Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
Setting
World War II, Japan
and the Pacific Ocean
Unbroken focuses
on the conflict in the Pacific during World War II. We don't
get many behind the scenes looks at Hitler's machinations
or global politics...
What's Up With the Title?
Louie goes through a
lot. He's put on a plane even though he suffers airsickness.
Almost crash lands once. Does
crash land a second time. Survives forty-six days at sea. Gets
captured by the Ja...
What's Up With the Epigraph?
What stays
with you latest and deepest? of curious panics,
Of hard-fought
engagement or sieges tremendous what deepest remains?
-Walt Whitman, "The Wound Dresser"
What's up with the
epig...
What's Up With the Ending?
At the end of Unbroken,
WWII ends (spoiler alert), Louie gets to go home (yay), gets married (woo), suffers
from pretty intense PTSD (boo), and ultimately realizes how freaking awesome he
his (the...
Tough-o-Meter
Louie often feels like he's on an impossible journey, but
reading Unbroken is
a leisurely affair, more like relaxing on a beach than storming one.
Emotionally, Unbroken
can be challenging—Lou...