Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk Quotes

Find quotes from this novel, with commentary from Shmoop.  Pick a theme below to begin.

Authenticity Quotes

One nation, two weeks, eight American heroes, though technically there is no such thing as Bravo squad. They are Bravo Company, second platoon, first squad, said squad being comprised of teams alph...

Brotherhood Quotes

He'd say "I love you" to every man in the squad before rolling out, say it straight, with no joking or smart-ass lilt and no warbly Christian smarm in it either, just that brisk declaration like he...

Dissatisfaction Quotes

Years and years of carefully posed TV shots have imbued the place with intimations of mystery and romance, dollops of state and national pride, hints of pharaonic afterlife such as always inhere in...

Warfare Quotes

His chief fear up to the moment the shooting started being that of f***ing up. Life in the Army is miserable that way. You f*** up, they scream at you, you f*** up some more and they scream some mo...

Separateness Quotes

Several days ago he was doing local TV and the blithering twit-savant of a TV newsperson just came out and asked: What was it like? Being shot at, shooting back. Killing people, almost getting kill...

Religion Quotes

When people ask does he pray, is he religious or specifically saved or Christian, Billy always says yes, partly because it makes them happy and partly because he feels that's pretty much the truth,...

Society & Class Quotes

Billy had been trying to avoid a certain thought, a realization born of his recent immersion in the swirl of limos, luxury hotels, fawning VIPs; he knew intuitively the thought would bring him down...

Patriotism Quotes

This is the undeniable big-time, there is no greater sports event in the world today and Bravo is smack in the frothy middle of it. In two days they will redeploy for Iraq and the remaining eleven...