Analysis

Hillenbrand uses this chapter to show three things. First, even as a child, Louie Zamperini possessed the ingenuity and stubbornness that he will later need to survive the extreme circumstances in his life. Second, although mildly incorrigible as a child, Louie was well-liked and even admired by his family and friends. Later, that cheerful likability will serve him well in the military, while lost at sea, and as a POW. Finally, and most importantly, Hillenbrand presents Louie as a “lost” child on the edge of disaster. He was a boy who was losing his way and who desperately needed to be rescued from his criminal inclinations. This theme of lostness and redemption will show up repeatedly in Louie’s life.

Food is a significant symbol that is first introduced in this chapter and later carried throughout the biography. It is not only the thing that Louie steals the most, but it also represents his emotional need for security and his constant worry of want from hunger.