Where Have You Gone Charming Billy?

The excerpt, "Where Have You Gone Charming Billy?" is about a group of soldiers sneaking around, trying to stay alive. Phrases like "dark, single file" and "one by one the other soldiers squatted in the shadows" makes their mission seem serious and secretive. The reader is intended to like PFC Paul Berlin and root for him. He uses the word "pretend" alot which lets the reader know he is desperately trying to escape his terrible reality. The reader comes to realize that Paul Berlin is a lonely, scared boy and all he wants is to not be where he currently. Reading this excerpt, I almost wanted to help Paul Berlin or comfort him. At the end of the excerpt, Paul Berlin has an almost optimistic outlook. It's as if he thinks things cannot possibly get worse so tomorrow must be better than today.