In the story, "Where Have You Gone, Charming Billy?" do you think that the experience of being in combat builds character? Explain your answer.

It would be difficult to argue logically that O'Brien
intends for "Where Have You Gone, Charming Billy?" to demonstrate how combat builds
character. Rather, O'Brien uses Paul Berlin's experience as a newbie in Vietnam to
illustrate the fear associated with combat. Not only does Paul's fellow soldier Billy
die from fright, but Paul is intensely afraid throughout the story. While Paul wants to
make his father proud and desires to be able to tell him about his brave actions in
combat, he finds himself worrying about what his dad would think of him if he could see
how he responds to Billy's death. Paul's fear becomes so strong that he seems to lapse
in and out of sanity (his inappropriate laughter, his ability to focus,
etc.).

"Where Have You Gone" is a typical O'Brien story in
that the author--a veteran himself--tries to show how strongly combat affects those who
experience it. Those effects, according to O'Brien, are often related to fear, regret,
grief, and disillusionment.