Summary Of On The Rainy River By Tim O Brien

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When examining On the Rainy River by Tim O’Brien from a reader-response perspective it becomes clear that contrary to popular belief courage does not come from engaging yourself in dangerous situations, it comes from not letting anyone come between you and your morals and beliefs. O’Brien found peace when he fled, and he felt miserable, like a coward when he caved in and went to war. Through careful analysis, my mind interprets the text in a way that shows how you are not brave for doing what you are forced to do. O’Brien is someone who does not understand the cause for the war. For that reason he wants nothing to do with it, he mentions that “...back in college I had taken a modest stand against the war.” (O'Brien) On June 17th, 1968 he receives his draft letter. “...thinking about the war and the pig factory and how my life seemed to be collapsing toward slaughter.” The war and pig factory being mentioned together show a relation. He is a pig, a pig on the conveyer belt to war. His bloody doom, his slaughtering. He feels forced, he believes there is only one path to follow which is the path the government wants, the path the conveyor belt leads to. Does that sound courageous to you? Does a pig on a …show more content…

At first, he is afraid, when he says “I remember dropping my water gun.” I realize he is not just dropping his gun because he wants to leave the factory, he drops it because that gun represents his fears and his old life. He hates the pig factory, the war and the fact that he is drafted. When he drops his water gun and leaves it, he is leaving his old life and his fears behind.” He does not flee because he is scared of the war if anything he is more scared of fleeing because he does not want to disappoint his family. O’Brien “...feared losing the respect of my parents...feared the law.... feared ridicule and censure.” He flees because he is brave enough to stand up for his morals to not fight and kill with no valid

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