Summary Of The Short Story 'Where Have You Gone, Charming Billy?'

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The short story “Where Have You Gone, Charming Billy?” by Tim O’Brien depicts many ways fear can be shown. Throughout the story, a private in the United States military enters the Vietnam War. One of Paul Berlin’s first experiences is seeing one of his partners die from a heart attack. Paul Berlin’s body language and thoughts are the main driving forces of the theme throughout the story. It is because of Paul Berlin’s belief in the sea for safety, thoughts of camping with his dad, and uncontrollable laughter that present the idea of everlasting fear in a way that it can not be forgotten. The sea is commonly used as a place for vacation and relaxation, which is what Paul hopes to gain from the sea. “Once they reached the sea, things would be