Five Reasons Why Louis Zamperini is an Epic Hero
Everyone's seen the trailer for the upcoming movie Unbroken, but do they know the struggle that has been burned into Louie's past? Louie was cast to sea when his plane crashed, but he fought through abusive commanders, harsh winter conditions, bitter punishments, and the unforgettable sight of watching a friend die in the hands of someone that you can't do anything to. However, he is a hero, an epic hero, one that someone doesn't just forget about.
1) He survived a plane crash~ When Louie was in the war as an airman, he was shot down in his plane. He was in the Pacific Ocean drifting on a raft from Hawaii to Japan, where he was taken harshly into a concentration camp for American P.O.W.s. An epic hero is defined as someone who participates in a cyclical quest, and being taken prisoner in Japan after forty two weeks without food is a pretty amazing journey.
2) He survived both Ofuna and Omori~ Ofuna and Omori are extremely strict concentration camps where a man, nicknamed The Bird, tortures and harasses inmates, and that supposedly "filled his sexual desires". Louie was one of his main targets because Louie was successful, like Bird wanted to be. Ofuna and Omori were camps known to kill in large masses, and Louie was one of thousands to survive, and that is important to the overcoming of obstacles.
3) He changed when he came home~ Another characteristic of an epic hero is being significantly changed or transformed when returned. Louie came home to see his mother and father and two sisters, and they thought it would be a good idea to play him the forced telegram the Japanese made him send home. The plan backfired when Louie heard it: he burst into a fit of hysterical screaming, ear-shattering screaming, enough to make you know the horrors he's been through. It shows how different you can be when you hear someone say, "I love you, Mom. I'm safe in Japan and they're treating me great."
4) There was someone who helps him along the way~ Louie was a part of the Superman crew in the air force, where he was a bombardier, but his pilot, Phil, was a fighter and survivor as well. The Omori guards even decided that Phil wouldn't be killed, otherwise Louie would refuse cooperation with them furthermore. Phil was another firm believer that they would survive the plane wreck, after all, he was on the plane with Louie when they crashed.
5) Courage~ It's as simple as the word. Louie was a courageous man. He pushed his captors so far as to making them threaten to shoot him if he dropped a heavy wooden plank on his starved body. They gave up when he wouldn't drop it, clocking him at 37 minutes. If that's not enough, as he was beaten, he begged the guards to hit him harder to prove he wouldn't fall at the commander's feet, which could have gotten him killed. Louie was a symbol of hope for all who were still alive in these camps, pushing them to save themselves when they needed it most.
So, sure there were times when Louie wasn't exactly a hero, like the thefts as a young teenager, but past behind him, he was a very respectful person. He will go down in history, not only as the great Olympian he was, but the strong idol, the amazing hero he was. Louie Zamperini is a hero beyond definition. Beyond words, his heart shows what heroes truly are.
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