things and move. “All Japanese persons… will be evacuated…” (Instructions to all Japanese persons). When they seen this they were scared to find out what was going to happen to them while there. Especially when they found