Thursday, August 5, 2010

On the Rainy River: That's (Almost) in Canada



It make sense, if you listen carefully, I promise.

I'm seeing a lot of similarities between Tim Obrien's feelings about the Vietnam War and some people's feelings about the War on Terror. I don't really want to go to into that because I don't want to step on any toes and/or accidentally reveal my own tentative opinions.

"I feared" is used as an anaphora on page forty-two.... He uses it to really drive home the point that he was scared out of his pants by the whole being-drafted thing. That's what this whole chapter is, really; it was pretty intense... (like camping).

There's also a simile I almost feel is sort of extended. It's just so blatant and clear; I like it. It's not like those sneaky, pretentious metaphors. "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 amount must be drawn down." - p. 38

Finally, there's an allusion (I think?) to McCarthy in here. I might just be calling it that because I'm excited that I vaguely remember who McCarthy is. It's not veiled or anything, though. He just says, "Nothing radical, no hothead stuff, just ringing a few doorbells for Gene McCarthy, composing a few tedious, uninspired editorials for the campus newspaper." - p. 39

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