Going After Cacciato: Analysis of Major Characters
"Going After Cacciato" is a novel that intricately explores the experiences of American soldiers during the Vietnam War through the lens of its major characters. Central to the narrative is Cacciato, a mentally handicapped soldier who embarks on an absurd journey to Paris, embodying a trickster spirit that provokes both humor and contemplation among his fellow soldiers. Paul Berlin serves as a dreamer and moral compass, reflecting on the beauty amidst chaos while grappling with his obligations. Doc Peret, the squad's physician, provides a pragmatic yet imaginative approach to care, contrasting with characters like Stink Harris, whose impulsiveness leads to reckless violence. Oscar Johnson emerges as a pragmatic leader, often torn between survival and ethical dilemmas, especially in regard to Lieutenant Martin, whose rigid adherence to protocol ultimately results in tragedy. Lieutenant Corson, who is weary of the war, finds solace in a fleeting romance, while characters like Murphy and Frenchie showcase the diverse responses to the horrors of combat. The interplay among these soldiers, along with their interactions with Vietnamese figures like Sarkin Aung Wan and Jolly Chand, adds depth to the narrative, highlighting the complexities of war and human connection. Overall, the novel delves into themes of duty, imagination, and the search for meaning in a tumultuous environment.
Going After Cacciato: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Tim O'Brien
First published: 1978
Genre: Novel
Locale: Vietnam, Laos, Mandalay, Delhi, Kabul, Tehran, Athens, and Paris
Plot: Vietnam war-era fiction
Time: 1968
Cacciato, an American soldier in Vietnam. Described as a “simple” boy, Cacciato is mentally handicapped, perhaps having low-grade Down's Syndrome. He has a round face, with slanted eyes and a vacuous smile, and his legs are too short for his body. He is always smiling, even in brutal conditions. He takes on a trickster role when he decides to go AWOL and walk to Paris, egging on his search party along the way, and, at one point, rescuing them from certain death.
Paul Berlin, an American soldier in Vietnam. Although Paul Berlin has a strong sense of obligation and is a man of great principle, he is also a dreamer whose imagination provides an escape from the horrific circumstances of the war. His father has challenged him to focus on what beauty he can find. His questions and flights of imagination drive the narrative.
Doc Peret, a military physician. Doc is a stable caregiver and is often the mature voice of reason. He is tall, with gray eyes and tight, thin lips. He wears wire-rimmed spectacles and is a chain- smoker. He is a scientist in spirit, if not to the letter. While he respects medicine, he is also practical and imaginative in treating his patients. He believes in the science of what works, whether it's witchcraft or a placebo. In one example, he has a soldier swallow M&M candy as if they are pills in an effort to ease the man's suffering. He is a stable, comforting presence in the squad, often taking on the role of squad spokesman.
Stink Harris, an American soldier in Vietnam. Stink tends to be excitable and impatient. He's the sort to shoot first and ask questions later. In one instance, for no reason, he shoots and kills a water buffalo pulling a cart of women. Wearing a smile the entire time, he continues shooting wildly with no aim, exclaiming, “Greased lightning. Hands like bullwhips.” He sports a bad case of ringworm on his scalp that shows beneath his crew cut.
Oscar Johnson, an American soldier in Vietnam. Oscar is a man of action, at times taking on a leadership role. It is Oscar who seeks a consensus and initiates the plan to kill Lieutenant Martin as a means of self-preservation, when the lieutenant insists on sending his men into certain death in the tunnels, following standard operation procedures. Oscar claims to be from Detroit, but everyone knows he is from Bar Harbor, Maine. He is both tough and cool, always wearing Polaroid shades, which seem to reconstitute themselves as they get trampled and lost along the way.
Lieutenant Corson, an American soldier in Vietnam. The blue-eyed Lieutenant Corson spends most of his time in the novel doubled over with dysentery. He is an older man who continually exclaims that the Vietnam War is not his war and never was. He is twice widowed (though he continues to wear a wedding band), and twice demoted (once, justifiably, though we never know why). He is a relatively easygoing, practical leader who is respected by his men. He falls in love with a woman in Delhi, and would have deserted his post for her had his men not kidnapped him. Curiously, his dysentery is miraculously healed during his interlude with the lovely Jolly Chand, only to recur upon leaving her.
