Fear. Courage. Death. Survival.

Fear. Courage. Death. Survival. Characteristics of everyday life, yet, intensified in times of war. The horrific nature of war should not be witnessed by anyone. Brave men and women who enter war wish to honor their family and country; however, they do not realize the brutal effects of warfare. Soldiers in the Vietnam War endured mental and physical anguish, exhausting both mind and body. In Tim O'Brien's fictional novel, Going After Cacciato, O'Brien explores soldiers' fears and identifies their group and individual methods of escaping reality in an accurate manner. War impacts everyone differently and each soldier has a different way of dealing with the truth.

O'Brien introduces Paul Berlin's squad members as having a rough start in the war. "It was a bad time," explains O'Brien (1); he describes at least ten soldiers dying on the first page, signifying the severity of the situation, yet how common it was to see a fellow soldier die. So many soldiers dying so soon, many men became unsure of what they were fighting for. The soldiers struggle more to survive against the land, weather, diseases, and comrades instead of enemy human beings. These adversities cause the soldiers to face frequent fear and despair. In order to overcome this sense of hopelessness, the soldiers use basketball and drugs to getaway as a group from the realities of war. While resting after a day's search of chasing Cacciato, "Oscar Johnson took out his pouch of makings, rolled a joint, inhaled, and passed it along. Things were peaceful. They smoked and watched the rain and clouds and wilderness." (O'Brien 9). The men worry about facing desertion themselves, and what will happen if they catch up to the "open-faced and naïve and plump" Cacciato (O'Brien 8). Even though young Cacciato is a former comrade, the team is forced to chase after him due to the information he knows about the death of Lieutenant Sydney Martin; the drugs help them cope with the harsh decision they must make, they must kill Cacciato. Another way the men handle their fear and boredom as a whole is through the game of basketball. O'Brien describes Paul Berlin's thoughts by saying, "...there was always basketball. Games were won, games were lost, mostly won, and he found himself looking forward to it... He liked the clarity of it" (102). When Paul Berlin and other soldiers play basketball, there is no fear, suspense, or unknown feelings. Basketball is a set game with understood rules, no surprises, and that is why it provides a haven for the soldiers. All of the squads partake in playing basketball in over fourteen villages to have fun and escape the war; however, an uneasy "lull" is present and "a sense of imposed peace" (O'Brien 102).The soldiers become unaware of why they are even in Vietnam until Rudy steps on a mine. His death becomes a "relief for all of them" and makes them realize for a moment that they are here to fight.

In addition to coping with fear as a whole, Stink Harris, Doc Peret, Cacciato, Lieutenant Corson, and Paul Berlin all form individual ways of dealing with reality. Stink Harris and Doc Peret directly affect the other soldiers. Stink Harris is definitely the loose cannon on Paul Berlin's squad. He deals with his fear by shooting and destroying things. While on the road to Paris, Stink notices two water buffalo and O'Brien illustrates one of his outbursts:

Stink fired without aiming. It was automatic. It was Quick Kill. Point-blank, rifle jerking. The first shots struck the closest animal in the belly. There was a pause. The next burst caught the buffalo in the head, and it dropped. That fast. Every time, that fast. Someone was screaming for a cease-fire but Stink was on full automatic. He was smiling. Gobs of flesh jumped off of the beast's flanks (50).

Stink's episode shows recklessness, but he moreover shows how he is able to release his fear and frustration on something other than his fellow officers. Stink Harris also shows this same type of coping mechanism when he burns and destroys the villages. Stink Harris's process helps him deal with the war but it negatively affects the other soldiers by reminding them of the constant chaos and death they have to face continually. In contrast, Doc Peret uses his fear to inform the men of dangers and is a positive influence to the other men. "Aside from his normal duties as a medic, Doc is one who is looked up to by the others. He is the one who the men go to when they have moral questions. Doc influences the squad's attitude by providing the moral support that they need" (Wittel). The two characters both are influenced by fear in the war; however, what separates them is how they let that fear

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