Tim O Brien On The Rainy River Summary

Life can bring unexpected events that individuals might not be prepared to confront. This was the case in the short story “On The Rainy River” written by Tim O’Brien. Young Tim is drafted to the military to fight the American War in Vietnam. He faces the conflict of whether he should or should not go to war after being drafted. The thought of giving up the future he has worked so hard for and instead fight a war “for uncertain reasons” terrifies him. He must make the agonizing decision of whether to pursue his personal desire and in turn be shamed by society or conform, sacrificing his ideals in the process.

In a later discussion, O’Brien said the chapter “On The Rainy River” is not a true story. The chapter is a fictionalized account of what would’ve happened if he ran away to avoid the draft like he wanted to. This same strategy was applied when he wrote “The Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong”. While O’Brien was in Vietnam, Someone likely joked about how easy it would be to bring a girl to their base. He takes the concept and makes uses it as a vehicle to discuss innocence. We are even told in the beginning to the chapter that the story comes from Rat Kiley who has a history of exaggeration and spicing up stories (Citation Needed for Paraphrase)

In this chapter he faces the splitting conflict between the guilt of avoiding the war and the guilt of killing other humans, resulting in him to feel like a coward in both decisions. Due to his fear of the law, he chose to go to war, because he knew societal pressures controlled a moral influence that overpowered his own aversion to the war. At the end he says, “I was a coward. I went to the war,” (O’Brien 61) indicating that because of the guilt and rejection he would face if he didn’t go to the war, he made the decision even though he thought it wasn’t the right thing to do.

Life can bring unexpected events that individuals might not be prepared to confront. This was the case of O’Brien in the story, “On the Rainy River” from the book The Things They Carried. As an author and character O’Brien describes his experiences about the Vietnam War. In the story, he faces the conflict of whether he should or should not go to war after being drafted. He could not imagine how tough fighting must be, without knowing how to fight, and the reason for such a war. In addition, O’Brien is terrified of the idea of leaving his family, friends and everything he loves behind. He decides to run away from his responsibility with the society. However, a feeling of shame and embarrassment makes him go to war. O’Brien considers

Certain blood was being shed for uncertain reasons.” (38). The fact that O’Brien hates this war so much is just one of the reasons that sparked his plan to evacuate to Canada. He just simply doesn’t believe that there is a unity of purpose when it came to history or law. This leads into the beliefs he has when it comes to politics and how he claims he is politically naive, as well as being a liberal. But hate isn't the only characteristic shown. O’Brien displays how fearful he is as well.”It was a moral split. I couldn’t make up my mind. I feared the war, yes, but I also feared exile.” (42). He explains that he didn’t want to just leave his family and friends and he feared losing the respect of his parents.Law and ridicule was feared as well

In the beginning of the novel The Things They Carried,O’brien uses a whole chapter to explain the thoughts of americans at the time of the draft. The chapter was based on fleeing to Canada by crossing the rainy river. O’brien explained the river in such light as if it was a symbol of something. For example, “the river choppy and silver grey”(55). The river is explained

In Tim O’Brien’s short story, On the Rainy River, O’Brien wrestles with ideas of social conformity in the midst of a national crisis while struggling to find who he is and his place in a polarized era. Written in the Vietnam War’s aftermath, O’Brien presents his struggles of defining himself as a young draftee while discerning who he is as an adult long after. O’Brien receives a draft notice and undergoes an identity crisis regarding what part he will play in the war, but runs to Canada on an impulse, arriving near the border. When he is about to cross, O’Brien betrays his conscience and returns to his hometown to answer his summons. Through the application of a historical lens, one can gather much about the divided attitudes on the positions on war and the reflection of these feelings as the polarization dies down in upon its publication.

“On the Rainy River” is a story recalled by O’Brien that he states has never told to anyone. “To go into it, I’ve always thought, would only cause embarrassment for all of us …” (p. 39) By coming out and telling his readers this confession only shows his courage from it in the long run. The story develops the theme of embarrassment as a motivating factor, just as Jimmy Cross feels guilty about Ted Lavender’s death, O’Brien feels guilty about going to

O’Brien says, “...after seven months in the bush I realized that those high, civilized trappings had somehow been crushed under the weight of the simple daily realities. I had become mean”(190). O’Brien originally does not want to go to war because he thinks he is too good for it with his Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude. This lion is soon turned “little” through his experiences in war though. He becomes mean because his only goal in life now is to gather any bravery that is left inside him and use it to survive.

The short story “On The Rainy River” is written through the perspective of O’Brien in present day and as a young faced with a draft notice for Vietnam War. In “On The Rainy River,” O’brien portrays the importance of bravery in an individual through the use of symbolism, powerful tone, and reflective point of view.

In the memoir The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien, the chapter titled: On the Rainy River has a central idea of resentment, embarrassment and eventual acceptance to change. The author creates this central idea with the use of a regretful tone, man vs society conflict, and dreary imagery. The theme of this chapter contributes to O’Brien’s intentions for the book because it demonstrates the struggle, shame, and or confusion each man drafted into the war experienced.

In this passage O’brien demonstrates his own character traits. As a writer, he has a strong ability to understand what others are feeling and sympathize. When he kills the young soldier, he creates a story around him, imaging the soldier as having similar struggles to his own. He deeply regrets the soldier's death because he feels that neither of them really wanted to be fighting in this war and relates his own life story to the fictional one he creates for the soldier.

The fictional novel and political satire, Animal Farm, written by George Orwell, is an allegory focused on exploitation that set in a farm. In this 139-page book, Orwell emits the theme of that the possession of supremacy can lead to corruption. “Preeminent among the pigs were two young boars named Snowball and Napoleon, whom Mr. Jones was breeding up for sale. Napoleon was a large, rather fierce-looking Berkshire boar, the only Berkshire on the farm, not much of a talker, but with a reputation of getting his own way” (35).

The Death penalty can be used in multiple different situations, treason, murder, drive-by shooting, genocide, kidnapping-murder. The death penalty. Also referred to as the capital punishment. It is mainly used for the murder of one or more people. Currently, it is not used in California, which could be seen as good or bad. It is illegal mainly because it is unconstitutional, it violates the 8th amendment, where it says ¨Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted¨. It states that there are no cruel or unjust punishments. By using the death penalty they will never be able to right their wrong, once it is used they can never go back. The penalty for robbing is not to be

If you were to drop in on most any American high school these days, what would you see? Cell phones. Lots of them. Virtually all students have one and it 's typical to see them tapping away or listening to music through their ear buds not just in the hallways during the five minutes between classes, but also in the classroom, at every opportunity the teacher gives them.