In the last two sentences of “On the Rainy River,” the narrator writes, “I was a coward. I went to the war.” What does this story have to say about choices and consequences?

Really, for Tim, running to Canada would take more courage than going to war. Going to Vietnam is what's expected of him, the status-quo. Running to Canada would mean the loss of family, friends, and everything familiar. Going to Canada for something he believed in would take more courage than going to war.