Going After Cacciato

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1978

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-3

Chapters 4-8

Chapters 9-12

Chapters 13-15

Chapters 16-19

Chapters 20-22

Chapters 23-26

Chapters 27-30

Chapters 31-33

Chapters 34-37

Chapters 38-41

Chapters 42-46

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

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Discussion Questions

Themes

Fear and Courage

Paul’s fear and his desire for courage are the undercurrents that propel the novel forward. If Paul had been brave enough to maintain his composure and capture Cacciato, there wouldn’t have been a story; the trip to Paris would be unnecessary. He constantly worries about how to overcome his fear and be brave, but one can question whether Paul is not, in fact, brave already. Perhaps going to war and staying at war instead of running away is bravery enough.

It may also be considered—if not brave, then at least not cowardly—to have faltered in the final moment with Cacciato. It is not made clear whether he is supposed to kill or capture Cacciato, but even capture would lead to severe punishment for desertion if the protocols were followed. It’s possible that his sense of morality, rather than a lack of courage, is the reason that he fails in his mission.

One could also question the value of both fear and courage. Fear is typically viewed as a negative characteristic, but it’s part of the body’s evolutionary response system that’s designed to keep us alive. If Paul hadn’t been afraid of the tunnel and had gone in instead of Bernie, he would have died. Paul’s ambitions for life are quite modest; he doesn’t seek fame or fortune. Staying alive to pursue those quiet dreams may be more valuable than dying a hero’s death.

Finally, one may think about fear and courage in the context of other characters as well. Though the soldiers generally consider Cacciato to be stupid, Paul specifically points out that he is courageous. And arguably, it could be considered brave to walk away from what some would consider an immoral war.

The Power of Imagination

Essentially, two-thirds of the novel consists of events that happen only in the imagination of one of the characters, yet they provide as much insight into the characters and events as the realistic war chapters do. The things that Paul dreams up reveal how he feels about the war and his fellow soldiers. And as a character, his imagined trip to Paris provides an outlet, an escape from his terrible surroundings; it gives him hope that he’ll be able to survive and perhaps one day go to Paris in real life.

Horrors of War

The realistic chapters present war stories that are horrifying and traumatic. Paul Berlin and his fellow soldiers watch their friends die, in some cases knowing that they played a role in their deaths, and then they must deal with their bodies. There’s no way to rationalize or soften it; characters repeat to each other, “It’s a war,” and that phrase is all that can sum up their experiences. Given this backdrop, it is little wonder that Paul Berlin would seek an imaginative escape and that the events in that escape would reflect what’s happening in the actual war.

Guilt and Shame

Paul clearly feels intense guilt, both over his actions in the war and his desire to run away from it. There are numerous scenes of judgment along the road to Paris: the trainmaster shouting at them, the imagined judge in his powdered wig condemning him, the soldier in Tehran assaulting them. It’s unclear what causes him the most worry: what he’s done—including his role in the death of Sidney Martin—or what he wants to do—leave the war and run away from Paris. But his guilt is constant, and it bothers him far more than it seems to bother the other characters.

Civilization

The question of what civilization is comes up at several points in the novel. Paul initially thinks of it in positive terms, as when he encounters the delights of Mandalay; the comforts the city offers are directly opposed to the deprivations of war. Doc puts a different spin on it, however, when they witness the beheading in Tehran, suggesting that the same civilization that produces cars and roads and commerce and entertainment also produces violence and death. Paul later concludes that all of the positive things justify war. For the reader, however, it may remain an open-ended question: whether all the things Paul loves about civilization are wholly good and whether they justify violence.