Going After Cacciato as a Bildungsroman

O’Brien’s Going After Cacciato is a bildungsroman because, Paul Berlin, a young American soldier who did not have a clue as to why he was fighting in the Vietnam War comes to a mental resolution as to his personal reasons for being there. Berlin entered the war because he was doing poorly in school and was drafted. Throughout the novel, he is illustrated as a soldier who mechanically and indifferently deals with the things that were happening around him to keep himself from breaking down and going insane. The only thing keeping him going is the thought of possibilities. In keeping the chase of Cacciato going in his head, he shows his yearning for an escape from the war. However, in the final scene when he has the choice of disappearing and moving on with his life or performing his duty and catching Cacciato, he chooses to keep going. Paul Berlin comes to the realization that he is fighting in the Vietnam War because he loves his family, friends, and country. He feels that it is his duty to protect all that is important to him. In the end, he has a personal purpose for being the hell that he is in.