Motivation In Unbroken

Life comes with struggles. No matter the size, struggles have the ability to make one weak and tear one down. However, motivation is the key to overcome these struggles. It is the determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of a goal, to be motivated. Motivation is the drive behind everything. In Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand she tells the life story of Louie Zamperini from his devious childhood, to his determination of Olympic days, and through his hard struggles through World War II. Overall, Louie is a resilient man. Hillenbrand is constantly showing Louie’s struggles which follow up with the motivation that gets him through them. Through Louie’s victories, Hillenbrand demonstrates the idea that motivation is the power behind
Louie thought: Let go.” (Hillenbrand 35). This is one of the first examples that hints at Louie’s constant motivation for everything he sets his mind to. In this case, he wants to win the race more than anything he has ever wanted in his life. Although he feels defeat in himself, lagging behind the two faster runners, he suddenly remembers that he can do it as long as he believes in himself. He realizes that in order to keep his motivation he can not let those runners get to him, so Louie continues to push himself until he achieves his victory. By revealing this Hillenbrand demonstrates that instead of being defeated, using defeat can let one push harder. Not only does Louie strive for a win in this race, Hillenbrand is continually showing his resilience through pain. After the Olympics, Louie is still trying for improvement. In a race for his college team at the NCAA Championship, Louie is the favorite to win. Louie recalls hearing rumors that men are going to try to injure him to
As Louie, Phil, and Mac are stuck in the vast sea, slowly each one's mind is fading away. Louie and Phil are constantly trying to look forward to the future to stay alive, Mac’s life is fading away. Hillenbrand describes each man's outcome, “ Though all three men faced the same hardships, their differing perceptions of it appeared to be shaping their fates. Louie and Phil's optimism, and Mac’s hopelessness, were becoming self-fulfilling” (155). Hillenbrand demonstrates that keeping a positive image on better things more than reality, can slowly but surely keep one going. If Louie stopped believing that he would one day he would get off the raft he would of lost hope long before. The hope he creates in his mind ignites his motivation to never lose faith. With a future to look forward to Louie is able to escape an undesirable fate. Throughout the story Louie's resilience never seems to fade, infact it continues to grow throughout the story. One of Louie's most remarkable moments is when re refuses to back down to the Bird. The bird orders him to hold an iron beam over his head. The weak and fragile Louie holds it, in order to not back down. Hillenbrand describes as Louie struggles to hold up the beam, “ Five more minutes passed, then ten. Louie's arms begins to waver and go numb. His body shook. He felt his consciousness slipping, his mind losing adhesions, until all he knew was a single thought: