Liquor and war go together like, well, something kind of dangerous. Like cigarettes and chocolate milk or Double Stuf Oreos and anything.
Like any addiction, it starts out fun—just a little here and there to forget the pain. But eventually it becomes a way of life, and for Louie, his alcoholism is almost as damaging and dangerous as the things he experiences in the war that he's drinking in an effort to forget. Though he ultimately rallies himself to the straight and narrow, his alcoholism almost sees to it that this book get called Broken instead of Unbroken.
Questions About Drugs and Alcohol
- How does Louie's relationship with alcohol before the war compare to his relationship with alcohol after the war?
- Why is alcohol such a treasured possession to the soldiers?
- How does Louie's alcoholism affect his life and his relationships after he returns from war? In what ways does it help Louie? In what ways is it damaging?
- Why does Louie quit drinking?