Characters
Stranded on a raft with two others, this character did not survive
Who is "Mac"
Francis “Mac” McNamara
47
What is "the number of days Mac, Phil, and Zamp survived on the raft"
When Louis is interrogated for information about the planes by the Japanese, he does this
What is "telling them old information about the wrong kind of plane/equipment; lies"
*bonus points: explain the significance of this moment.
This is what got Louie into track in the first place
What is his brother, Peter Zamperini
Bonus points: explain why his brother encouraged him, and the impact running had on his childhood and future; what lead to him running and what did running lead to
The war in which this entire story occurred
What is World War 2 ; WWII
Mutsuhiro Watanabe
Who is “The Bird”
The abusive leader of the Japanese POW Camps that singled out Louis Zamperini
Fun fact- there is no evidence that he ever attended the Olympics and certainly did not compete in them.
Survival on the raft was difficult, but thankfully the men were able to eat this to survive
What is raw fish and birds
Two characters were certain they were going to be executed in cruel, naked fashion when this happened instead
What is given a cold bath
*Bonus points: tell me the significance of this moment, including the events that happened directly prior to this.
The reason they call their abusive captor "The Bird"
What is "because he always watches and listens" and potentially his erratic behavior
What is the 500 meter race
This character survived 46 days stranded on a raft and was later interred by the Japanese with Louis Zamperini
Who is "Phil"
Russell Allen “Phil” Phillips
The key reason the plane was janky and malfunctioned over the water
What is "being used for parts to fix other planes"
This is the reason Louie and others were transferred from Omori to Naoetsu
What is "the bombing of Tokyo"
Bonus points: explain the significance of this.
While being fired upon by enemy aircraft, the characters had these two choices
What is "stay on the raft and present a target OR dive underwater and deal with sharks"
Bonus points: why do you think Phil and Mac decided to lay on the raft in the open? Do you think that was more or less dangerous than hiding underwater with the sharks?
Who is Adolf Hitler
"The Tornado from Torrance"
Who is Louis Zamperini
What is Louis Zamperini's nickname from his track star days in high school
Louis Zamperini's Role on the plane
What is a "Bombardier"
*bonus points: what does that actually mean?
After declining to join Japanese society in exchange for reading anti-American propaganda on the radio, Louie suffered this punishment
What is "every prisoner was required to punch him in the face, hard."
*Bonus points: explain the significance of this moment in the story. What does this decision show about Zamperini?
Years after the war, Zamperini had a chance to encounter The Bird again, and does this.
What is "forgive him"
Bonus: why do you think Louie forgave The Bird? How do you think forgiving The Bird affected Louie?
Omori
What is "the first Japanese POW camp Louie and Phil were sent to"
William "Bill" Harris
Who is the US Commander POW who aids Zamperini and the other men
The ironic reason the men were out in the janky plane to begin with
What is "the men were sent to search for survivors of a previous plane wreck over the ocean"
*Bonus points: explain why this is ironic
This outrageous punishment in response to a prisoner taking a break in the POW coal camp reveals Zamperini's determination and strength, both literally and figuratively, in defiance of The Bird.
What is being forced to hold an incredibly heavy beam above your head for an extremely long time with the threat of death looming
*bonus points: tell me the significance of this moment and its impact on the characters
In the film, flashbacks occur whenever Zamperini experiences this.
What is "dangerous and deadly situations" or "the potential of dying"
Bonus points: why do you think the writers chose to structure the story this way? Do you think this is an effective technique? Does it make it easier to tell when things are happening "out of order"?
Naoetsu
What is "the coal loading camp Louie was sent to"
Bonus points: who else was there when he arrived?