Laura Hillenbrand's biographical book Unbroken describes the thrilling true story of Olympian and World War II prisoner of war survivor Louis Zamperini. Zamperini was from Torrance, California, where he was known for being a troublemaker. His brother introduced him to the sport of running. Zamperini quickly became beloved by the sport and eventually left out his troubled life behind and went on to become an Olympian. Zamperini had gone to the Berlin games and was prepared to run, but was not able to compete due to the war.…
Seabiscuit reminds me of the African proverb “smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.” While the main characters–Red Pollard, Seabiscuit, Tom Smith, and Charles Howard–are known for their incredible gains, their losses cannot be forgotten. With each of casts’ misfortunes came their American dreams, even if they were not aware that they would need each other to achieve it. This dream would be lead by Seabiscuit. Seabiscuit was undersized, fairly gentle, and lethargic compared to other horses.…
Seabiscuit born a small horse that was lazy when he started out. His favorite occupation in his early years of life was sleep and eat, he wasn't well-behaved. But that was before he met the three men who shaped him into the best racing legend in the 1930s: His owner was Charles Howard, who had an eye for noticing potential in outcasts, Seabiscuit’s trainer was Tom Smith, who was referred to as a screwball for thinking he could heal horse’s that other trainers would have put down, his jockey was Red Pollard, who started his career as an exercise boy and stable hand during the Depression he would settle for any…
The three-time U.S. track and field Olympian, Gail Devers once stated, “Sometimes we fall, sometimes we stumble, but we can’t stay down. We can’t allow life to beat us down. Everything happens for a reason, and it builds character in us, and it tells us what we are about and how strong we really are when we didn’t think we could be that strong.” In the nonfiction book Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, the courageous Louis Zamperini emulated with Devers words when, even in times of hopelessness and doubt, he survived a World War II bomber plane crash into the great Pacific, where he was left and considered dead for 47 days. To say the least, Louie’s resilient and courageous personality kept him alive and sane throughout the dire situations…
Anthony Wayne, is a well known General who led his men into the Battle of Stony Point. For his brave efforts he earned a victory, a new nickname, and a Congressional medal. During battle, Wayne armed his soldiers with bayonets, and led a silent night time surprise attack. Earlier this week, I met with Wayne to discuss the event. After our introductions, I began with addressing the new nickname that Wayne gained during battle: “Mad” Anthony Wayne.…
In the book, Tom Smith, Charles Howard, and Red Pollard, three men who were broken within, came together and accomplished great things, such as helping Seabiscuit to become one of the greatest racehorses. Similarly, many flawed Americans united together and were able to make the powerful nation it is today. In Seabiscuit: An American Legend, the author depicted a metaphor for the tough times in American history, but Hillenbrand also described how with determination and hope, the nation was able to rise from the ashes, like Seabiscuit. To begin with, the three men struggled with their own difficulties in life, but they were still able to rise back up, similarly to America. For Charles Howard, his greatest sorrow was the death of his son, Frankie.…
Unbroken is a story by Laura Hillenbrand about an extraordinarily brave and courageous man by the name of Louie Zamperini. Throughout the story he endeavors many inhumane hardships and challenges. Louie is in fact, unbroken. He did not give up regardless of how difficult the issue was he was fighting through. There are thousands of people, all over the world, who have incredible survivor stories similar to Louie’s.…
Have you ever wondered why an author chooses to write a particular story? It may be to inform, to persuade, to express certain feelings, or to entertain. In the story Seabiscuit written by Laura Hillenbrand, a horse named Seabiscuit and his jockey participate in the Santa Anita horse race. Hillenbrand informs her reader of a horse, his jockey, and the details of the race. She also entertains her audience with the excitement of the contest.…
In the words of Gail Devers, “Sometimes we fall, sometimes we stumble, but we can't stay down. We can’t allow life to beat us down. Everything happens for a reason, and it builds character in us, and it tells us what we are about and how strong we really are when we didn’t think we could be that strong.” In the nonfictional, Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, Louie Zamperini, being the clever man he is, demonstrates Dever’s words though the 36’ Olympics, a treacherous trek in the Pacific, and in many Japanese POW camps. In his early days in Berlin, Louie already began expressing his mischievous cleverness.…
What does it mean to be hero? Courage, bravery, passion, and honor these are just some of the many traits that heroes past, present and future have and will exhibit to lay there mark on the world and bring about inspiration amongst the people and fight for a cause they truly believe in with all there being. On January 31st 1919 a true American hero who against all odds, pushing back against the crippling weight of oppression and injustice was born. The movie 42 tells the compelling and heart-warming story of Jackie Roosevelt Robinson, a name that will forever be engraved in both American and baseball culture so deeply. Jackie is remembered for fighting to bring about change and doing something that everyone said and thought was not possible,…
In this text I will talk about the term Under dog. When you are an under dog people underestimate you because they don’t think you are able to win because you don’t prove yourself. The story of Seabiscuit is the perfect example for an Under dog who surprises a lot of people. At the beginning of this story, Seabiscuit is injured and Tom buys it because he saw something special in his eyes. He transcended his under dog tag at the beginning because he came close to beating Rosemont.…
Life during World War II was a time unlike any other. American author, John Steinbeck, gave up a life of fame and riches to follow troops around the Eastern hemisphere and document their journeys. Though there are many sources a person could go to for information about the war, Steinbeck’s account goes into great detail about what life was actually like for an American solider during the war. On his journeys, Steinbeck recorded many aspects of the war that would otherwise go unnoticed. Throughout Steinbeck’s travels, he records accounts of how soldiers adjusted to military life, how life continued during the war, and how the soldiers reacted during combat.…
I also felt that her story was going to be very stimulating and a book that I wouldn’t be able to put down. I discovered after reading it, that I chose the right book to read. I found it to be very insightful and made me see how PTSD affects a person’s life. The thesis of this book is to show to people that it’s okay to open up about the cause of their PTSD. Many people with a disorder such as this one have a hard time talking about it to others.…
The Red Badge of Courage describes the struggles of Henry Fleming, the protagonist who yearns to fight in the Civil War. Although he originally joined the military because of his romanticization of war, he feels anxious and worried about the coming battle. Henry is thrust into his first battle, and is overcome by terror. Upon seeing the enemy advance, he decides to run away. The is leads to the main conflict: whether Henry's choice to run from the battles was right or wrong.…
Memoirs of an Infantry Officer is a book written by Siegfried Sassoon about World War I. This fictional account of Siegfried’s life during and immediately after the war was first published in 1930. Not long after its release, it was renowned as a classic, and it was even more successful than its predecessor, Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man--Sassoon’s first book in his trilogy of autobiographical war novels. This particular book, Memoirs of an Infantry Officer covers the period of time from 1915 to 1917; Sassoon’s time on the front line, the Battle of the Somme, his time recovering from wounds and injuries, his protest about the war, and finally ends with him being sent to Craiglockhart.…