Both novels attack the idea of traditional heroism. “On the Rainy River” and chapters 5-8 of RBC explore 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 and Crane achieve their 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.

In the chapter “On the Rainy River” in the book The Things They Carried the main character stacks up against traditional norms.  He does this by telling us a story that is very personal to him and how he had the chance to run away from the war and do what he wants.  However, he does not.  He says, “I understood that I would not do what I should do…I couldn’t risk the embarrassment…I would go to the war-I would kill and maybe die-because I was embarrassed not to.”  My definition of courage is facing a challenge or a decision and going through with it.  My definition of heroism is a person who is courageous and does brave things for others.  O’Brien can be seen as a courageous person or not a courageous person.  He is courageous in the fact that he fought for his country and faced his fears in battle but he is not courageous because he wasn’t able to do what he really wanted and that was to not fight in the war.  He wasn’t able to face his embarrassment and therefore he made the choice of going to war.  O’Brien is heroic though.  He fought in the war and conquered his fears.  The literary spin he is putting on the ball of words to get us to swing is he is making his story very dramatic.  He gets the reader caught in his stories and he takes control and makes the reader basically believe anything he says.