The Things They Carried: On The Rainy River

Question: In this chapter the reader learns of 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? Were you surprised when he described his entry into the war as an act of cowardice? What is the relationship between shame and courage, according to the author?

Answer:

            At 21, O’Brien’s theory of courage, as stated in the book, says: “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.” (O’Brien, 40). O’Brien, now 43 years old, would most likely have a very different theory after gathering 22 more years of experience and his time in the war. It seems that if O’Brien were to have a theory now, it might be something along the lines of: “A courageous person doesn’t wait for an opportunity to be courageous arises. They make their own opportunities.” It seems that he would think this due to his past experiences. He used to believe that people had courage that was saved up for some huge act of heroism and courageousness. After his experience with getting what he saw as that opportunity and being unable to take it, he’d probably change his mind. He probably now thinks that when you have courage, you don’t wait for a chance to use it, you just use it.

             Personally, I was surprised to hear O’Brien describe him entering the war as being cowardly. It is widely viewed that soldiers are heroes. Therefore it would seem that he joining the war would be an act of heroism and not cowardice.

            O’Brien seems to believe that there is a direct relationship between shame and courage. He thinks that a person (or at least himself) needs to be ashamed of any situation where they fail to show courage. For example, when Tim fails to run away to Canada, an act that he views as being cowardly, he feels so ashamed of the event that he never tells anyone for 22 years. This proves that O’Brien sees the lack of courage in an event as a reason for shame.