On The Rainy River, The Things They Carried

Movie permission slip (Platoon)

Final Exam Prep Sheet

"On the Rainy River" discussion

Chapter 4: “On the Rainy River”

1. How did Tim feel about the Vietnam War while he was at college? Do his actions and language support the idea that he “hated” the Vietnam war?

2. What were Tim’s options once he received his draft notice? Who did he hold responsible for his situation? Who did he think should go to war instead of him? Does any of his reasoning make sense to you, or is it merely self-pitying ranting? 

3. What does Tim say is Elroy Berdhal’s role in his life? What sort of person was Elroy? What details does O'Brien use to convey Elroy's character? Use a double-entry journal to record the details (left-hand side) and the character-traits suggested by those details (right hand side)?

4. At the story’s close, O’Brien almost jumps ship to Canada, but doesn’t: “I did try. It just wasn’t possible.” What has O’Brien learned about himself, and how does he return home as a changed person?

5. In this chapter, we learn the 21-year-old O'Brien's theory of courage: “Courage, I seemed to think, comes to us in finite quantities, like an inheritance, and by being frugal and stashing it away and letting it earn interest, we steadily increase our moral capital in preparation for that day when the account must be drawn down. It was a comforting theory.” What might the 43-year-old O'Brien's theory of courage be?