Personal response to the text “on the rainy river”The role of the relationship one has with other people often has a direct influence on individual choices and beliefs in life. In the short story “On Rainy River,” author Tim O'Brien tells us about his experiences and how interacting with a single person influenced his life so he could understand himself. It is difficult for someone to depend only on their own beliefs and personal experience, when there are so many people with different beliefs influencing your choices and having the right choices for yourself. From time to time, take the experience and knowledge of other people to help you understand and build your identity and life choices from them. Throughout the story, O'Brien talks about his fling with a man named Elroy Berdahl, the owner of the fishing lodge that O'Brien stays at while he wants to escape his responsibilities. O'Brien describes Elroy as "Elroy Berdahl: eighty-one years old, thin, shrunken, and mostly bald... His eyes had the bluish-gray color of a razor blade, the same glossy sheen, and as he peered into me I felt a strange sharpness, almost painful, a cutting sensation, as if his gaze was somehow tearing me apart O'Brien gives the reader a clear idea of ​​what Elroy was like and how he had a great influence on his life, since Elroy can see the pain and longing within him. O'Brian's circumstance occurred while helping him find and realize what he believes in and personality. The author of the story gives the audience a sense that our personal understanding of self is built on the role of the relationship we have with others. There are many things that could influence a person's choices, such as family, friends... the medium of paper... e.g. "behaving like his hero from his youth". while he was at the river to describe his thoughts and feelings and why he had decided to go to war rather than run away. His thought was to go to war, so he would not be guilty in front of his family and friends. Regardless, the people you have met throughout your life have always influenced the construction of your moral character and your personal understanding of yourself. Everyone has been influenced by their surroundings. Your personal identities and choices in life are based on the role of the relationship you have with others. This helps you realize who you are and what you need in life. The combination of everything you learn comes together to give you a clear idea of ​​what your needs, values, and beliefs are in this life. Finally, it is clear that the role of relationships plays an important role in the framework of our personal identities.