Why did Tim O'Brien decide to head off to war?
Fear of embarrassment is a huge aspect throughout the book. In On the Rainy River, a chapter from the novel The Things They Carried, O'Brien demonstrates the influence that embarrassment has on one's decision. In this story, O'Brien tells about the time he received the draft notice on June 17, 1968. It was very common for young men to be drafted to war, and there really was no way to get out of it. The only way one did not get sent to war was if they were in school, or if they decided to escape to Canada. O'Brien had just finished college and was dreading the day that the letter would come. Upon receiving the notice, many emotions and scenarios played inside his head. He saw himself running away, getting all the way to the border to Canada. But, upon reaching the border, he hesitated as he saw the faces of all the people he knew, staring at him and screaming words of mockery. It was at that moment that he decided to go to war, because he "couldn't risk the embarrassment".
Tim O'Brien's embarrassment of what others thought pushed him into enrolling in the way, even though he was terrified for his own self. He knew that if he decided to run away to Canada, he would most likely never be able to go back to the United States without being arrested. . He would always be on the lookout, always checking behind his back. He also knew that he would never be able to have a strong relationship (if any) with his family due to them being disappointed in him. No one would see him the same. They would see him as a "Traitor... Turncoat". His decision had nothing to do with morality. These, I believe, were not the reasons as why he should have decided to go.
I believe that he made the right decision to head off to war. However, the reasons and ways he had done it was not the right way. Rather than being pressured, he should have done it of his own good. If he had chosen to run away to Canada, there would be no book or living in a relaxed state. He wouldn’t be the person he is today.
Many people decide to do things based on the opinions of other's and the fear of what others will think of them, This is not the way to live, which is something that I learned. You should make decisions based on your own opinions and reasons because what you decided to do will either benefit or hurt you in the long run. So, if O'Brien had decided to not go to war, it would still have been the right decision for himself, because then he would not be traumatized by all the experiences that he had. Though it would lead to him not being able to write this novel, it would have most likely saved him from all physical and mental injuries. It was his own decision to make, whether anyone else agreed with it or not.
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