On The Rainy River Analysis

The Moral Battle

A draft is a form of a social obligations that is just not an ordinary obligation, but it is a legal one. The government is behind it which means that the government has the right to draft you into war whether you agree with it or not. In The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien was trapped between the sword and the wall on the decision of going to war or escaping the draft by going to Canada. He had to choose whether or not to risk his life for the sake of his country and family. Throughout the chapter entitled “On the Rainy River” Tim O’Brien tells us the readers how hard was for him to make a decision of whether to go or not. Tim O’Brien puts us on his position by asking rhetorical questions such as “What would you do?” “Would

you jump?” he wants to engage with his readers on what would they do. O’Brien puts on his position because he wants us to feel what he felt exactly during war and during the drafting chapter when he made a big decision. The chapter itself develops the theme of shame and embarrassment. O’Brien motivations for going to Vietnam was due to shame and embarrassment, his motivations for wanting to escape the draft was his conscience.
Embarrassment and shame were the causes of why O’Brien decided to go to war. Society was the reason why O’Brien made the decision to go to war. He doesn’t want to bring a disgrace to his family. He felt like if he fled he would bring shame to his name, family, and country. As O’Brien is near the border of Canada he thinks about what people would say about him and his family if he fled. He portrays that his family would see him as a “coward”. When he noticed that he was in Canadian water he felt a strong sudden tightness in his chest because he saw shore and he feelings were telling him this his chance to flee. He claims that “This wasn’t a day dream. It was tangible and real” he had to make a choice and fast (page 53). Tim met Elroy at the Tip Top Lodge, Elroy let him in the resort. Tim O’Brien describes Elroy as the hero of his life. Elroy didn’t discuss about the war with Tim he even didn’t question him “Why is he here” (Page 47). Elroy was secretly trying to help out Tim by giving him money for the dangerous journey ahead of him if he decides to go to Canada. Also Elroy was trying to help O’Brien by taking him to the Canadian waters, O’Brien hasn’t realized it yet until Elroy stops the boat close by the shore of Canada. As he watches the shore of Canada he sees life there he describes it put using visual imagery by revealing that “the shoreline was with brush and timber. I could see tiny red berries on the bushes and a squirrel up in one of the in one of the trees” (page 53). O’Brien illustrates on how there is life in Canada and he wants to be part of that life but shame stops him from jumping off the boat. As Tim O’Brien sees the shore of Canada, he does not just sees it as “land”, he sees it as “freedom” laying in front of his eyes. If O’Brien decides to go and get his freedom that would mean that he would leave everything behind his entire life, his family and would be seen as a coward. Tim O’Brien states that he is embarrassed of having a paralyze heart he describes it as a moral freeze for not acting quickly to run (page 54). Shame over took his decision to go to war and leave his belief behind. This “shame” of what O’Brien felt didn’t come from the failure he felt of proving bravery but it was more of a shame of moral failure.
Shame and guilt were mention throughout the book especially in “On the Rainy River” as theme of the book.

Soldiers like O’Brien were drafted to go to war and they were obligated to go to war for fear of embarrassment and guilt they would bring to their family and town if they decided to run away from the draft. O’Brien realizes that going to Canada was a pitiful fantasy silly and hopeless. O’Brien mentions that “He understands that he would not do what he should do he would not swim away from his country” (page 55). O’Brien illustrates that he has some visions of his family, wife, daughter, friends and people from his town calling him a traitor! Turncoat! Pussy!, when he tries to step out of the boat (page 57). Tim O’Brien mentions that he couldn’t tolerate it, he couldn’t endure the mockery, or the disgrace or the patriotic ridicule he also mentions that he couldn’t be brave enough to jump (page 57). The vision personifies his shame, his inability to withstand what others will think of him, and the responsibility to meet social obligations. The power of his imagination, shame, and embarrassment made him belief that the right decision is to go to war. It convinced him that it was worth dying to not be seen as a coward, to avoid shame. Tim O’Brien states “I would go to the war- I would kill and maybe die¬-because I was embarrassed not to” (page 57). O'Brien's decision is not rooted in what he believes is the "right" thing to do, but the thing society wants him to do and his

inability to stand up to that expectation. Society made him go to war because they would start criticizing him and his family if he didn’t go, he want to save the embarrassing moment. O’Brien didn’t want to die in war he doesn’t believe in but he has been obligated to do so anyway, his mortal fear and the shame and guilt he would feel for fleeing the draft and disgracing his family and his name (page 40).
Tim O’Brien motivation from fleeing the draft was his conscience.

O’Brien didn’t believe in war. He felt like he was too good for it, too smart, too compassionate, too everything (page 39). Tim O’Brien even thought that the draft notice could have been a mistake because he had just graduated college and he is getting a full ride scholarship at Harvard. He wanted to escape the war because he hated the war and he thought that the American war in Vietnam was wrong (page 38). O’Brien saw no unity of purpose to fight this war he saw no consensus on matters of law so that’s why he decides to flee. Tim O’Brien starts by listing things he hates that soldiers would face. He says that “he hates camping out, he hates dirt, tents and mosquitoes and the sight of blood makes him queasy” (page 39). Another reason why Tim O’Brien wants to escape the draft and go to Canada is that he doesn’t want to die, he doesn’t want to die in a wrong war. In mid-July Tim began to think about Canada it was just a few hundred miles away. He thought about fleeing the draft because he couldn’t resist anymore. Tim O’Brien states that “both his conscience and his instincts were telling him to make a break for it, just take off and run like hell and never stop (page 42). As O’Brien thinks of fleeing to Canada he thinks about his family and the shame he would bring to his family as well as how he would lose the respect of his family and community. As Tim O’Brien was working he felt this feeling on his chest he

calls it physical rupture that made him break and drove north until hitting the border. O’Brien mentions that he had no plan he was just driving until he hits the border and still keep going to escape the draft (page45). Another motivation on why he wanted to escape the draft was because he still wanted to live he had dreams he hasn’t accomplish yet and wanted to do over the time. Tim O’Brien states that he can see himself living if he had escape to Canada. He pictures himself doing work and writing letters to his parents and explain why he had escape the draft and to as well to look for his parents forgiveness. Tim O’Brien mentions “I can see myself sitting down on a dusk evening finishing a letter that I made for my parents telling them the things I’m doing and how sorry he is for not talking about it with them” (page 52). At the end of the chapter Tim realizes that he was a crowd because he went to war and also for not following his conscience.
Tim O’Brien was stuck between a moral decisions. He was in a moral battle with himself on whether to choose the “right thing to do” or go to war. He feared the war as well as he feared walking away from his life, friends and family. O’Brien feared losing the respect of his parents. He made his decision not from his own will but what society has made him do. He decided to go to war because he was embarrassed to be seen as a coward. He doesn’t see himself as “hero” like society does he sees himself as a coward because he didn’t follow his own will.