Unbroken is a real-life, modern day, epic. This story was something that came straight out of a myth, but the truth in it holds to be accurate. This man was the epitome of American ideals, and he went into a war with nothing but a truly iron will. This was the deciding factor in his survival, not his shape physically, but his mind. Admittedly his running was what hardened his will to continue even when every fiber of his body demanded respite. This training was what enabled his mind to handle the sort of stresses put onto him through WWII.

Louie Zamperini’s early life was chaotic, but it focused as he got older into a truly beautiful ability as a runner. He started out with a natural ability to run, and his rebelliousness was actually a strength of mind that wouldn’t allow him to bend to others will. This strength also helped him rebel from his own impulses to stop running. The people that are born with a “troubled” character, one that doesn’t easily fit into society and superiors is something that isn’t often seen as a benefit. In Unbroken it is shown in a different light, one that gives an idea of the iron will of rebellious people. As Louie starts his life he rubs everyone the wrong way because he refuses to give, whether it is the right choice or the wrong one it is his choice to make, and he takes control of his own path in a way that often gets trampled in today’s society.

As this book progressed I got to know Louie, and couldn’t help but resonate with his character. I’ve always been one of the slowest to figure out how to listen to teachers, and do the seemingly pointless tasks set before me. This would often seem to be my enemy and I have driven myself to fit into this idea of a good kid. While reading Unbroken I have learned to embrace the side of me that is as stubborn as a mule, and to use that to my advantage whenever possible. Even though school leaves little leeway for this I still strive to maintain that part of me that fits with Louie Zamperini, because after reading this book I am convinced that it is strength rather than a weakness.

Louie Zamperini grows into someone that see’s a path and follows it; regardless of the obstacles laid before him he fights through to the other side without fail. In the book Louie fights things like other runners, superiors, sharks, japs, POW guards, torture artists, and even himself. In all of these fights he was able to see a path and follow it. His decisiveness often saved his life. Not only that but it saved the lives of many others throughout his life.

At the last fight in the book Louie is stuck in the war, and isn’t able to live his life past the war. Suffering from severe post traumatic stress disorder he was truly in the battle against himself. He went off the deep end and got so bad that he almost destroyed everything and nearly killed his pregnant wife and unborn child. His stubbornness made self development a hard obstacle to overcome but as soon as he fought through and realized he had to do something he did it with the iron will he is known for. Giving himself over to god, and allowing his life to reach a new standard he used his will better than ever to support the lives of kids in a youth program that he was able to pass on his knowledge and skills to others that sorely needed it. Louie’s character should truly be upheld in the myths and legends of the future along with Heracles, Achilles, and all other heroes of survival and triumph. This book illustrates this superhuman ability so many times that it’s almost unbelievable that anyone could survive such a torturous and challenging life. The times that this is shown are highlighted into my mind and whenever I feel like a challenge is unbeatable I will just think and ask myself; is this a field of sharks about to rip me to shreds? Or is it just simply another racer in my way that will try to shove me off of my path?

These moments in the book are exciting and intense as the author paints a perfect picture of the struggles of Louie Zamperini. Louie’s first real triumph in the face of obstacles is a race where other racers fight unfairly to beat Louie in a race. This is the first time that Louie is tested with unfair odds, and is able to triumph without resorting to dark tactics. He is kicked with racing spikes gashing his legs up and down and still keeps racing, using his will instead of spite to beat his opponents, and was able to actually get his fastest mile time yet in under 4:15 seconds. He keeps his head high and strives to fight evenly and fairly but still fights harder than any others to be what he wants to be.

The next moment that Louie is tested is when he goes down in a B-24 bomber in the middle of the pacific. He spends over 47 days out at sea with little provisions and two injured allies. In the first night one solider loses control and eats all of their provisions with devastating effects. When reading this my own impulse to just jump into the book and beat the man was overwhelming, and the fact that Louie takes this in stride and even shares evenly all rations he is able to steal from the ocean. This shows a strength of will and resolve to do the right thing that I know I don’t possess, and in the end he is repaid by Mac saving his life on a couple of occasions, and I don’t think they would have survived without Mac even though he did such a devastating action in the beginning of their journey. He fights and claws at death no matter what and still helps others do the same.

His next large obstacle is truly devastating. After spending a year in a POW camp being tortured by a man who is one of the most terrible products of WWII he is given hope by this man’s departure. He has a short respite thinking he has reached the top of a devastating climb and will reach a point of relative ease and is promptly returned under the same man’s prison camp. This point is truly the most shocking point in the book and he seems to be the closest to giving in. Death knocks on his door harder than it ever has, and he still knocks back. He recovers from his initial despair and resolves to fight ever harder to survive. People speak of mental toughness, and the will to go on, but this goes beyond almost everyone’s threshold for strength.

After all of this he is finally able to return home, and despite his ordeal he finds a way to be happy, get’s married, and is almost in the clear so to speak, but evil comes knocking a final time from the past and he suffers from deep PTSD, and severe flashbacks. This is a battle of the mind that he doesn’t quite know how to beat. His only defense that has truly helped him is his stubbornness, but this only hindered his ability to beat this final obstacle. He is finally able to turn to something that is very surprising for his character. He looks to god, and allows himself to be caught by faith and brought past his last true fight out of evil. Yet again he is able to fight against the clutches of despair and pain and becomes infinitely stronger because of it.

This book really centers on this idea that Louie Zamperini’s life battles are difficult in a way that no one really comprehends, and he is of an unbreakable material that will truly survive through anything. His survival is something that us as Americans don’t really have to face, and his resilience in that situation to do the right is astounding. In the span of his life he finds redemption in god, and that is something that many people aren’t able to do in their lives. Still he lives today and at 96 is one of the strongest men still alive today.