Going After Cacciato resembles a bildungsroman novel as it explores the struggle of soldiers in Vietnam through Paul Berlin. Paul Berlin is the protagonist who arrives in Vietnam to fulfill his duty and responsibility as a patriotic citizen with great bravery. However, as he is more aware of the reality of war, he becomes fearful; therefore, sometimes he wets himself. Furthermore, survival turns into the most important mission. Hence, it leads him to conspire with his platoon to kill Lieutenant Sydney Martin because they cannot allow him to put their lives in danger in order to follow standard operating procedures. At this point, the war has demoralized Paul Berlin as he conspires to kill in an exchange for survival. Additionally, when Paul Berlin reasons to himself why he has burned a Vietnamese village, it shows the breakdown of the Paul Berlin’s initial moral standard. Along with the imaginative story of chasing Cacciato, rationalizing his action is a method of coping with the inhumanity of war. The Vietnam War changes Paul Berlin perspectives on war because he is no longer the naïve patriotic citizen but a soldier who only goal is to survive even if it means compromising his moral/ humanity.
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