Analysis

Like the previous chapter, this one focuses on the constant dangers Louie and his fellow servicemen faced in WWII’s Pacific Theatre. It also signals a new regression in Louie’s emotional and mental state. The pressures of battle—and the losses inherent in war—begin to take their toll.

Up to this point, Louie has been the one dropping bombs on targets. When the Japanese bomb Funafuti, he experiences what it is like to be bombed. He is spared, but the destruction he’s witnessed all around him, including the deaths of and injuries to men he knows, is overwhelming. According to Hillenbrand, “An oppressive weight settled on Louie as he flew away from Funafuti.” Returning to Hawaii, Louie falls into old habits, drinking, fighting, and withdrawing from other people. He is becoming lost again.