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Sexism In On The Rainy River By Tim O Brien

668 Words3 Pages

When analyzing Tim O’Brien’s story “On the Rainy River” greatly represents the postcolonial time period of the 1960s and ’70s of hybridity and appropriation of the expectations of men to go to war and not show fear or emotion, due to the fact that it would seem shameful and weak to be “soft” which in turn enforces the sexist idea of being on the same level of women. Within the beginning of the story, we are introduced to Tom O’Brien a 21-year-old man who graduated from Macalester College in 1968 and who was drafted to fight in the Vietnam War. In his ideals, the war seemed wrong and redundant, which has unnecessary effects and consequences, additionally, his frustration and anger grew more when he wasn’t clearly informed of the reason why …show more content…

There was a generalized idea of what a man should do and what he is responsible for. Some of these things included having a stable income and a reputable job, creating a family with kids, being the sole decision-making for the household and also serving the country in times of war. This cultural appropriation pushed men to these expectations and blocked out emotions and fear, due to the shame of men seaming softer, which in turn enforces sexist ideals of being on the same level as a woman. Additionally, at the time Worthington was mainly considered as a conservative town, so if O’Brien made the decision to flee the draft he would most likely be labeled as a coward by his community and …show more content…

I felt paralyzed. All around me the options seemed to be narrowing, as if I were hurtling down a huge black funnel, the whole world squeezing in tight. There was no happy way out.” (O’Brien) This indirectly refers to the fact that all young men had no choice but to go to war and, the generalized view of society and the public it was status quo for all men to go to war. Additionally, there is imagery present in this quote specifically the huge black tunnel depicting the Vietnam War and the whole world squeezing in tight defines the society that forces men to go to war and be “patriotic” and fight for their

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The narrator of “One The Rainy River” by Tim O’Brein says i was no soldier. The sight of blood made me queasy and i couldn’t tolerate autority. I didnt know a rifle from a sling shot. In this essay i will identify at least three qualities from the reading i will use examples from my own experinces to support my ideas. The Vietnam War started in the 1960s to prevent the spread of communism in the southeast Asia Americans didnt agree with the war.

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This passage shows how the soldiers are emotionally and mentally drained by the horrors of war, and how they feel disconnected from the world they once knew. The

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These last few words are used with juxtaposition to show how the conflict caused him to go to the war because of his community's thoughts of the draft. Unfortunately, even after the war had finished, he still thought his choice was wrong, and had to deal with the aftermath as well as his internal conflict. Although people would say that going to the war was the bravest thing to do, the main character still believed in it being wrong to go as well as deciding not to run away. For the fact is that he had only stayed because of the his community, how he was still pulled down by their standards and the people around him that he was too afraid to do what he thought was the right choice. By going into the war, he had survived watching his comrades die in the war, forced to fight in Vietnam with no clear goal.

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Obrien perfectly describes the duality of war saying, “war is nasty; war is fun” and “war makes you a man; war makes you dead” (76). War has many positives for some men, and it gives them a chance to honor their country. War is also horrible and leads to the death of countless young men with bright futures ahead. O’Brien uses the story of the water buffalo to describe all the emotions described in the description of war. The shooting of the water buffalo shows how desensitized soldiers become due to the mindless killing of Vietnam.

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839 Words | 4 Pages

‘’I was a coward. I went to the war’’ Pg187. In the short story, ‘’On The Rainy River’’ by Tim O’Brien, The protagonist faces a difficult life decision, he did not want to conform to society the way others wanted him to. He wanted to keep his personal beliefs. Tim O’Brien does not want to conform no matter how vital it is that he should.

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O’Brien presents a variety of stories to present the complexity of war. “On The Rainy River” is a pre-war

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The soldiers in the Vietnam War are portrayed as losing themselves in the chaos and trauma of combat. Through the stories of the soldiers and their experiences, O’Brien explores the ways in which war strips away one's sense of identity and humanity. The author himself is depicted as losing himself in the war. O'Brien served in the Vietnam War, and his experiences inspired much of the book. Through the character of Tim O'Brien, the author explores the ways in which war can strip away one's sense of self and purpose.

