After O’ Brien received his draft notice in 1968, he knew that he did not want to go and thought he should not have to. After all, he was not convinced that this war was necessary and knew that Americans were divided over the issue. He had just graduated from college and received a scholarship for graduate school at Harvard but the government did not care. His biggest opposition to the draft was fear. He did not wish to die. O’Brien did not see a way out of this situation. He was healthy, had no religious convictions to oppose the war, and was not a pacifist. The only escape would be to leave for Canada. This option had some problems. Adjusting to a new life without his family would be difficult. The law might come looking for him. His old…show more content… He characterizes them as patriotic citizens who respond to the war out of ignorance and do not understand it. These people support this war out of nationalism. Their country is fighting a war; therefore the war must be justifiable. O’ Brien describes the situation in Vietnam as very complicated. It is 3D with multiple perspectives, not the one dimensional situation the people of his town make it out to be. Then he makes his decision to drive the 8 hours to Canada. There he stops at a fishing resort known as the Tip Top Lodge and spends time there with Elroy Berdahl, who takes him in as a young man in need. Although he treats O’Brien very well during his time there, he tells him goodbye when O’ Brien decides to leave. In this situation remaining in Canada would be the brave choice but O’ Brien does not make that choice. He instead submits himself to the reality of war. Throughout the entire summer he is motivated by fear. Fear of dying and killing someone else is very real fear he faces but even more pressing on O’Brien’s heart is the fear of embarrassment. He recognizes the pride of honor associated with going to war and its opposite, the shame and embarrassment of remaining