Lieutenant Sidney Martin, an American soldier in Vietnam. Lieutenant Martin is a strict by-the- book leader, blindly relying on standard operating procedures to lead his men, with little compunction about putting them in grave danger. Two men are killed, directly due to his insistence on following the rules, which he believes work to the greater good, though individuals may be sacrificed. He is quite young—a recent West Point graduate—and new to battle. He is highly educated, and his sense of a pride in his mission borders on zealotry. He is tall, with an acne-scarred face, and bright blond hair. His strict adherence to procedure costs him his life at the hands of his own men.
Harold Murphy, an American soldier in Vietnam. A big man who carries “the big gun,” Murphy has a curiously high-pitched voice. He abandons the 3rd squad and turns back after they decide to continue their pursuit of Cacciato.
Sarkin Aung Wan, a Vietnamese girl. With smooth skin, bold eyes, and course black hair, Sarkin is a very young Vietnamese girl with big dreams of going to Paris with the 3rd Squad as they pursue Cacciato. She hooks up with Paul Berlin, who is immediately attracted to her. Initially the group won't allow her to accompany them, but she is accepted once she proves useful in leading them out of the vast system of underground tunnels. She and Paul eventually set up a short-lived household in Paris.
Eddie Lazzutti, an American soldier in Vietnam. Eddie is the group's radio operator. He loves to sing as they march.
Bernie Lynne, an American soldier in Vietnam. Out of frustration with Lieutenant Martin, who insists that the men follow procedure, Bernie volunteers to enter a tunnel to retrieve an injured Frenchie. He is immediately shot and dies in Doc's arms.
Frenchie Tucker, an American soldier in Vietnam. Frenchie is a large, fat man who is incensed by the cavalier attitude of politicians and their peace talks, making bargains with his life.
Hamijolli (Jolly) Chand, a Delhi hotel owner. The 3rd Squad meets the charming woman, Jolly, when they rent rooms at the Hotel Phoenix in Delhi. When they first meet her, she is working out on an exercise bicycle, dressed in blue jeans and a gauze, muslin blouse. She has black hair with auburn highlights. She is married but has no compunction about having an affair with Lieutenant Corson, who has fallen in love with her. Her husband, Haques, a very short (he's nearly half Jolly's height), stooped man in a turban, doesn't seem terribly bothered by Jolly's attention to the lieutenant.
Captain Fahyi Rhallon, an official in a Kabul jail. A tall, gaunt man with a mustache, Rhallon is an ineffective official in the Kabul Savak, a department of internal security, who is genuinely interested in the soldiers' story about their pursuit of Cacciato. He takes them out to a bar to drink and dance, only to see them recaptured and sentenced to death. He fails to win their freedom and is powerless to help them in their plight.
Rudy Chassler, an American soldier in Vietnam.
Li Van Hgoc, a Vietcong major. Condemned to a ten-year incarceration in the vast system of tunnels, Major Li Van Hgoc wears a pith hat as he sits at his desk, using a telescope-like device to monitor above-ground happenings. He seems pleased to have the squad's company, and insists that there is no way to escape the underground tunnels.
Billy Boy Watkins, an American soldier in Vietnam. Billy has the dubious distinction of dying from fright after losing his foot to a land mine.
Ben Nystrom, an American soldier in Vietnam. Nystrom handles the squad's radio communications. He breaks down into tears after Frenchie and Bernie are killed in the tunnels, and leaves the war after shooting himself in the foot.
Jim Pederson, an American soldier in Vietnam. Pederson is a former missionary to Kenya who carries pictures of Christ in his pockets, and considers it his duty to reinforce Christianity with his strong moral stance. He is terrified of flying and is gunned down by friendly fire during a helicopter air assault. In his last moments, he returns fire to his own helicopter gunship.
Buff, an American soldier in Vietnam. Buff is a nickname for Water Buffalo. He is a large, sturdy man of great strength, patience, and endurance.
Vaught, an American soldier in Vietnam. Cacciato's former buddy, he caught a skin infection after using a bayonet blade to shave off skin on his arm. He loses the arm shortly thereafter.
Ready Mix, an American soldier in Vietnam. He is young soldier who lasted all of 12 days in the war. No one knew his actual name, but he earned the name “Ready Mix” because he was destined for “cement city—gravestones.”