CSL

Both novels attack the idea of traditional heroism. “On the Rainy River” explores the idea of the traditional hero. How do our main characters stack up against the traditional norms? What is your definition of courage and heroism? What other experiences or literary works have worked to build this definition for you? How do O’Brien achieve his goals? What literary spin are they putting on the ball of words to get us to swing? Be sure use quotes from the text and commentary to support your ideas.

A:  The main character, Tim O’Brien, stacks up differently against the traditional hero is that he considers himself a coward to go to war, whereas most people would find it the opposite, more heroic, “I was a coward.  I went to the war”  .  He would be considered a hero if he fled to Canada because he is leaving his citizenship, his rights, and ultimately his life.  Most pacifists would consider him a hero.  My definintion of courage is sticking up for what you believe in no matter who or what prevents you from believing such a thing.  My definintion of heroism is that it is unreal or perhaps surreal, that it is someone who defends something to the death.  Many literary works that have contributed to my idea of a hero is the abundance of books and plays that are about tragic heroes that somehow make my view of heroes more cynical.  O’Brien achieves his goal of illustrating his beliefs by putting his “spin” on things again.  He breaks us away from the norm of thinking that going to war is heroic in that thinking that running away from the draft is the more heroic deed, “I would not swim away from my hometown and my country and my life.  I would not be brave.  That old image of myself as a hero, as a man of conscience and courage, all that was just a threadbare pipe dream.”  This all depends on your bias of what you think is right.  O’Brien is just writing how he feels from his pacifist’s view point.

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