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Sergeant Dime
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 in Billy's thoughts, and Billy is especially haunted by the fact that Shroom foretold his own death. Shroom was an avid reader and philosopher who spent his spare time reading whatever he could get his hands on. He and Dime were unlikely friends, and both were unwaveringly liberal—they were an overenthusiastic, sarcastic audience when Vice President Cheney addressed the Army in Iraq. Shroom was also Billy's mentor and a father figure, sharing with Billy how to walk so that he might only lose one foot if a bomb explodes, as well as instilling in Billy the importance of reading and learning. Billy notes that, although Shroom's funeral should've encapsulated Shroom's eccentric spirituality, it was instead a depressing and overly-Christian affair picketed by people who likely belonged to the Westboro Baptist Church.
Shroom Quotes in Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
The Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk quotes below are all either spoken by Shroom or refer to Shroom. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 3
Quotes
Billy sensed the true mindfucking potential of it on their first trip outside the wire, when Shroom advised him to place his feet one in front of the other instead of side by side, that way if an IED blew threw the Humvee Billy might only lose one foot instead of two.
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Chapter 5
Quotes
What's happening now isn't nearly as real as that, eating this meal, holding this fork, lifting this glass, the realest things in the world these days are the things in his head.
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Chapter
Quotes
They are his boys, his brothers. Bravos would die for one another. They are the truest friends he will ever have, and he'd expire from grief and guilt at not being there with them.
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Shroom Quotes in Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
The Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk quotes below are all either spoken by Shroom or refer to Shroom. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 3
Quotes
Billy sensed the true mindfucking potential of it on their first trip outside the wire, when Shroom advised him to place his feet one in front of the other instead of side by side, that way if an IED blew threw the Humvee Billy might only lose one foot instead of two.
Related Characters:
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Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 5
Quotes
What's happening now isn't nearly as real as that, eating this meal, holding this fork, lifting this glass, the realest things in the world these days are the things in his head.
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Chapter
Quotes
They are his boys, his brothers. Bravos would die for one another. They are the truest friends he will ever have, and he'd expire from grief and guilt at not being there with them.
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