by Tim O Brien, Vietnam was a very controversial war among the citizens of the United States. This war was unlike any other in how it affected people on the home front. In past wars, the people of the United States primarily supported the war and admired the soldiers for their courage. During the Vietnam War, American citizens had conflicting opinions. This dilemma of not having the support of the people comes from the culture and the times. During this period, this would be the fourth time that the Americans would go to war this century, making it difficult for the Americans to provide support (Schlesinger 8). Most Americans did not know why their country was involved in Vietnam or what the United States' agenda was. This dilemma is linked to the short story “On the Rainy River” which is a passage from Tim O'Brien's book, The Things They Carried. He talks about the period of his life that he is ashamed of and which he describes as a kind of confession. to be a coward. The reason for his confession is that he debated and almost dodged the Vietnam War plan. “Blood was shed for uncertain reasons” (O’Brien 38). The uncertainty enlisted people had about the United States' war program was staggering. The context of O'Brien's fictional writing in the story has some context that is important to the story and with this context you can see Tim O'Brien's supposed cowardice from a different perspective.