Untold Story

“On the Rainy River” is supposedly Tim O’Brien’s “untold” and most shameful story. Shortly after graduating from Macalaster College in 1968, O’Brien received a draft noticed in the mail. Just when everything was going great, the draft letter seemed to bring it all to an abrupt end. O’Brien was entirely uncertain about the war. O’brien knew understood little about the causes of the war in Vietnam and he was strongly against the war. With a college degree in his hand, O’Brien thought he was too good to fight in the war. The pressure of his community and family made O’Brien scared and unsure what to do. Eventually, O’Brien begins to flee north towards Canada, and he stops in a small village on the Rainy River, which separates Minnesota and Canada. Ultimately, O’Brien breaks down and decides to go to war because he is too embarrassed not to go.

This story offers an inciteful new perspective about war and joining the war. In contrast to normal stereotypes, the cowardly action O’Brien took was actually the decision to go to war. Rather than fleeing in order to stand for what he believed in, O’Brien took the less daring path by falling victim to the authority of the government and the draft. Normally, Americans are praised for their bravery in joining the war. However, I think O’Brien’s story, “On the Rainy River” proves that courage is not always found in the participation in a group, but rather when an individual takes a stand for what they believe is right or wrong. In the story, it is evident that O’Brien was unable to make his stand as an individual. Rather, O’Brien surrendered to the pressures of his community, his family, and what the country said was right.

Despite the heroism and bravery often commended in war, it is important that like teenage O'Brien, we stop to think about why we are fighting and whether it is really worth it. In the end, war comes down to humans killing other humans, in order to accomplish what? It seems paradoxical to kill thousands of people in order to save others. It is a shame O’Brien was not able to stand for his beliefs, and it is a shame the American democracy is not always able to respect the ideas of the individual.