Final answer:
In the short story "Where Have You Gone, Charming Billy?", Paul uses tactics such as diversion to prevent himself from thinking about the situation.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the short story "Where Have You Gone, Charming Billy?", Paul uses various tactics and tricks to prevent himself from thinking about the situation. One tactic is to coerce his mind into thinking of something else, but his tiredness prevents him from fully grappling with the fact. For example, he tries to focus on the possibility of drowning instead. This shows that Paul is using diversion as a defense mechanism to avoid facing the difficult reality.