The
overriding theme and context of the short stories "On the Rainy River" and
"" byis the Vietnam War. They are both autobiographical and have the same narrator, a
fictionalized version of O'Brien himself. They both appear in the linked collection of short
stories, which is sometimes referred to as a novel, called The Things They
Carried. However, there are also some significant differences between the two
stories.
One difference between the stories involves the time frame in which
they take place. "On the Rainy River" concerns O'Brien's reaction to getting drafted
for the Vietnam War. He has not yet reported for duty and is considering running away to Canada.
In "The Things They Carried," however, the narrator is already with his combat unit in
Vietnam and is cataloging all the various items each person carries into battle as a way to
delve into their personalities.
Another difference is in the location.
"On the Rainy River" takes place in the United States at O'Brien's home, at a
slaughterhouse where he works, and at a fishing resort near the Canadian border. As mentioned
previously, "The Things They Carried" takes place in Vietnam.
Besides O'Brien, the characters are different in the two stories. O'Brien himself is
prominent in "On the Rainy River," and the other main character is the owner of the
fishing resort, Elroy Berdahl, a wise and gentle elderly man who rents O'Brien a cabin and
provides a measure of stability amidst O'Brien's turmoil of emotions. "The Things They
Carried" concerns the members of O'Brien's unit and has multiple characters that are
introduced in this story and then elaborated on later in the book.
The plot
outlines of the two stories are also dissimilar. "On the Rainy River" has a linear
plot which begins at one point in the story, moves through a series of events, and then ends up
at a different point. "The Things They Carried" does not have a linear plot but is
instead a collage of interrelated experiences and impressions.
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