"The Things They Carried"- question 1

In the fourth story in Tim O'Brien's collection of short stories, "On the Rainy River", readers learn of O'Brien's deepest, darkest, secret: he attempted to go to Canada to escape the draft, but didn't do it out of cowardice.

After reading the first four stories in this fictional auto-biography, I have some lingering questions. One of which is why does Tim O'Brien feel that Elroy Berdahl saved his life when he seemingly did nothing at all?

A possible answer is one that Tim O'Brien suggests quite often throughout this story; that Elroy saves him by doing ordinary tasks/activities with him that make him think about what he is doing and if he can really live with his choice. To me, Elroy is a representation of God, some other divine being ( I know how that sounds with Jimmy Cross representing a Christ motif), or Tim's conscience, because of how he seems to know all of the conflicts Tim is facing without actually asking any questions of him. He saves him with this knowledge and how he treats him accordingly. Perhaps Tim isn't the first almost draft-cutter that Elroy has encountered, thus he knows what people like Tim need -- time to be alone with themselves, away from the pressures, and a little indirect guidance to help him decide which path to take. The very end of the story (the fishing trip and Tim's departure) helps solidify the idea that Elroy represents God or some other divine being, almost more than just being a very empathetic, observant, conscious-like old man. In this scene Tim realizes that Elroy purposely takes him into Canadian waters to test him -- to allow him the time and space to make his final decision, with the prospect of escape only twenty yards away. However, Elroy only speaks when he realizes that Tim has chosen (probably because he is crying). "'Ain't biting'" are the only words he says in this scene, as if to say that the fish (drafted young men) are resisting the bait of Canada and exile, and more are continuing to swim along and live life as they had before (to some extent); just as Tim just had just done. (57) The next morning, Elroy is gone before Tim departs -- as if he never existed; as if his task was complete so he could move on to the next young man in trouble, like a guardian angel. That is how I think that Elroy saves Tim by seeming to really do nothing at all -- the distant relationship, the silence, the uncanny understanding of his plight, and the gentle tests all help Tim to realize that he is making a mistake by trying to do the courageous thing, and so does the ironically cowardly thing and joins the war.