How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
The men had been adrift for twenty-seven days. […] The men's bodies were pocked with salt sores, and their lips were so swollen that they pressed into their nostrils and chins. (Prologue.2)
Ouch—this is painful. And the prologue only hints at the situations Louie and his pals are going to have to push through in order to survive. But this is enough to know that this is about as far from Gilligan's Island as we're going to get.
Quote #2
Confident that he was clever, resourceful, and bold enough to escape any predicament, [Louie] was almost incapable of discouragement. When history carried him into war, this resilient optimism would define him. (1.1.22)
Well, it doesn't get much more black-and-white than that. "Resilient optimism" is perhaps the best trait to have when you are trying to persevere through difficult times.
Quote #3
To expand his lung capacity, [Louie] ran to the public pool at Redondo Beach, dove to the bottom, grabbed the drain plug, and just floated there, hanging on a little longer each time. Eventually, he could stay underwater for three minutes and forty-five seconds. (1.2.12)
Once again, we see how Louie's teenage perseverance serves to save his life later on in the war. If he hadn't been so persistent as a teen, he probably would have drowned when the Green Hornet crashed.