O'Brien says "I would go to war and kill and maybe die, because I was embarrassed not to" as he describes why he ultimately decided to go to war. war. This statement shows the ability of embarrassment to overwhelm a man's fear of war and even his drive to follow his notions and stand up for what he believes. O'Brien ignored his hatred of this "wrong war" along with his fear and reluctance to die for it. It. He decided he would rather go and fight simply because he couldn't "bear the derision, or the disgrace, or the patriotic ridicule" that he knew would come his way soon after he left town and headed for Canada. He also knew that running and hiding, as ironic as it may seem, was the bravest thing to do because it would mean standing up for what he believed in, despite the inevitable embarrassment it would cause. There was a lot of pressure put on those men who were drafted during this time period. One component of this pressure was society's view of masculinity. Men were supposed not to fear the dangers of war if it meant they would be able to...