Final answer:
Tim O'Brien's "On The Rainy River" has a theme focusing on the personal struggle with morality and the moral complexities during the Vietnam War era, illustrated by the protagonist's inner conflict and symbolic use of the Rainy River as a crossroads of choice.
Step-by-step explanation:
One possible theme for Tim O'Brien's "On The Rainy River" could be the struggles of conscience and the moral complexities of the Vietnam War era. This story, part of O'Brien's larger work "The Things They Carried", probes deeply into the internal conflict faced by the author himself, as a young man deciding whether to go to war or to flee to Canada.
This theme is unfolded through the protagonist's emotional turmoil, his interaction with the elderly owner of the Tip Top Lodge, and ultimately the protagonist's decision to go to war despite his objections. The anguish of making such a life-altering decision under the scrutiny of personal values versus societal expectations is a recurring conflict throughout the story, highlighting the theme of the personal struggle with morality and patriotism.
Moreover, the setting of the story near the Rainy River, which serves as a physical border between the United States and Canada, symbolizes the literal and metaphorical crossroads of choice confronted by the protagonist. The story's conclusion, with O'Brien weeping by the river as he decides to go to war, reinforces the theme of individual conflict and the painful reconciliation between public duty and private beliefs.
Reflection and peer review in the context of both the story and the writing process allow for a deeper understanding of how O'Brien's personal conflict mirrors the broader cultural tensions of the Vietnam War era.