Summary Of On The Rainy River By Tim O Brien

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In Tim O'Brien's "On The Rainy River" from the novel Things They Carried, the author emphasizes the meaning of the River. "On The Rainy River" explores the meaning of separation between O'Brien's two different futures. As O'Brien battles his two different lives, he worries about what consequences will come with each side. O'Brien highlights how he was impulsive and began heading for the border where his life would be at the most risk. "In the morning, after gassing up, I headed straight west along the Rainy River, which separates Minnesota from Canada, and which for me separated one life from another" (45). O'Brien was certain that he was prepared to take on the challenge of settling west of the river. O'Brien had questioned how he was drafted