Unbroken: Adapted For Young Adults by: Laura Hillenbrand
Unbroken: Adapted For Young Adults by Laura Hillenbrand
Reviewed by Kelsey Ashton, Sarai Avila, Meagan Andres, and Julie Alonso
Review:
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, is a nonfiction novel about an olympic runner named Louie Zamperini during World War II. The novel starts off with the plane crash in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Right after the plane crash, Louie's flashbacks of his childhood start to begin. Louie starts to remember his delinquent childhood, where he turned his speed of getting away into a passion of running, and later competing in the 1936 Olympics in Germany. Later Louie joined the United States Army Air Corps in World War II. When stationed in Hawaii in 1943, Louie was sent to go on a search and rescue mission which was the peak of where his life would change. During the search, his own plane had crashed down into the Pacific Ocean. Louie was lost at sea for 45 days, and eventually ends in up the shores of Japan where is held as a prisoner of war by the Japanese troops. During the two years of his imprisonments in the camp, Louie had experienced traumatic torture which led him to post-traumatic stress disorder. Louie was released in 1945, and returned to the United Stated where he married his wife. Unfortunately, Louie was struggling with controlling his PTSD and alcohol addiction. In 1949, Louie became a Christian which was another peak where his life would change. Louie was able to heal from his emotional wounds that eventually lead him to finding the strength to forgive his own captors. Louie turns his life around and became a global motivational speaker.
Themes mentioned in Unbroken are survival and forgiveness. The descriptions given of Louie’s character are stubbornness and having the rejection of being torn apart. He oversees his chances of dying by focusing on the equipment he needs in order to live. During his imprisonment, the most depressing and desperate time of his life, he obtained a way to communicate with other prisoners in order to keep their dignity. For Louie and the other men, keeping their dignity was one of the important methods to survive. Being able to express their thoughts, emotions, and voice forbid them from breaking their spirit and losing their dignity. During Louie’s crash on the Pacific, he thought he would not survive. He had promised himself he would turn his life to God if he made it through. Louie did not commit right after, but eventually after hearing the young evangelist Billy Graham, he turned his life around and forgave himself for turning into a monstrous person after the war. His wife forgave him for the way he had behaved while struggling with PTSD. Louie had gone so far that he traveled to Japan to visit the soldiers in jail, who were serving their time for being involved with the war camps. Louie wanted to tell the men himself, that they are forgiven for torturing him during his imprisonment. The men in jail were surprised to see Louie with an uplifting smile, but mainly because he was there to forgive them. Louie believed that if he was to continue to hate the men, and wish death upon them, then he was still allowing his life to be controlled by remembering them. After Louie forgave the men, the nightmares of his time in the camp wars had stopped, he was able to sleep at peace.
Unbroken introduces competence, ability, and possibilities that can aid a person undergo unfeasible occurrences. This thesis was tested throughout his whole life. When he was younger, he had become a delinquent in order to survive. When he was training to be an olympic runner, his brother was the one who encouraged him when everyone else doubted him. When he was living through the plane crash he looked for possible ways to not drown/ die. When he was captured and tortured, he managed not to fully lose himself. When he was released and suffered from trauma, he looked for a spiritual help and turned his whole life around. Whenever Louie’s life was going down hill, he always managed to pull through even when the situation almost seems impossible to get out of.
Aside from Unbroken being taught in an English class, this novel fits perfectly well in a History class. It is a hard read, almost a lot of the novel introduces general history from before, during, and after World War II. The novel goes into detail about the darkness and horror that happened when the Japanese were developing the Prison Of War camps. The darkness and horror during World War II was not only for the prisoners but also for the Japanese soldiers. It goes back to how horrible these camps were because of how they were being managed, and under what influence. As in, knowing the history of how the prisoners were treated, the torture was so inhuman that their own Japanese soldiers were unable to cope. For this reason, the superiors of the Japanese had to manipulate their own soldiers to viewing these prisoners as inhuman, in order to make their job of torture easier. Which goes back to how barbaric World War II was like for the prisoners inside their camps.
