Analysis

The way The Bird grossly abuses his total control over Louie and the other POWs is a grim reminder of the age-old maxim, “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” In this private hell, there is no escape for Louie; all he can do is suffer and try to survive.

There is, however, one minor redemption: The POWs’ subtle thefts from their captors become a form of resistance that, in small ways, helps Louie and the others to maintain shreds of human dignity and hope. “In risking their neck to sabotage their enemy,” Hillenbrand writes, “the men were no longer passive captives. They were soldiers again.”