No one could reach Louie because he had never really come home. In prison camp, he’d been beaten into dehumanized obedience to a world order in which the Bird was absolute sovereign, and it was under this world order that he still lived.
After surviving against all odds while stranded at sea and in POW camp for nearly two years, Louie comes home and it seems that he has made it out of the war alive. Though his body is eventually nursed back into health, his mind remains trapped in the violent trauma heendured. Battling fits of frenzy, frequent nightmares, and slipping quickly into the life of an addict, Louie is paralyzed by the aftereffects of the atrocities of war. This quote highlights the depth of these atrocities for Louie and many other veterans.
A 1954 study found that in the first two postwar years, former Pacific POWs died at almost four times the expected rate for men of their age, and continued to die at unusually high rates for many years.
Throughout the story, statistics like these are used to frame the events of Louie’s life, amplifying the significance and pervasiveness of WWII’s impact. This quote comes during an outline of postwar life for Louie and many others. The atrocities that the men endure on all fronts of the war do not cease with the Axis powers’ surrender. Rather, the brutality follows them home, suggesting a level of unparalleled gravity that marks the horrors they endured.
Masses of POWs were beheaded, machine-gunned, bayoneted, and burned alive. The Japanese turned on civilians, engaging in killing contests, raping tens of thousands of people, mutilating and crucifying them, and provoking dogs to maul them. Japanese soldiers took pictures of themselves posing alongside hacked-up bodies, severed heads, and women strapped down for rape . . . Historians estimate that the Japanese military murdered between 200,000 and 430,000 Chinese, including the 90,000 POWs, in what became known as the Rape of Nanking.
This quotation referencing the Rape of Nanking comes early in the story, framing the way Louie and his crewmen think about crashes and the impending possibility of capture. The brutality described in this quote graphically asserts just how horrid the consequences of war can be, and places focus on the jarring willingness of Japanese soldiers to inflict these horrors. The theme of war and its atrocities is amplified by historical documentation like this, placing Louie’s story in the greater context of its time.
Dignity is as essential to human life as water, food, and oxygen. The stubborn retention of it, even in the face of extreme physical hardship, can hold a man’s soul in his body long past the point at which the body should have surrendered it. The loss of it can carry a man off as surely as thirst, hunger, exposure, and asphyxiation, and with greater cruelty. In places like Kwajalein, degradation could be as lethal as a bullet.
After his first week on Kwajalein, known to many soldiers as “Execution Island,” Louie comes to terms with the grim reality that the thing his captors will seek to take from him will not be his life so much as it will be his dignity. This realization, however, begins to stir a determination in Louie to remain human at all costs. The atrocities of war are highlighted in this thread throughout the book, wherein Louie’s enemies seek to torture and abuse him in ways that are specifically inhumane.
They had an intimate understanding of man’s vast capacity to experience suffering, as well as his equally vast capacity, and hungry willingness, to inflict it. They carried unspeakable memories of torture and humiliation, and an acute sense of vulnerability that attended the knowledge of how readily they could be disarmed and dehumanized . . . Their dignity had been obliterated, replaced with a pervasive sense of shame and worthlessness.
This exposition comes alongside stories of men returning home after the end of WWII. Veterans and POWs have been marked by the atrocities of war in a way that is so personal it is hard to detach from. This quote specifically highlights one of the most horrifying elements of the men’s trauma: the hunger and willingness of their enemies to bring pain upon them. The power of war to create these circ*mstances is made evident in this quotation and throughout the story as a whole.
FAQs
Dignity is as essential to human life as water, food, and oxygen. The stubborn retention of it, even in the face of extreme physical hardship, can hold a man's soul in his body long past the point at which the body should have surrendered it. Without dignity, identity is erased.
What is the quote in unbroken about forgiveness? ›
When he thought of his history, what resonated with him now was not all that he had suffered but the divine love that he believed had intervened to save him. A lifetime of glory is worth a moment of pain. At that moment, something shifted sweetly inside him. It was forgiveness, beautiful and effortless and complete.
