Pastor John Character Analysis in The Lincoln Highway

Pastor John is a criminal who attacks Billy on the train to New York. He is not ordained, but he calls himself a pastor because he believes fervently in a warped, self-serving version of Christianity that he preaches across the country. He is racist, antisemitic, and generally violent: he attacks Billy twice in an attempt to steal the boy’s valuable coin collection. When Pastor John first attacks Billy, Ulysses saves him, but the second time, Billy is forced to defend himself, marking a moment of growth for Billy as he realizes he can stand up for himself.

Pastor John Character Timeline in The Lincoln Highway

The timeline below shows where the character Pastor John appears in The Lincoln Highway. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Pastor John , another stowaway on the train, finds Billy alone in the freight car. Pastor John... (full context)

As Billy clutches his bag, Pastor John surmises that the boy has something else inside. He tries to take the bag, and... (full context)

Pastor John seeks revenge on Ulysses for leaving him to die. In his narration, he repeatedly refers... (full context)

Pastor John grabs Billy. Billy cowers, then finds courage and says that he is “truly forsaken,” just... (full context)

...and remembers where he is. He wills himself to consciousness and searches for Billy and Pastor John . He finds John with the coin collection and hits him with his own shovel.... (full context)