Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk Brotherhood

Band of Brothers? Well, not exactly, but the sense of love and brotherhood that the guys in Bravo share with each other is a major theme in Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk. These guys declare their brotherhood loudly at the football game and in press events, they talk about it sincerely with each other before and after battle, and their actions speak even louder than their words.

But then, when you ask these dudes about their actual brothers—like, the family that they grew up with—it's a completely different story. Half of them joined the Army just to escape their families. In that way, the Army has become the place where they can make their own families, with bonds that go beyond blood and common DNA.

Questions About Brotherhood

1. What are the different ways that the guys in Bravo declare their brotherhood?
2. Why do you think Fountain wants us to compare the soldiers who fought in WWII to the Bravo guys?
3. What is it about Billy's family that he can't stand, and what does that say about him?
4. Why does Billy love Shroom the way he does?

Chew on This

If the Bravo guys had been biological brothers from the start, they wouldn't like each other as much.

If the Bravo guys were actually brothers, their bond would be even stronger.