On the Rainy River

Tim O'Brien

Tim O'Brien, the narrator of our story, decided to tell a story that no one in his  family knows because he felt like it was embarrassment to himself and to his family.  20 years before he confessed by writing a story,  he receives a draft notice.

 His first thought was, he has a fear of death and knew he was not meant to fight another human being.. He just graduated from Manchester College and plan to attend to Harvard university in 1968. He was facing too many things and felt like it was getting out of control, he escape to Minnesota where he meets Elroy Berdahl, an 81-year-old who runs the Tip Top Lodge. That man changed Tim O’Brien life. Tim and Berdahl got along great. One day, Berdahl gave him money though they never discussed his embarrassment decision he made with Berdahl. One day they went fishing  out on the Rainy River close to Canada's border. As soon he saw Canada’s land, he saw freedom, he didn’t have to worry about going to Vietnam War but that didn't happen, he got to the point where he realized that he cannot leave his family and his life in his country. He wanted to go back to where he start and go to the war.

This story is quite emotional with a lot of feelings. He didn't feel proud with his decision, if his parent, family, community knew about it, I wondered what they will think of them, will his decision be different then? I can never and will never relate to his feelings but I’m sure it's the hardest decision he made. However, he's a hero anyway, he fought for his country at the end.