What causes Louie to believe in God even after the horrible experiences of his life? ›
Louie registers belief that God saved his life because Louie promised to serve God. In this moment, Louie knows that he needs to fulfill that promise. The realization Louie has here transforms his life from this point onward.
How did Louie's childhood prepare him for war in the movie Unbroken? ›
Louie's troublemaking ways helped him nurture abilities to work his way out of difficult situations, including abilities to steal and to outwit others. Louie's childhood was not protected from danger. Louie was able to live fearlessly, using quick thinking to work his ways out of situations, to escape and to win.
What is the quote from Unbroken bonds? ›
There is always something to live for, even in the darkest of times. Unbroken bonds can never be severed.
What is a quote about perseverance in Unbroken? ›
Perseverance is not a quality, but a way of life. Perseverance is not a quality, but a way of life. The only true defeat is giving up on ourselves.
What is the greatest quote about forgiveness? ›
"Forgive others, not because they deserve forgiveness, but because you deserve peace." "Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much." "Forgiveness is the final form of love." "I forgive myself and set myself free."
What did Unbroken get wrong? ›
Factual errors
The Japanese flag as seen in the camp did not exist until after the end of the war. The correct one should have been the former Imperial Army flag. The crew fly in their uniforms - flight suits were not required for bomber crews as they are unlikely to do high-G evasive maneuvers that fighter pilots do.
What is the overall message of Unbroken? ›
Unbroken is ultimately a story about the capacities of human beings to survive and to serve others, including their country. It is also a story about the capacities of human beings to inflict pain and harm on others, through killing, deprivation, and other acts of cruelty.
What promise did Louie make to God? ›
True to his word, Louie got up to leave and was at the end of the row when Billy Graham said something that triggered a memory of a promise Louie made to God while floating in the Pacific for 47 days. He had promised that if God rescued him he would in turn, serve him.
He suffered years of emotional scarring from the war, but was healed by a conversion experience at a religious service led by Billy Graham. He went on to devote his life to spreading religious messages, to sharing his story, and to helping others.
What did Louie read to cope with his anxiety? ›
Louie has a Bible that he tries to read to cope with anxiety, but it makes no sense to him, and he gives it up.
How did the war change Louie? ›
Louie returned to the U.S. after the war as a hero, but he was angry, bitter and suffered from posttraumatic stress disorder. He experienced flashbacks and nightmares and was obsessed with vengeance. He even tried to save up money to fly to Japan to strangle the prison guard who had tortured him.
How did they know the war was over in Unbroken? ›
The men do not know if they will be killed but are overjoyed when they read the Morse code message of the American plane's red light. The message confirms that the war is over. They celebrate by jumping, yelling, and even crying. One of the POWs retrieves a message dropped by the plane.
What did Louie become obsessed with when he returned home from war? ›
Even as, returning stateside, he impulsively married the beautiful Cynthia Applewhite and tried to build a life, Louie remained in the Bird's clutches, haunted in his dreams, drinking to forget, and obsessed with vengeance.
What is the best quote from chop wood carry water? ›
A few more key take-aways:
- To play present, you must live present.
- You must surrender the outcome and commit to the process or you will become your own worst enemy.
- Comparison to others is fruitless and will sap the joy from your life.
- No matter what your circ*mstances, always chop wood and carry water.
Older Pete: A moment of pain is worth a lifetime of glory.
What is the main message of Unbroken? ›
The book communicates a message that humans are capable of surviving terrible hardships, including physical, emotional, and psychological hardships. The subtitle of the book underscores this theme.
What is the main point of the book Unbroken? ›
Unbroken is ultimately a story about the capacities of human beings to survive and to serve others, including their country. It is also a story about the capacities of human beings to inflict pain and harm on others, through killing, deprivation, and other acts of cruelty.
