Tim O Brien On The Rainy River Summary

Words: 266
Pages: 2
Open Document
In “On the Rainy River” Tim O’Brien was considering fleeing to Canada to escape the war and I believe that Emerson would encourage O’Brien to avoid peer pressure and only consider himself. Throughout Emerson’s essay, Self-Reliance, he expresses the idea that one should do things for himself and not consider the mob of society. Emerson states, “Are they my poor?” suggesting the idea that the self-reliant man should not have to care for the well-being of others. Emerson also believed that one should not worry about the opinions of others and society, but simply consider one’s first instinct, spontaneous thought. Many of those in the life of O’Brien strongly opposed the act of running away, but Emerson would fully support this act of instinct.
Show More

Related Documents: Tim O Brien On The Rainy River Summary

Tim O Brien On The Rainy River Summary

grounds or to conform to the beliefs of society because we are uncertain about the prioritization of the two conflicting choices. Those conflicts emerge between people’s ideals and the reality. O’Brien, the protagonist of the short story “On the Rainy River” by Tim O’Brien, receives a government letter summoning him to fight in the bloody war even though he thinks the very existence of the war is wrong. Through O’Brien’s internal conflict, the author suggests that people’s understanding of their roles…

Words 1286 - Pages 6