O'Brien's “On The Rainy River”

Part I of Essay
Courage. An ambiguous word used to describe the motive behind numerous acts, encompassing a variety of definitions. Courage manifests itself in many different forms, most commonly, acts of physical courage; pushing the body into an act of bravery. Risking death to save ....

Part II of Essay
.... strength required behind an act of moral courage, as opposed to one of physical courage. Prior to being drafted, O’Brien admits to political naïveté. His perspective of the Vietnam War is not a passionate one; however, he is decidedly in opposition of the war, feeling that blood is being shed for unstable reasons. He saw “no unity of purpose, no consensus on matters of philosophy or history or law” and has defined the war simply as “wrong”. Upon receiving his draft notice in June of 1968, his emotions range from rage to self-pity. A ....