On the Rainy River

4. 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?

A: 43 year old O'Brien's theory of courage differs from his theory when he was younger. When O'Brien was twenty one, he stated that,

    "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." 

This quote means that you conceal your courage until the day you must show it.  I also believe that he is saying that the longer you wait, you may get to weigh the pros and cons of what you are about to act on. I think O'Brien as an older man might view courage as something knowing what is right and then doing what is right. I was not surprised when O'Brien described his entry into the war as an act of cowardice. O'Brien did not want to be a soldier, he know that this was not the life for him. In the novel, O'Brien tries to escape the draft but later decides to go back because he does not want to upset his family and friends. Courage would have been to defy your country and escape to live the life you want to. The relationship between shame and courage, according to the author, is that if the soldiers weren't afraid of being ashamed they might not have done some of the courageous acts they had done in war.