Essays on Going After Cacciato

Paul Berlin is an American infantryman during the Vietnam War. He is serving his tour of duty when he is suddenly faced with the decision of whether or not to go after Cacciato, a fellow soldier who has run away from the war.Paul is torn between his duty to his country and his fellow soldiers, and his own personal beliefs about the war. He ultimately decides to go after Cacciato, but the journey is fraught with danger and self-doubt. Along the way, Paul is forced to confront the realities of war and his own role in it. He comes to understand the true cost of war, and the ways in which it can destroy a person’s soul.At the end of the novel, Paul finally catches up to Cacciato, but the two men have a peaceful conversation in which Cacciato makes it clear that he has no intention of returning to the war. Paul is left to decide what to do next, but he has finally come to terms with the horrors of war and his own part in it.