Biography:
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| Author Laura Hillenbrand |
Born in Fairfax, Virginia, Laura Hillenbrand grew up in the town of Bethesda, Maryland near the Potomac River. She spent her time playing on the land of her father’s farm in Sharpsburg, Maryland with her childhood dogs, riding her horse Allspice, and swimming on the local club team. Hillenbrand found her interest in words and history through the farm as it was used as a hospital during the bloody Civil War battle of Antietam. She later went on to Kenyon College.
Hillenbrand was unable to finish college due to a mysterious illness plaguing her. After years and years of misdiagnosis and doubt, she was finally diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome- an almost invisible illness that makes the affected feel weak, fatigued, dizzy, nauseous, and a multitude of other symptoms.
Although this weight was constantly keeping her down, bedridden and indoors, Hillenbrand was still determined to write, to tell the stories of history. Her method was fairly uncommon, due to her illness. Interviews had to be done over the phone. Reading would occasionally make her nauseous so she would write until she could not anymore. Writing would give her pain in her hands so she would read or do an interview. It was difficult for her not to be able to visit places she was talking about, but Hillenbrand managed to succeed in writing two bestsellers that also were given movies.
Laura Hillenbrand is monument to strength and pushing through personal pain in order to do what you love. Her books and the people in them are symbols of perseverance. Not only are those she writes about strong, but the author is as well.
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| Movie Poster for Seabiscuit (2003) |
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| Movie Poster for Unbroken (2014) |
Instructional Resources:
1. An Interview with Louis Zamperini: John Meroney, from the Atlantic, interviews Louis Zamperini about a multitude of subjects like events that happened in the book to things that is happening in our world today. I would use this resource to give students so they could see what Louis thinks of the book and how Louis provides extra information about his life that the book might not cover. Louis also talks about how the book has impacted his life and then students can see how Louis's story can has helped who are still suffering from WW2.
2. Angelina Jolie and Louis Zamperini: This is a video from the Today show where NBC news special correspondent, Tom Brokaw sits down and interviews Louis Zamperini and Angelina Jolie. I would use this resource as a way to show students how our history is much closer than it seems. Even WW2 seems like it happened a long time ago, but this can remind students that it still has a significant amount of influence in our society today.
3. Unbroken Movie Trailer: This is the movie trailer for Angelina Jolie's movie about Unbroken. I would show the students the trailer of the movie before hand. It would help them understand what kind of book we we are about to read as well as drum up interest so they will be more excited to read the book.
4. Victory Boys Camp Louis Zamperini's Project This is the home page of the Victory Boys Camp that Louis created. Students can use this resource to see how even though this is the story of an old man, his story can still have a huge effect on a younger audience. When they see the influence that Louis has on kids around their age they will read the book more avidly because they will not see it as a dry nonfiction book.
5. "The Great Zamperini" A Short Documentary: This is a 30 minute documentary that actually helped inspire Hillenbrand's novel. I would show this documentary to students to help them understand more clearly what is going on in the novel in case they are struggling to understand what is happening in the novel.
6. Louis Zamperini's Letter to the Bird: This is a YouTube video of Louis reading his to The Bird which reflects one of the big themes in the book, forgiveness. I would show this to students after they have read the book so they can see how Louis is more than just words on a page and how he truly experienced horrors in his life and how he has grown from it.
7. Mutsuhiro Watanabe a.k.a The Bird: This is a website about Mutsuhiro Watanabe, the man that tortured Zamperini. I think it is just as important for students to know that he was just as real as Louis and there are real life villains in the world. It will help students realize that while people like Watanabe exist to be cruel, people like Louis exist to overcome them.
8. Interactive Map This link goes to an interactive map that shows the journey Louis Zamperini went through during the duration of the novel. This is a useful link, because it puts into perspective just how much he traveled throughout this experience.
9. A Perfectly Nice Guy This video is with Mustsuhiro Watanabe, it takes place years after the events in the book happened. It shows his humanity, and while he was the man who inflicted much pain on others, that there is more to his personality than the actions he committed during that time.
