Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk Character Analysis

Billy Lynn

Billy, the novel’s protagonist, is a nineteen-year-old soldier from Stovall, Texas. In the Army, Shroom (one of Billy’s commanding officers) takes him under his wing and becomes his mentor. Though Billy hated school, Shroom impresses… read analysis of Billy Lynn

Sergeant Dime

Sergeant Dime is Billy's 24-year-old commander in the Army and is also part of the Bravos. Though Dime denies it, Shroom once claimed that Dime came from a wealthy family in North Carolina and… read analysis of Sergeant Dime

Shroom

Shroom was one of Billy's commanding officers in Iraq, and the tenth member of Bravo Squad. He died in the firefight that made Billy and the rest of the platoon famous. Shroom is constantly… read analysis of Shroom

Albert Ratner

Albert is a film producer who has been in contact with Bravo Squad since the Fox News footage of the firefight at the Al-Ansakar Canal came out. He wants to help produce a film about… read analysis of Albert Ratner

Norm Oglesby

Norm Oglesby is the owner of the Dallas Cowboys. An older man with a trapezoidal head and a great deal of obvious plastic surgery, Norm looks very different in the flesh than he does on… read analysis of Norm Oglesby

Kathryn Lynn

Kathryn is Billy's older sister and the middle Lynn child. Billy describes her as blonde and beautiful enough to distract both older men and Billy himself, though Kathryn also isn't afraid to speak uncomfortable… read analysis of Kathryn Lynn

Faison

Faison is a new cheerleader with the Dallas Cowboys and is Billy's love interest. She's short and beautiful, with long strawberry-blond hair. As a Christian, she's very adamant that she doesn't particularly want to… read analysis of Faison

Denise Lynn

Denise is Billy's mother and Ray’s husband. She's overwhelmingly concerned with keeping up appearances, often to her own detriment—she refuses to declare bankruptcy, which would allow her to keep her home and dissolve… read analysis of Denise Lynn

Ray Lynn

Ray is Billy's father and Denise Lynn’s husband. In his younger days, Ray was a rock and roll radio DJ, but after the economic recessions after September 11, he had trouble finding work… read analysis of Ray Lynn

Mango

Mango is Bravo's nickname for Marc Montoya. He's Mexican-American and only a year or two older than Billy. Because of Mango's Mexican origins, he often gets teased about being an illegal alien, but Mango… read analysis of Mango

Josh

Josh is the handler assigned to Bravo Squad at the Texas Stadium. He's a handsome, suave-looking man, which elicits suspicions among the Bravo Squad as to whether or not Josh is gay. They eventually… read analysis of Josh

March Hawey

March Hawey is an extremely rich old man whom Billy meets in Norm Oglesby's private suite. He later learns that Hawey is "Mr. Swift Boat," or one of the leading members of the organization… read analysis of March Hawey

Hector

Hector is a waiter who works in the clubhouse at the Texas Stadium. He offers to share marijuana with Mango and Billy as a small way to "support the troops," which the men appreciate… read analysis of Hector

Major "Mac" McLaurin

For unknown reasons, Major Mac is assigned to accompany Bravo Squad on the Victory Tour. Apparently, on Major Mac's first day in Iraq, he suffered injuries that permanently damaged his hearing. Because he's almost fully… read analysis of Major "Mac" McLaurin

Crack

Though Crack's actual last name is Koch, he's known to Bravo Squad only as Crack. He torments Sykes in the lead up to the halftime show but seems just as shaken by the show as… read analysis of Crack

Sykes

Sykes is one of the members of Bravo Squad who takes part in the Victory Tour. Sykes is only twenty-two but is already married and has one child, and his wife is pregnant with their… read analysis of Sykes

Lake

Lake is one of the two absent members of Bravo Squad. Very little is said about him, but he lost both his legs in Iraq and is at the Brooke Army Medical Center for the… read analysis of Lake

Pussy Boy

Pussy Boy, whose real name is never states, was Kathryn's fiancé. After Kathryn's car accident, pussy boy, a rich and selfish twenty-something, broke off their engagement because he couldn't stand her damaged face. Billy… read analysis of Pussy Boy

The Roadies

The roadies are the road crew who set up and tear down the stage at the Texas Stadium. They're a group of cantankerous men who have no time for people who are in their… read analysis of The Roadies

Pastor Rick

Pastor Rick is the pastor of a megachurch that hosted a rally for Bravo Squad in Anaheim. Billy sought Pastor Rick out for guidance regarding how to deal with Shroom's death, and although Billy… read analysis of Pastor Rick

Mr. Bill Jones

Mr. Jones is a Cowboys executive. Billy manages to engage Mr. Jones in a conversation about global economics, money, and investing, though Billy is aware that Mr. Jones is only humoring Billy. Billy also notes… read analysis of Mr. Bill Jones

Ennis

Ennis is the Dallas Cowboys' equipment manager. He's in charge of cataloguing and distributing massive amounts of equipment including footballs, padding and personal protection, and over-the-counter medications. Ennis very clearly takes a great deal of… read analysis of Ennis

Octavian Spurgeon

Octavian is one of the hulking Cowboys players that Billy meets when Bravo Squad tours the locker room. He's especially interested in finding out what kinds of weapons Billy uses in the Army, and he… read analysis of Octavian Spurgeon

General Ruthven

General Ruthven is a higher-up in the Army and is the person Billy and Sergeant Dime are forced to speak to when they refuse Norm Oglesby's offer of funding for the Bravo Squad film… read analysis of General Ruthven

Mr. Whaley

The boss of Denise, Billy's mother. Mr. Whaley offers Billy a minimum wage job and to throw him a parade, but has offers no other response when Kathryn points out that Billy is going… read analysis of Mr. Whaley

Minor Characters

A-Bort

A-bort is the nickname given to Hebert, one of the members of Bravo Squad. He's between nineteen and twenty-two years old, is immature, and like the rest of Bravo, uses exceptionally foul language.

Lodis

Lodis is one of the members of Bravo Squad who goes on the Victory Tour. He suffers injuries when Bravo brawls with the roadies, and the boojee lady later covers him with a snuggie. Like the other Bravos he's foul-mouthed and immature.

Holliday (Day)

Holliday is Sergeant Dime's second-in-command. An imposing black man, Holliday (who is often referred to simply as Day) also attracts a fair bit of attention from Albert. During the halftime show, he counts steps to help calm and steady his half of Bravo Squad.

Patty Lynn

Patty is Billy's eldest sister. She has a toddler son, Brian, with her husband, Pete. Though Patty is only in her mid-twenties, Billy notices that she already looks old and saggy. Patty cares deeply for her mother, Denise, and calls her father, Ray, "America's Prick."

Brian

Brian is Patty's toddler son. Brian appears to be the only Lynn family member whom Ray shows any affection towards, though Brian himself loves everyone. When Billy plays with Brian, Billy painfully realizes that many children in Iraq who are Brian’s age are killed in the war.

Coach Tuttle

Coach Tuttle is the head coach for the Dallas Cowboys. Billy describes him as being shaped like a bull walrus, and he's less than thrilled to have the Bravo Squad in his locker room.

The boojee lady

The boojee lady sits in the row in front of Bravo during the football game. She kindly covers Lodis in a snuggie when she notices that he’s asleep, and she refuses to take the snuggie with her when she leaves.

Travis

Travis is a young, clean-cut man who engages Crack in a conversation about Don't Ask Don't Tell. Crack puts Travis in a headlock and nearly chokes him.