Question

In a one-page detailed, argumentative response, defend, challenge, or qualify O’Brien’s idea that he was a “coward” for participating in (i.e. killing others & risking his own life) a war that he didn’t believe in.

Answer 1

O'Brien basically calls himself coward because initially he was intended to run away to Canada. He stayed in a lodge near the border for a significant time. It is said that he stayed there for six days. Later he realized the fact that running to Canada was more challenging than fighting war.

He was also having a fear of embarrassment which he would get by running to Canada. He became feared of disgrace. He decided to avoid all the negativity and approached to Vietnam for fighting war. This is about a man who fears to get involved in an activity in which he has no trust.

He thinks a lot and decides to join war front. He does so because not fighting war would have earned him bad name in society. He does not have courage to face the disgraceful questions of society so he chooses another way to avoid all the negative emotions of people in his surroundings.

He finds that fighting war requires physical strength but avoiding war would test him on both physical and mental ground. So he decides to go for war.