Rainy River Essay

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

     Tim O’Brien, the author of The Things They Carried, is still undecided of whether to doge the draft and lose the respect of his family and friends, or go to the Vietnam War and lose his life, in the chapter “On The Rainy River”. Elroy’s actions reveal his good qualities that help Tim make this important decision, without any words of judgment or criticism. Elroy’s actions reveal heroic qualities. He is a silent Observer who helps Tim overcome his fears.     

Decision Making “On the Rainy River” by Tim O’Brien and “Ghost of a Chance” by Adrienne Rich have similar themes- each piece about someone that is watching someone else try to break free of a certain way of thinking. “On the Rainy River” is about a young man being drafted into the Vietnam War in 1968 and his journey to fight the powers of the American government. “Ghost of a Chance” is about someone watching a man fight against a metaphorical wave, and the man ends up being pulled back. Each piece

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. The beginning of this chapter

considered himself a coward because he chose war, but above all, he feared that his family would dishonor him. He was embarrassed not to go to war and ended up putting others’ morals before his own. In addition to the theme of morality found in “Rainy River”, it is also noticeable in the chapter “Church”. During the war, O’Brien’s unit had just come across a pagoda, a buddhist temple, and a pair of monks who lived there. The monks invited them to set up camp and helped the soldiers with water, cleaning

“The Things They Carried” 1. (Ideas) The men carried whatever seemed appropriate as a means of killing or staying alive. Identify any items they carry that cannot be assigned to either of those two categories, and create new categories (with new headings) to accommodate them. Answer1: Personal priorities: - Chewing gum - Pocket knives - Girlfriend’s pantyhose Moral code: - extra rations - Marijuana - Tranquilizers - New Testament of the Bible 2. What does this suggest about the things (among

In an attempt to take away some of the guilt he has placed upon himself from the Vietnam War, O’Brien tells his tales –in the fictional book The Things They Carried- of the many challenges he faced as a soldier. In On the Rainy River, through the illusions on the banks of the river he sees his past, present and future each memory reveals a part of him. O’Brien’s thoughtful story about death -shown in The Man I Killed- illustrates that the jungles of Vietnam blur boundaries between hallucinations and

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. It all began in 1968, when Tim O'brien receive a draft notice. Tim was bound for Harvard and thinks he’s too good for war. He doesn’t really want to go to Vietnam, so he decide to run

Discuss the idea that how imagination affects an individual’s willingness to embrace or reject an uncertain future In “On the Rainy River” by Tim O’Brien, the author suggests the narrator’s imaginations change his perception of the war from different perspectives. The newly graduated academically advanced narrator is unable to accept the fact that he is drafted to fight in Vietnam in a war that he does not agree to as an American soldier. However, on the verge of leaving America for Canada, the narrator’s

In our society, we all long for a feeling of acceptance by our peers and we detest the feeling of being left on the outside. The opinions of our peers have an impact our decisions. The short story, On a Rainy River by Tim O'brien elaborates the idea that the approval of our communities is often put upon a higher pedestal than our own personal beliefs and values. This idea is portrayed through the different pressures that the main character encountered: his family, his town and his country. Fresh