Kathryn Lynn Character Analysis in Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk

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 truths or use foul language. Prior to the start of the novel, Kathryn was engaged to a man whom Billy refers to as pussy boy. When Kathryn suffered a horrific car accident that left her face terribly scarred, pussy boy broke off their engagement. Billy destroyed pussy boy's car in retaliation, which is how Billy ended up in the Army—the lawyers offered to drop the felony charges if he joined up. Because of this, Kathryn feels responsible for the fact that Billy is in the military, and she goes out of her way to try to get him out of it. She contacts an organization that helps soldiers legally desert, passes Billy's contact info on to them, and spends all of Thanksgiving Day texting Billy to respond to their messages. She finds it insulting that the Army would force Billy and the rest of Bravo Squad to redeploy after the Victory Tour and is shocked that Billy wants to return to Iraq with his fellow soldiers.

Kathryn Lynn Quotes in Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk

The Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk quotes below are all either spoken by Kathryn Lynn or refer to Kathryn Lynn. 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:

Fantasy vs. Reality in the Media Theme Icon

). Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Ecco edition of Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk published in 2012.

Billy rattled off the cities. Washington, Richmond, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Columbus, Denver, Kansas City, Raleigh-Durham, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Miami, and practically every one, as Sergeant Dime pointed out, happened to lie in an electoral swing state.

Related Characters: (speaker), , , ,

Page Number and Citation: 88

Explanation and Analysis:

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.

Related Characters: , , , ,

Page Number and Citation: 294

Explanation and Analysis:

Kathryn Lynn Character Timeline in Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk

The timeline below shows where the character Kathryn Lynn appears in Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Billy pulls out his phone. He has a text from his sister, Kathryn; one from his other sister's husband; and a Bible verse from Pastor Rick. Billy wonders... (full context)

...man's car, and Billy explained what happened. The car had belonged to his sister's fiancé. Kathryn had gotten into a car crash that should've killed her, but she miraculously survived. Her... (full context)

Kathryn threw her ring in pussy boy's face, but Billy took it a step further by... (full context)

Billy gets a text from Kathryn asking if he's cold. Mango and Billy discuss the hot girls they danced with at... (full context)

Billy knows that Mango is also thinking about the war, and he remembers Kathryn telling him to keep being lucky. He looks around the concourse of the stadium and... (full context)

...Stovall, where his father, Ray, drives around the house in his motorized wheelchair—and according to Kathryn, Ray does nothing but grunt when he wants something. Ray had once been a radio... (full context)

...smoking until the day he suffered a double stroke. Now, only Billy's mother, Denise, and Kathryn understand Ray, though he seldom speaks. The family secret remains unspoken: everyone aside from Ray... (full context)

...fact that Billy is a national hero when he arrives home. Denise cries, as do Kathryn, Patty, and Patty's toddler son, Brian—but Ray only glances up from the TV when he... (full context)

...and with a passive-aggressive air. When she mentions that "that woman" called earlier, Patty and Kathryn shriek and tell Denise to hang up on her next time. They don't even acknowledge... (full context)

...pot and then heads for the living room and Fox News. As Denise, Patty, and Kathryn clean up the mess, Billy asks if Ray truly watches Fox all day. They just... (full context)

...Denise wants to take a loan out on the house to pay off Ray and Kathryn's medical bills, but if Denise files for bankruptcy instead, she'd be able to keep the... (full context)

Kathryn appears and fetches beers for Patty and Billy, and the three of them sit outside... (full context)

...his reception on the Victory Tour. Mr. Whaley struggles to keep his eyes off of Kathryn, who follows the conversation intently. Mr. Whaley offers to put Billy in touch with his... (full context)

...the crowd saluting and knows that Shroom is dead. Billy finally lunges awake to find Kathryn leaning over him and breathing in his face. She's wearing a bikini, and the sight... (full context)

Kathryn hands Billy another beer and asks about the tour. Billy deflects, and Kathryn admits she's... (full context)

Billy asks Kathryn about Denise's possible home equity loan. Kathryn tells Billy to not worry about it but... (full context)

The rest of the afternoon passes as Kathryn asks about life at the front. Finally, she asks how Billy and the other Bravos... (full context)

Kathryn asks what would happen if Billy didn't go back, and Billy insists that he can't... (full context)

At dinner later, Ray again cranks up the volume on the TV, and Denise, Kathryn, and Patty argue about the home equity loan. When Denise breaks down crying, Billy assures... (full context)

...everyone notices a black car pulling into the driveway. Denise begins sobbing at the sink, Kathryn runs to the door, and somehow, Billy ends up holding Brian. As Billy says goodbye... (full context)

...drizzle, and the men pull out their phones and tobacco. Billy has a text from Kathryn and one from Pastor Rick. Billy remembers meeting Pastor Rick. After a rally, Billy sought... (full context)

As Billy puts Faison's number in his phone, he explains that Kathryn is his sister. He points out Patty and his mom, who's in his phone as... (full context)

Kathryn takes the phone and tells Billy about playing with Brian in the snow all morning.... (full context)

Kathryn points out that this group has a PR firm capable of making the government look... (full context)

Billy's phone rings. It's Kathryn, and he doesn't pick up. She texts him a few minutes later, telling him in... (full context)

...rest of Bravo. They all agree the deal is horrible. Billy receives a text from Kathryn telling him that she sent a car for him, but Dime interrupts Billy's thoughts asking... (full context)

...A man in the row ahead drops a bottle, and Billy gets a text from Kathryn saying that "they" are waiting for Billy. He wonders what Shroom would do but is... (full context)