On the Rainy River & The Setting Sun and the Rolling World

I read this story called On the Rainy River written by Tim O'Brien. It was about Tim the narrator, he had a story that he never told to his brother or sister, or not to his wife. He didn't tell anyone, he got a draft notice- saying that he must go to the Vietnam war. He didn't want to go to war. He was scared. He just graduated from Macalester College, and he was 21 years old.

He spent the summer of 1968 working at a meatpacking plant in his home of Worthington, Minnesota. He worked as an assembly line- he had to remove blood clots from the necks of dead pigs. Another word for that is declotter. I couldn't be able to do that, that is just disgusting. I can't imagine myself putting my hand in that mess. And, even he goes home and shower- and still can smell the pig on himself. Eww...

Anyways, before he decides to escape to Canada, so he doesn't have to go to war- a man saved his life. When he got out of the car and walked up to the front of the porch of the building- the man opned the door for him. He took him in. His name was Elroy Berdahl, and he was 81 years old. They spent six days together at the Tip Top Lodge. They ate their meals, took long hikes, and played Scrabble, etc all days/nights. Then he decided to go to war, even if he was scared. He is so brave to leave his family, friends, brother and sister for the war. It's so sad, I don't like to think about war. He was a survivor of the war, but he went back home- and it wasn't a happy ending. But, he was a coward- but he did go to war.

I also read The Setting Sun and the Rolling World written by Charles Mungoshi. Nhamo wanted to leave home to start a new life. He knew it was time to move on with his life. His father didn't want him to leave. It's the same experiences I've had based on leaving home when I enrolled for MSSD and when I went to college. I've explained that before. It's hard, but every parent will have to face that with every child they have. Even, when I have children- it will be hard to let them go. I know it will be, and I know I won't want to- but I have to. His father wanted to make sure that Nhamo is sure that he knows what he is doing if he goes on his own. Old Musoni didn't look at his son when he left. That really hit me hard. I didn't know why he didn't look at his son, was he too sad- or?? He just had to face with the fact that his son was leaving...

It does connect with On the Rainy River written by Tim O'Brien, because the son had to leave to go to war. It is the same concept with Nhamo, he had to leave his home to start his life.