Bill Gorton

Alright, so Bill is great. He is a completely likable character, which is quite refreshing in this book. Don’t get me wrong, I like the characters, but most of them have flaws that can get quite annoying. Bill just loves to joke around. On the surface, he’s just a happy guy who loves laughing and practical jokes. It is nice to see someone who hasn’t been totally messed up. Well, for the most part. I believe that Bill’s joking is a form of coping. He is another veteran, and he has had to deal with the same problems as the others. Instead of giving into the depression and self doubt that seems to come with being a veteran in this book, he tries to “never be daunted.” He stays positive, which is damn admirable. He also uses alcohol to cope like every other character in the book. He drinks non-stop for like four days, living in a haze during this time. This is the one sad part about Bill. This is the only proof that he is not completely on top of everything. He believes alcohol is one of the only important things in the world. Despite this, I still love him as a character. His ability to still enjoy the world is nice to see. Especially compared to Brett, Cohn, and Jake being sullen half of the time. Also, he is a great friend to Jake. Cohn, who is supposedly great friends with Jake, doesn’t actually seem to get along with him all that much. Bill, on the other hand, spends a rather lovely week with him fishing in which they are completely comfortable.