On The Rainy River

SUMMARY
The Minnesotan Tim O’Brien, was sent a letter to be drafted to the Vietnam War. The scared 21 year old did not believe in the war, nor wanted anything to do with it. On his decision to flee to Canada, he stopped just south of the border where he spent six days in a friendly old man’s lodge. The two went on morning hikes, ate meals together, and Tim helped him around the lodge getting it ready for the winter. Respecting that the old man never questioned why he came to the lodge, Tim suspected that he already knew. On the last day the old man took them out in his boat fishing on the Canadian side of the river. Even though Tim could have swum to Canada, he chose to head back to his home town. From Minnesota he deployed to Vietnam where he would safely return.
ANALYSIS
The story “On the rainy river” is showing the emotional rollercoaster that soldiers face before heading to war. Tim O’Brien spoke so proud of graduating from college and having a full paid scholarship to Harvard. He used himself as an example of many others that had goals and a direction in life before they were drafted to fight against their own will. The dilemmas they face are being humiliated and marked as a coward for running, or fight a pointless war and perhaps die. Understanding the consequences of ditching the draft is worse than killing other human beings, creates confusion in O’Brien’s mind. He believes fear of being humiliated for the rest of your life is not worth it.