On The Rainy River Analysis

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"And right there I submitted. I would go to the war- I would kill and maybe die- because I was embarrassed not to." This is what Tim O'Brien thinks to himself as he makes the decision to be drafted in to the Vietnam War. O'Brien is the author of the short story On the Rainy River which describes the difficult choice of standing up for one's beliefs or giving into social pressure. During the Vietnam War, the United States introduced conscription despite the fact that many Americans were opposed to the war. As a result, many of the young men drafted made the decision to flee the country which was seen as a serious and shameful offence. In the short story, On the Rainy River, O'Brien's decision between moral judgement and social pressure plays …show more content…
Idealistically, O’Brien expects that the only people who should be drafted are those who believe in and support the war. He believes that “there should be a law... If you support a war, if you think it’s worth the price, that’s fine, but you have to put your own life on the line.” This quotation demonstrates the author’s idealism and his strong beliefs about who should be fighting in the Vietnam War. Making it clear that he is not against the idea of fighting in a war, O’Brien informs the audience that is just opposed to fighting in a war that he doesn’t believe in, such as, the Vietnam War. He strongly believes that the United States is not justified as being part of the war and for this reason, does not want to fight. He further states that he “could not claim to be opposed to war as a matter of general principle. There were occasions, I believe, when a nation was justified in using military force to achieve its ends… The problem, though, was that a draft board did not let you choose your war.” This quotation additionally supports O’Brien’s idealistic attitude in that he would prefer you could choose which war you were drafted …show more content…
Admitting defeat and surrendering from his ideologies, O’Brien heads north into Canada without a plan. One day O’Brien eventually cracked. He left his house immediately and “headed straight west along the Rainy River, which separates Minnesota from Canada, and which for me separates one life from another.” The Rainy River that O’Brien encounters is a symbol of his decision to give in to his ideologies and escape the draft. O’Brien’s lack of plan backfires and brings back his fears; so, he decides to lay low until he can make a decision. When recalling the situation and emotions that he felt during this time, O’Brien remembers that “it all seemed crazy and impossible… Now I was off the margins of exile, leaving my country forever and it seemed so impossible and terrible and sad.” This quotation illustrates O’Brien’s decision to avoid having to make a decision which demonstrates his desire to live within the ideological world and avoid the reality of making a
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