Chapter 4: On the Rainy River

How did Tim feel about the Vietnam War while he was at college? Do his actions and language support the idea that he “hated” the Vietnam war?

• He didn’t think much of it. He was a liberal and didn’t find either compassion or interest in those who died, mostly because he didn’t know the conflict that was at hand. He didn’t  ‘hate’ the Vietnam war, he didn’t know enough about it in order hate it per say. He did however, believe he was too good for the war. He was top of his class with scholarships and all. “I had the world dicked- Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude and president of the student body and a full-ride scholarship at Harvard. [...] I was no soldier” (O’Brien, 39).

What were Tim’s options once he received his draft notice? Who did he hold responsible for his situation? Who did he think should go to war instead of him?

• Tim tried to get out of the war. However, doing so was impossible for him, for he had no reason to be put off from being drafted. He thought of fleeing to Canada. Even after he thought of the people that would be judging him, like veterans, he didn’t care. Leaving in the middle of the night to escape to Canada was something he was strongly considering. He believed, “If you support the a war, if you think it’s worth the price, that’s fine, but you have to put your own precious fluids on the line”(O’Brien 40) He believes that they should’ve drafted “some back-to-the-stone-age hawk” (O’Brien 40). In other words someone or some people that were more ‘fit’ for the job.

What does Tim say is Elroy Berdhal’s role in his life? What sort of person was Elroy? How did Tim know?

• Tim says that Elroy Berdhal saved his life. Tim knew that Elroy was no ‘hick’.  Tim established that through his stay with Elroy, he didn’t ask a single question. “What I remember more than anything is the man’s willful, almost ferocious silence.” (O’Brien 47). Whether it be why he was there or why he was alone. The probability was that he already knew. During this time, this was the main focus as well. Tim made it clear that people were beginning to burn their draft cards to stop their departure. 

How do the opening sentences prepare you for the story? “This is the one story I’ve never told before. Not to anyone.” What effect do they have on the reader?

• The opening sentences prepare me for the story by having me believe it was a confession. It was something that had never been said ,or written in this case. It was a personal ordeal that was meant to show that it wasn’t as smooth of a transition or to even take in the fact that he was drafted. He had a set future that involved a full ride to Harvard. I’m sure it wasn’t easy to take that in and to simply accept the fact that it is all taken away. “I was too good for this war. Too smart, too compassionate, too everything” (O’Brien 39).

Why does O’Brien relate his experience as a pig declotter? How does this information contribute to the story? Why go into such specific detail?

• O’Brien relate his experience as a pig declotter because it was an experience that was a reality check for him. He came to a realization when he did this comparison. He wasn’t affected by the blood and gore of the war, he simply had no belief in the war. He didn’t see the reason for war; he wasn’t given any description of the conflict nor what they were fighting for. He believed that if people believed in the war that they would be able to sacrifice themselves for it and support rather than to draft people, people that, like him, have their lives set.

At the story’s close, O’Brien almost jumps ship to Canada, but doesn’t: “I did try. It just wasn’t possible.” What has O’Brien learned about himself, and how does he return home as a changed person?

• He knew that it was a greater reason, much larger than himself. He realized that no matter what, he was drafted. He had a duty not only to himself but to his country. He would also keep the embarrassment and judgments of the neighbors, families, and veterans that circle around the idea of cowering out. This is stated as, "But no matter, it was a war to stop the Communists, plain and simple, which was how they liked things, and you were a treasonous pussy if you had second thoughts about killing or dying for plain and simple reasons" (O'Brien 43).

In this chapter, we learn the 21-year-old O'Brien's theory of courage: “Courage, I seemed to think, comes to us in finite quantities, like an inheritance, and by being frugal and stashing it away and letting it earn interest, we steadily increase our moral capital in preparation for that day when the account must be drawn down. It was a comforting theory.” What might the 43-year-old O'Brien's theory of courage be?

• He would say that courage will come when one needs it the most. Even if it’s a major situation, one will still get small amounts of courage at a time. His theory matches with how he is put together because there is no buildup of courage. This is stated as, "It offered hope and grace to the repetitive coward; it justified the past while amortizing the future" (O'Brien 38). It’s really if you got it you got it.

Reflection:

This chapter was very personal and in a sense gives a greater understanding to Tim and his character. From the first sentence in the chapter basically explaining that it was a confession, it showed that his character developed. This is more specifically seen as the memory progresses. His change in the way he views the war can also be determined after the change in opinion of the meaning of the word Courage and more specifically, how it is seen, gained, or developed. ¨I saw no unity of purpose, no consensus on matters of philosophy or history or law. The very facts were shrouded in uncertainty: Was it a civil war? A war of national liberation or simple aggression?¨ (O´Brien). He matures through the story in this example from his original theory that couraged is gained throughout time, to its’ presence being seen or presented only when it is necessary.