10. The Defiant Ones This article shows how it was possible for the author of the book to document Louis journey because of the memorabilia that he kept throughout the duration of his life. It adds layers to the information learned in the novel and allows the reader to connect with the novel much more.
2. Angelina Jolie and Louis Zamperini: This is a video from the Today show where NBC news special correspondent, Tom Brokaw sits down and interviews Louis Zamperini and Angelina Jolie. I would use this resource as a way to show students how our history is much closer than it seems. Even WW2 seems like it happened a long time ago, but this can remind students that it still has a significant amount of influence in our society today.
3. Unbroken Movie Trailer: This is the movie trailer for Angelina Jolie's movie about Unbroken. I would show the students the trailer of the movie before hand. It would help them understand what kind of book we we are about to read as well as drum up interest so they will be more excited to read the book.
4. Victory Boys Camp Louis Zamperini's Project This is the home page of the Victory Boys Camp that Louis created. Students can use this resource to see how even though this is the story of an old man, his story can still have a huge effect on a younger audience. When they see the influence that Louis has on kids around their age they will read the book more avidly because they will not see it as a dry nonfiction book.
5. "The Great Zamperini" A Short Documentary: This is a 30 minute documentary that actually helped inspire Hillenbrand's novel. I would show this documentary to students to help them understand more clearly what is going on in the novel in case they are struggling to understand what is happening in the novel.
6. Louis Zamperini's Letter to the Bird: This is a YouTube video of Louis reading his to The Bird which reflects one of the big themes in the book, forgiveness. I would show this to students after they have read the book so they can see how Louis is more than just words on a page and how he truly experienced horrors in his life and how he has grown from it.
7. Mutsuhiro Watanabe a.k.a The Bird: This is a website about Mutsuhiro Watanabe, the man that tortured Zamperini. I think it is just as important for students to know that he was just as real as Louis and there are real life villains in the world. It will help students realize that while people like Watanabe exist to be cruel, people like Louis exist to overcome them.8. Interactive Map This link goes to an interactive map that shows the journey Louis Zamperini went through during the duration of the novel. This is a useful link, because it puts into perspective just how much he traveled throughout this experience.
9. A Perfectly Nice Guy This video is with Mustsuhiro Watanabe, it takes place years after the events in the book happened. It shows his humanity, and while he was the man who inflicted much pain on others, that there is more to his personality than the actions he committed during that time.
10. The Defiant Ones This article shows how it was possible for the author of the book to document Louis journey because of the memorabilia that he kept throughout the duration of his life. It adds layers to the information learned in the novel and allows the reader to connect with the novel much more.
Instructional Activity:
Preview:
Here are a few activities that can be used while reading Unbroken. The first is a timeline flow map. Students will be able to write in one of the boxes what they think were the most important parts of each of the legs of Louie's story. Then they can form groups and discuss with each other why they chose that specific scene.A second activity is to use a map of the world. As you read through the novel, have students write where Louie Zamperini travels to. This will aid students in their comprehension of the novel.
California Common Core Standards:
Comprehension and Collaboration
CCSS.ELA- Literacy.SL.11-12.1
Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11-12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
Key Ideas and Details
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.2
Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.2
Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex analysis; provide an objective summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.3
Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.4
Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning, alternative or opposing perspectives are addressed, and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range of formal and informal tasks.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.2
Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.2
Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex analysis; provide an objective summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.3
Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.4
Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning, alternative or opposing perspectives are addressed, and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range of formal and informal tasks.
Resources and Preparation:
- The Devil At My Heels: The Story of Louis Zamperini by Louis Zamperini
- The Devil At My Heels: A Heroic Olympian's Astonishing Story of Survival as a Japanese POW in World War II by Louis Zamperini and David Resin
- Don't Give Up, Don't Give In: Lessons from an Extraordinary Life by Louis Zamperini and David Resin.
Here you can find a simple map of the world for an activity.
