In his short story, “On the Rainy River”, Tim O'Brien writes about the thoughts and actions of a younger version of himself who has been drafted to fight in the Vietnam war. He uses imagery to create a tone of uncertainty in this young man who does not want to fight in the war due to his beliefs, but who also does not want to be a disgrace to his family if he decides to run away. O'Brien truly fought in the Vietnam war and did not agree with why America sent soldiers to die in a foreign land, so his short story was written in a perspective that is unique to others.

As he continues to think about the draft and what decision he will choose, O'Brien says, “I felt paralyzed. All around me the options seemed to be narrowing as if I were hurtling …show more content…
He says, “Twenty yards. I could've done it. I could've jumped and started swimming for my life. Inside me, in my chest, I felt a terrible squeezing pressure. Even now, as I write this, I can still feel that tightness. And I want you to feel it—the wind coming off the river, the waves, the silence, the wooded frontier.” This strong imagery is used by the author to strengthen the tone of the text wherein the reader can imagine how much concentration on the matter of staying or going O'Brien is putting into the situation. His decision will shape the rest of his life and he knows that. This is why O'Brien chooses to go fight in this war, a war that O'Brien believes does not have any justification, rather than standing up for what he believes in and running away.

Initially, imagery is a major strategy O'Brien uses to build and shape the tone of “On the Rainy River”. He uses several examples of imagery throughout the whole story, some stronger than others. In the text, O'Brien expresses his strong opinions on the Vietnam war and the draft that forced men to kill, and be killed, for a cause they did not see the reason for. The tone is not only built by imagery, but it is also strengthened with the imagery O'Brien