On The Rainy River

Brianna Mellor
English 30-1
Throughout life, people create a distinctive set of morals and values either from experience or
from being taught the difference between right or wrong. Once you know your boundaries, it will
determine how you'll react in certain situations. When our values become threatened, it is in our nature to
avoid the struggle and constriction as much as possible because we feel sheltered with our beliefs and
values. Sometimes, a person may face a dilemma that will be morally straining or uncomfortably
different. While trying to run away from their circumstance they may become aware of the negative
consequences of doing so. In the story, On the Rainy River, the author reveals his hidden past about his
struggles with commitments to society and himself. The author, Tim OBrien, attempts to runs away from
his obligations to his country, believing he is unfit to fulfill the deed. But while on the run he becomes
overwhelmed by the thought of the consequences and chose to turn back.
Tim OBrien chooses to tell his story to relieve some of the pressure of embarrassment and
shame. At the beginning of the story he goes into detail about his life previous to getting his drafting
notice, about how he graduated Macalester College as a young, politically nave man, feeling
constrained even by his job. He describes himself as an ordinary kid with all the ordinary dreams and
ambitions., also explains that he values peace and reasonable thought, as well as puts in anti-war articles
for his college newspaper. Tim becomes aware of the constant pressure from society and the common
opinion. While reading the notice, he becomes enraged and overwhelmed. He begins to believe that he is
unfit, both mentally and physically, for the war. He displays his hatred and disgust towards the war,
believing the war has false background and is very senseless. After graduating college just a month before
receiving the notice, he feels too good for this war. Too smart, too compassionate. Feeling
overwhelmed and constrained by the common opinion, which was believed a man was to blindly follow
his country into a war and bravely fight. He believed that the consideration of a man from society was

entirely narrow-minded and reckless. He ran away from his life because of the pressure society has put
upon him.
Tim OBrien describes the drive as a blur, having so much adrenaline. He has a giddy felling, in
a way as he drives with the sense of high velocity in his hands. He feels the pressure of his actions,
fearing he will have no way out of the mess he is creating. The anxiety of the dilemma is dwelling hard
on him as he drives farther away from his home. He couldnt come to a happy conclusion either way,
but he kept driving towards Canada knowing he was able to turn around at any moment he wished. He
didnt have a plan on where to go once he reached the border, but that didnt stop him. The lack of a plan
granted him time to think about his decisions, both options being dramatic and life changing. If he
chooses to turn back towards home, he will be sent to Vietnam and forced to fight in a war he disbelieved
in, but if he chose to flee to Canada he would be choosing to leave his home, friends, family, and forced
to live his life in exile. He reaches the Rainy River, separating Minnesota and Canada. He begins to
search for a place to lay low for a few days to have time to think. Discovering the Tip Top Lodge, a little
run down resort off the Rainy River, he chooses to stay there for a while and procrastinate his decision.
The owner of the Tip Top Lodge is an old eighty-one year old man, Elroy Berdahl. He describes
this man as the hero of his life. He offered exactly what I needed, without questions, without any words
at all. He took me in. He was there at the critical time- a silent, watchful presence. He feels a sense of
guilt and shame as he notices the way Elroy looks at him, but Elroy felt that he was a kid in trouble and
was generous enough to help him out. One thing for certain, he knew I was in desperate trouble. He
spent his whole stay with Elroy, because tourist season was well over. Tim decided to help Elroy out with
work around the place and also nearly every meal was spent together. Tim feels sometimes felt awkward,
as if hes intruding on Elroys life, but Elroy made no fuss and accepted him into his routine. One night
after dinner, Tim gets suddenly nauseous for no apparent reason. The stress was getting to him, and he
would dream about escaping to Canada by stealing one of Elroys boats and paddling across to freedom,
but the good never comes without any bad. He then began to dream getting caught, helicopters and

searchlights and barking dogs- the law closing in on all sides. He begins to think more about his
dilemma and the horrible consequences that would be associated with either option. Id been over and
over the various arguments, all the pros and cons Intellect had come up against emotion. He was
feeling ashamed to be hiding at the Tip Top Lodge, for running away from his peers fearing that he would
be an outcast, he feared being known as the young OBrien kid the treasonous pussy. Once his
chance came about to escape from the war, he notices Elroy watching him as if he planned to see him off
to the other side of the river. He cannot force himself to jump off the boat and swim to freedom, thinking
again about his peers and the life he would have to live in exile. He tried his hardest to escape his
constrictions of society but in conclusion he gives into the pressure. He faced the inescapable war, and
lived.
As humans, we desire to live without constrictions even though the option is not always available.
We may try to escape and run away from the pressure, but the consequences may be worse than the
dilemma itself. Our values may become threatened at a point in life, and we will naturally attempt to
avoid the unfamiliarity. Tim OBrien had faced the choice to stay and fight for something against his
morals or to run away and be free from the convention of society, but in doing so he would be choosing to
run away from his home and forced to live as a refugee. He chooses to turn back, and fight in the war in
fear of being called a coward by his peers, but by turning around he considers himself as a coward
because he did not follow his morals and went with the common opinion.