There is never a time in life when adversity is absent, but the true test of resilience comes in the moments when adversity seems completely bleak and utterly relentless. In Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand describes the life experiences of Louis Zamperini, a successful former Olympic athlete, who, after surviving a plane crash, faces the worst conditions of World War II. Using several interviews between herself and Zamperini as reference, Hillenbrand explains the global conflict through Zamperini's eyes, as well as the mental warfare that consumes him and his family in the months following the war. Hillenbrand recounts Zamperini's examples of mental strength with powerful phrasing to compose an emotionally captivating story that demonstrates how the resilient optimism of the human spirit propels the body through pain and adversity. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Hillenbrand places a strong emphasis on resilience from the beginning, often with the intent of triggering an emotional response from the reader. He describes a situation early in Zamperini's childhood in which he deliberately held his head under water to increase his total lung capacity, usually for extended periods at a time (Hillenbrand 12). By describing a time in Zamperini's life that required resilience to fully endure, Hillenbrand convinces the reader that he was driven to overcome a time of adversity using that quality, even from an early age. After a near-fatal plane crash, Zamperini and two of his companions remain stranded in the middle of the ocean. Citing Zamperini's ability to maintain a confident attitude that could “shift [his] fear” and motivate him to survive (Hillenbrand 212), Hillenbrand demonstrates to the reader that Zamperini's resilient attitude has guided him through a completely terrible situation. After his capture by the Japanese, he was sent to several prison camps, where the guards attempted to dehumanize and destroy each of their prisoners (Hillenbrand 258). By showing the literal hell that Zamperini faced, Hillenbrand makes the reader sympathize with the character and recognize the importance of remaining resilient in times of extreme adversity. David Margolick of The New York Times adds that while Hillenbrand's portrayal of Zamperini's resilient and optimistic attitude seemed mostly accurate and credible, his good friendship with Zamperini and his tendency to focus heavily on Zamperini's moments of resilience may have created a more exaggerated story (Margolick ). However, by focusing more on these instances of resilience, Hillenbrand elicits a more powerful response from the reader. In addition to his emotional appeals, Hillenbrand's choice of words when referring to Zamperini's resilience helps convince the reader of his overall importance. Using phrases like “renewed vigor” to describe the feeling Zamperini felt when he made a successful effort to survive (Hillenbrand 211), and words like “paralyzed” to describe the actions of those who lacked mental resilience (Hillenbrand 212), Hillenbrand highlights how Zamperini managed to remain optimistic while others simply gave in to their fears. When describing the atmosphere of the Japanese prison camps, Hillenbrand maintains a cold and dark tone, using negative and bleak words such as "deprived" and "dehumanizing" to give the reader an idea of ​​how terrible those camps were (Hillenbrand 260), plus how difficult it must have been to stay optimistic. Hillenbrand uses the word often. 2015.