Military Character Analysis: Louie Zamperini

Louie Zamperini War is the toughest time that people have to go through, especially soldiers who have to risk their lives every day and often times have to watch their friends die. Even more especially, POW’s like Louie Zamperini. Throughout his life, Louie Zamperini faced and survived hardships that most of us could never even imagine. As a prisoner of war, he was continuously beaten, deprived of food, forced to sleep in terrible conditions, and was not able to take a shower or clean himself at all. In addition to these environmental factors, Louie had to emotionally survive the kill-all policy that was looming during the war. Through all of this, he resisted invisibility by tapping into some of the traits he developed as a child; growing …show more content…
Louie’s rebelliousness was the fire that kept him fighting through each day. In the POW camp, Louie stood up to the guards which made him stand out from the others causing the guards to keep extra attention on him. Louie also kept a diary that nobody knew about and even though the prisoners weren't suppose to have diaries, “Louie made it seem a harmless address book” (155). This helped him relay his feelings through words instead of taking unnecessary actions which ultimately could result in punishment. Also Louie and his friends imitated the guards to keep themselves emotionally alive. In the chapter, Farting for Hirohito, they, “would pitch forward and fart in unison” (155) to imitate the guards. It started out by the guards walking up to the captive’s cells and farting and the imitation just progressed from there. Lastly, Louie passed notes to other captives which was not allowed. Hillenbrand describes this as, “Men scribbled notes on toilet paper and hid them for each other in the benjo” (154). The Japanese did not want communication between POW’s but that didn't stop Louie. Louie’s rebelliousness throughout his childhood and throughout the camp, helped him resist invisibility. Louie felt if he could resist invisibility he would keep his dignity and will to live, thus helping him to

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