Instructional Plan:
In order to help students understand the novel more, and make the connection that the events they are reading did happen in real life we chose to to utilize a timeline flow map worksheet and a simple map worksheet. The two will be used jointly in order to provide the best experience for both teacher and student. The map should be used to put the journey of Louie into perspective. For each new area that Louie travels to the map should be colored in, with a new color for each new area.In addition to this, each area should be number in chronological order as to show where he started and where he ended his journey. This will help for the timeline flow map, this worksheet should be filled out in correlation with the map and should be numbered to match with the map. For the flow map, the instructor should have the students fill out the important events that happened at each stage of Louis' journey. Not only things, but they should fill out emotions that stood out tot them, in order to show how he changes throughout his journey.
At the end of the activity, follow up with a class discussion on what they learned from the book and how the events a person goes through can shape them in different ways.
Notes:
This activity should be introduced when the novel is first introduced, in order to help students stay interested in the book. This will also help them see themes and ideas in the text that would be lost in just a surface level reading of the book.
Bibliography
Dimuro, Gina. “He Was One Of Japan's Most Ruthless Guards During World War 2 - And He
Got Away With Everything.” All That's Interesting, All That's Interesting, 10 July 2019, https://allthatsinteresting.com/mutsuhiro-watanabe.
"English Language Arts Standards." English Language Arts Standards/ Common Core State
Meroney, John. “'World War II Isn't Over': Talking to 'Unbroken' Hero Louis Zamperini.” The
Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 11 Nov. 2014, https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/11/world-war-ii-isnt-over-talking-to-unbroken-veteran-louis-zamperini/382616/.
Hillenbrand, Laura. “A Sudden Illness.” The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 18 June 2017,
Hillenbrand, Laura. Unbroken: an Olympian's Journey from Airman to Castaway to Captive:
Adapted for Young Adults. Ember, 2017.
Hylton, Wil S. “The Unbreakable Laura Hillenbrand.” The New York Times, The New York
Times, 18, Dec. 2014, www.nytimes.com/2014/12/21/magazine/the-unbreakable-laura-hillenbrand.html.
Jaffe, Jody. "Brave Hearts." Bestheda Magazine, 18 Mar. 2019,
TodayShow. “Angelina Jolie's 'Unbroken' Hero Was Her Neighbor All Along.” TODAY.com, 25
Feb. 2014, https://www.today.com/popculture/angelina-jolies-unbroken-hero-was-her-neighbor-all-along-2D12164322.
Zamperini, Louis, and David. Rensin. Devil at My Heels: a Heroic Olympian's Astonishing Story
of Survival as a Japanese POW in World War II. 1st Perennial ed., Perennial, 2004.
Zamperini, Louis, and David. Rensin. Don't Give up, Don't Give in: Lessons from an
Extraordinary Life. First ed., 2014.
Zamperini, Louis. Devil at My Heels: the Story of Louis Zamperini. 1st ed.]. ed., Dutton, 1956.Author Laura Hillenbrand: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/30913.Laura_Hillenbrand
Louis Zamperini picture: https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2014/07/07/boys-life-wrote-louis-zamperini-still-mia-1944/
Louis and Angelina Picture: https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2014/07/louis-zamperini-angelina-jolie-dies
Movie Poster for Seabiscuit: http://www.impawards.com/2003/seabiscuit.html
Movie Poster for Unbroken: http://www.impawards.com/2014/unbroken_ver4.html
Mutsuhiro Watanabe Picture: https://allthatsinteresting.com/mutsuhiro-watanabe
Page Break: https://www.clipart.email/clipart/page-break-clipart-25361.html
Unbroken book cover: https://www.amazon.com/Unbroken-Young-Adult-Adaptation-Olympians/dp/0385742525
Victory Boys Camp Picture: https://www.zamperini.org/our-history
YouTubeVideos:
Unbroken Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrjJbl7kRrI
The Great Zamperini: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEGL-wyz1yk
Zamperini's Letter to The Bird: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEyqbSK-XIQ