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Blushing, getting all hot inside with your cheeks getting a slight rosacea. This was an unbearable reality to men who killed and got killed for their country; and more than, that it was the reason for all the killing. No man wanted to be seen as a priss, too afraid to do a “man’s job” to defend his motherland. No man wanted to be left at home for others to assume he was not “strong enough” to do just that. But the sad truth was that no man wanted the world to know the truth.

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Reader Response of “On the Rainy River” The short story “On the Rainy River” by Tim O 'Brien explains to the audience that all men are influenced to go into war, and that they should hide the fears and emotions that they may have along the journey. Throughout the short story the author explains his journey and opens up about his emotions when he was sent to war. Being the audience of this short story explains to you what every man must go through if they were to be sent to war.

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Fighting in a war has become an image of courage and honour. Those who fall in war are given status and respect. While those who survive are made to relive events of the war, retelling the experience of war allows soldiers to add details to make them seem more courageous than they might truly be. The story of On the Rainy River by Tim O’Brian tells a story of his lack of courage. O'Brien used his intelligence to find reasons that he should not go to war, such as not being able to survive or being better and thinks that there is no purpose for the Vietnam war and that there should be a reason for war.

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The Vietnam War leaves a legacy of moral confusion with each and every soldier who serves. Soldiers are fighting for a cause they do not necessarily believe in, killing people who do not necessarily deserve it, and watching their brothers die beside them. Tim O’Briens’ book, The Things They Carried, illustrates the soldiers struggle to define morality throughout the confusion of the war. On the Rainy River, Tim O’Brien faces what he feels is his moral obligation to answer his country’s call and fight in Vietnam, and a personal moral issue with the reason for the war.

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How it was shaped: Tim allowed the draft of the Vietnam war and societal pressures get to the best of him and he slowly tore himself apart, he started off as a confident incorrigible man. His morals later then became corrupted, he gave into the pressures, his self proclaimed Lone Ranger status had been infected and debunked by his end decision of serving in the Vietnam war. Thesis: In the story, On the Rainy River, the author, Tim O’Brien demonstrates that an individual allows societal pressures and expectations to override their core values, morals, and beliefs; peer pressure forces individuals to put their beliefs aside so they can fit in with everyone else. The narrator, Tim O’Brien faces a similar situation when he get’s drafted for the Vietnam War.

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622 Words | 3 Pages

“Life in the Army is miserable that way. ”(Fountain,3). In this statement and by the tone on Billy’s voice it really shows the harsh reality of what he had to deal with in the army and how it's not easy compared to a citizen's life. Coming from the author’s voice “Billy finds himself constantly wondering about them. What are they thinking?

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On the Rainy River is a story about a man, Tim O’Brien, who struggles with a life altering decision. He evaluated his own personal convictions regarding the Vietnam War at an isolated fishing lodge by the Canadian border. Three different forms of isolation are present in this story. These include physical, emotional, and societal isolation – all of which had an effect on how Tim dealt his conflicting emotions. Physical isolation played a prominent role in Tim O’Brien’s final decision to go to war.

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The short story “On the Rainy River”, by Tim O’Brien is an exploration of how guilt and the pressures of society can shape one’s decision making. O’Brien feels guilty about going to war in Vietnam which contradicts his principles and his dream of becoming a writer. In the story, O’Brien admits, “I was a coward, I went to war” (O’Brien 80); he feared how the people of his community, and the rest of society would view him if he ran away. He feared the external embarrassment he would face if he dodged his draft notice instead of serving in the war; the fear of being judged by society was too unbearable for him to face. During O’Brien’s encounter with Elroy Berdahl, he is influenced to adhere to a decision, however, he chose to conform to the expectations of society.

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