“It was a kind of schizophrenia. A moral split. I couldn’t make up my mind. I feared the war, yes, but I also feared exile. I was afraid of walking away from my own life, my friends, and my family, my whole history, everything that mattered to me. I feared losing the respect of my parents. I feared the law. I feared ridicule and censure.” (O’Brien, 176).

In this section, Tim O’Brien expresses that he does not want to fight the war in Vietnam. On the other hand, O’Brien claims that if he does not fight the war he would be seen as a coward. He fears that he would lose his reputation. Part of him wants to escape from the draft and flee to Canada, but the other part of him did not want to lose the respect of his family members, friends and society.  This shows the inner displacement or conflict that the narrator is going through. The narrator proclaims his agony of trying to meet societal expectation of men. Men are obligated to be tough and courageous characteristics. O’brien feared that his sudden departure would cause people to view him negatively. He is afraid that he would lose his reputation as men.  Tim O’Brien’s short story: On the Rainy River communicated the emotional pain of being oppressed by society. Therefore, the pain of trying to meet societal expectation can effect an individual’s action, behavior and emotions. As a result, the pressure of trying to maintain the masculine features forced the narrator to return. Unable to risk the embarrassment, he went to war.