Unbroken: Hillenbrand’s Argument

Unbroken: Hillenbrand’s Argument The argument an author makes is not the easiest thing to pick out, particularly when the book is written about the life of someone else. I believe Hillenbrand’s main argument is that people can change their behaviors based on current situations and the environment they are in. Louie Zamperini grew up as a trouble maker. He thieved from neighbors’ kitchens and generally caused mayhem wherever he went. When propaganda regarding eugenics started to surface and a child from his neighborhood was declared to be feeble-minded, Louie resolved to clean up his act and make himself a better person. As Louie grew up, he transformed into an All-American track star and eventually a hero in the United States Air Force. Before becoming the hero Louie Zamperini is now known as, he struggled with his transformation from hoodlum to trackstar to hero. After the threat of being declared feeble-minded, Louie had realized that the hoodlum everyone knew, was not who he wanted to be. “The person that Louie had become was not, he knew, his authentic self. He made hesitant efforts to connect to others” (Hillenbrand 12). Louie Zamperini had reached the age that everyone hits. He had reached the age where he was beginning to realize what type of person he wanted to be and how he wanted to be remembered. Louie changed for the better. I believe that Hillenbrand used the book and Louie’s transformation to stress her feelings on the subject. Anyone who knew Louie prior to reading Hillenbrand’s book would have agreed that he stayed strong even in the worst of circumstances.
Works Cited
Hillenbrand, Laura. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption. New York: Random House, 2010. Print.

Cited: Hillenbrand, Laura. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption. New York: Random House, 2010. Print.