Summary of Devil at My Heels

A summary of Devil at My Heels. It’s a memoirist about Louis Zamperini who was a heroic Olympian. It’s also a story of survival as a Japanese POW in World War II. Louis Zamperini was born in Olean, New York, on January 26,1917. He is an Italian. But his family moved to California. Because he couldn’t speak English well so no friends talked to him and always laughed at him. And he became a tough kid. Then his brother, Pete encouraged him to run. So he made his first wise and important decision of his life. He was really good at running, won many prizes. His dream was to attend an Olympic Game. Unfortunately, his whole right lung was full of pus. So he couldn’t run any more. In addition, the 1940 Olympic Game was canceled due to the war. Inevitably, his dream crashed down. It was not long time for him to move into the Expediting Department at Lockheed. He also did well in it. And one day he flew in a B-24 Liberator. Fortune’s wheel didn’t care him. On May 27, he crashed into the Pacific Ocean. He and two other survivors found a raft and waited for rescue. They floated about forty-seven days. They evaded enemy’s attack several times. They killed sharks and ate their livers as food. Waited rainwater to drunk. They were still alive, but captured by the Japanese finally. Following more than two years, he was tortured and humiliated by Japanese. He experienced a lot of dehumanization and torment. Though he endured many torment, he never give up hope. After two years, he backed to home eventually. But he suffered from severe posttraumatic stress disorder. His wife helped him to get through the difficulty. He began to read Bible. He learnt to condone. Ultimately, he condoned all Japanese enemies and held on them.