Problem in Going After Cacciato

A problem that is prevalent all throughout Going After Cacciato is the idea of hopelessness, purposelessness, and especially confusion, all contributing to the war that is so horrible, it is unbelievable. Not only are these issues exhibited through the choppy structuring of the novel and much of the characters’ actions and descriptions (specifically, descriptions in which it is difficult to distinguish reality from imagination, drug-induced hallucination or mental illness), these issues are especially evident in Paul Berlin’s internal processing, which includes entire sections of chapters composed wholly of questions. Indeed, the book does a good job at sharing the emotional chaos tied to the war, as readers surely feel the lack of hope and the confusion very strongly, as well as the disillusionment and thoughts on the war’s lack of purpose.