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Unbroken By Thievery Quotes

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Former major league baseball player Tommy Lasorda once said, “The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person’s determination.” In Laura Hillenbrand’s nonfiction book Unbroken, Louie Zamperini demonstrates this quote with his determination to survive the challenges he faced before, during, and after the war. This determination helped Louie face and overcome the challenges presented to him during the war. As a child and runner, Louie showed his determination through his actions and words. Behaving like a delinquent and committing acts of thievery caused his town to consider Louie the “bad” kid. Although he often broke the law, Louie also helped out those in need by willingly giving them his stolen items them his stolen …show more content…

Thankfully, Louie’s determination to survive helped keep him and one of his crew members alive to see their family again. After capture, forced into working and starved nearly to death at camps they found themselves in an even more difficult situation. Triumphant in his efforts to survive, Louie withstood more than his physical and mental strength should have allowed. Like Rosa Parks, a determined Louie fought for what he believed, through the pain he kept a bar raised over his head when “The Bird” wanted to punish him: “Five more minutes passed, then ten. Louie’s arms began to waver and go numb. His body shook. The beam tipped. ...Louie had held the beam aloft for thirty-seven minutes “. (p302)Louie also showed this determination when he tried to keep his crew's mental state in check, he told them of his mother's food: “So began a thrice-daily ritual on the raft, with pumpkin pie and spaghetti being the favorite subjects. “(p153). Courage allowed him and his crew to survive longer; staying alive provided more challenges. Louie once hung the side of a raft, dodging bullets and kicking away sharks even when weak and starved. “As quickly as he could, Louie pulled himself along the cord until he reached the raft. He grabbed its wall and lifted himself clear of the shark “.(p162) This shows Louie, weak physically, was able to withstand what seemed almost …show more content…

He found it hard to talk about the war, but his spirit helped him post war to continue living his life without being consumed by his traumatic memories. After the rescue, Louie faced many struggles with his recurring nightmares about “The Bird” made sleep difficult. He went to bars and often became drunk, like many other past soldiers, in order to forget about the war and the horrors he had experienced: “...Hollaran was fortunate. Of the five survivors of his crew two drank themselves to death.”(p356) Later he used his determination to quit drinking and he found God after his new wife, Cynthia Applewhite, dragged him to a Billy Graham preaching. During the gathering he remembered something from the raft: “That day, he believed that what lay around them was the work of infinitely broad, benevolent hands, a gift of compassion.”(p381) For Louie, such an experience changed his life. He gave up drinking and reshaped his life and got back on track using his determination and

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