What Is The Difference Between On The Rainy And The Return

In life, many tough decisions will be encountered and the amount of support you receive from others can greatly impact your final choice and feelings toward it. Considering different backgrounds and life situations, support may be a help or a hinderance. During Tim O’Brien’s On the Rainy River and Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s The Return, both of the main characters need to make a tough decision. These decisions don’t come easy. Although Tim and Kamau receive different degrees of support, both of them are able to resolve their situations. As Tim attempts to make his choice about going to the war, he is greeted with unexpected help from a man named Elroy. Elroy provides Tim with a safe way to discuss his choices and their possible outcomes. Tim willingly accepts the help. Patiently, Elroy listens to Tim and reveals the reality of his first choice to run away. This allows Tim to believe, “It struck me then that he must’ve planned it. I’ll never be certain of course, but I think he meant to bring me up against the realities to guide me across the river.” During his stay with Elroy, Tim is able to have support without feeling ashamed of his opinions and emotions. Weighing the differences of his potential outcomes, Tim makes his final choice. Notably, unlike Tim, Kamau lacks support and is left on his own to make a decision.
Consequently, he must reflect appropriately on the consequences of each choice. Pondering his options, Kamau “began to put on his coat, murmuring to himself, ‘Why should she have waited for me? Why should all the changes have waited for my return?’” While he questions his new reality and the changes that occur, Kamau is able to reach an epiphany. This assists him positively. Since Kamau was alone with his choice, his epiphany was the determining factor for his