Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk

The novel, Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, explores some of the different types of relationships humans have during a lifetime. The main character Billy is only 19 years old. A naïve, yet wise young man. His travels and experiences have led him to a deeper understanding of some of the most intense and meaningful relationships in his life. This is a rare advantage at this age, to be so naïve yet so wise. I can relate to the character on certain levels, particularly on the types of relationships he develops. Like the character, I was 19 years old when I joined the US Navy. I was as naïve and green as Billy. My travels also led me to a deeper understanding of some intense, meaningful, and relationships in my life that I hold sacred. Does joining the military actually make you a sage? If faced with our own mortality, does this actually teach us the wisdom of the ages?
Family relationships are our first introduction to living with other people. In the novel, Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, Billy Lynne is part of a small family that lives in Stovall, Texas. He lived with his mother, father, and two sisters. Like most families they were not without drama and were as dysfunctionally close as some families. Billy’s sister, Kathryn states, “Some days I think I am living in a bad country song.” [79] Kathryn is referring to the father’s infidelity and their mother’s crass attitude toward the now disabled provider. A sentiment that that they all share, in some small way in their hearts, but they still loved each other. This was evident through the chapter entitled: “Bully of the Heart.”[74] The scene that was described when Billy arrived for his short visit home was a hallmark moment for the family. The tears and hugs mixed with laught...

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...ve poems that would melt the coldest hearts of any winter enchantress. It turns out that I married her 10 years later. When you think about it I was the original “Cherry boy”.
Fiction or nonfiction, life imitating art or art imitating life, wisdom comes to us in one way or the other. The question that remains, did Billy receive this wisdom before he entered the military? He came from a loving home but was yearning not just for a meaningful relationship with a women but one he was lacking with his father. The way he looked to Sargent Dime for leadership, Shroom for the meaning of life, as well as the other members of Bravo for acceptance as a peer. Faison was a blessing to Billy, a reward someone to look forward to once he returns home from his long half time walk.

Works Cited

Fountain, Ben. Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk. New York: Ecco, 2012. Print.