By Christopher Paul Curtis. He's genuinely sorry to have killed a helpless creature, and to show it, he gives the bird a little funeral. In The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis, Byron Watson is the big brother to narrator Kenny.

The novel is a first-person account narrated by Kenneth Watson, who lives in Flint, Michiganwith his parents, Daniel and Wilona Watson, his older brother Byron, and younger sister Joetta. No kidding. By the end of the story, he barely resembles his former delinquent self, and Shmoop is pretty glad about that. We don't know for sure, but one thing we do know is that hate and cruelty become important themes in the book as the Watsons' story becomes wrapped up in the events of the Civil Rights Movement. He checks on Kenny in his hiding place behind the couch. In this chapter, Kenny gives us the lay of the land for Clark … Later in the story, Kenny almost drowns while swimming in the lake at Grandma's, but Byron saves his life. He takes Kenny to play basketball and makes all his tough-guy friends be nice to him. See, at this point in time, there's a lot of hate flying around out there, and nobody has very good reasons for it. He is a teenager 2.) By Christopher Paul Curtis. When Kenny finally quits coughing and throwing up, Byron hugs him and kisses his head and cries. Okay, crying after Kenny almost dies is one thing, but extended periods of kindness? The opening chapters establish Kenny as a very bright and shy 4th grader who has difficulty making true friends until Rufus Fry arrives in town from Arkansas. The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 essays are academic essays for citation.

And some people certainly did seem to take pleasure in hurting those who were fighting for equal rights. We're confused. The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 is a YA historical fiction novel by American writer Christopher Paul Curtis, published in 1995. The Watsons Go to Birmingham is primarily a story about a family and its powerful sense of unity and compassion. Marxist Criticism of The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963 Look at the time he beats up Larry Dunn in front of the whole school (Chapter 4). The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 essays are academic essays for citation. Like really nice.

Sound like Byron to you? By Christopher Paul Curtis. Take the bird incident for example. In The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis, Byron Watson is the big brother to narrator Kenny. Now who could want a better big brother than that? Kenny is thrilled, clearly. Kenny is confused.

This really is a whole new Byron, and here's what Shmoop thinks: that bomb was Byron's third wakeup call. But think about it: both of these super sensitive moments are about death.

Essays for The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963. Byron's family is kind and loving and fun, so where'd he learn to be so mean? But as funny as these moments are, there are others that just make us cringe. But just like Kenny, Byron has some surprises in store for us. Give My Regards to Clark, Poindexter. Lastly, he is not much of the reader type. Kenny is by turns fearful of and enthralled by his older brother Byron, or By, who sometimes bullies Kenny and sometimes treats him kindly, but always has adventures that draw Kenny’s admiration. This kid is definitely trouble, and there are some moments where we really kind of hate him. He also falls for tricks. Rufus is also bullied by the students at Clark Elementary for his "country" clothes and accent, making Kenny reluctant to befriend him at first, but they are soon insepara… Previous Next . Yup, he's got a sensitive site, and it surfaces at some pretty surprising moments. Kenny Watson is the multi-faceted, 10-year-old protagonist of The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963. Byron do not like being touched. Kenny Watson in The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis. Once Kenny coughs all the water out of his lungs and it's clear he'll be okay, Byron just loses it. Wait, what?

Byron throws stolen cookies at a mourning dove perched on a telephone wire.

The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 Chapter 13. It's hard to understand why some people got so angry over whites and blacks riding the same buses or going to the same schools. Kenny tells us right off the bat that Byron is a juvenile delinquent, and that seems like a pretty accurate assessment for most of the novel. Shmoop admits we're a little baffled by this. Byron 1.) These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis. But if that's true, then why is he so mean to everyone else? JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. In Birmingham, the Watson kids go swimming in the lake, but Grandma Sands reminds them to stay away from Collier's Landing where there's a … Although the Watsons were not real, the bombing was. © 2020 Shmoop University Inc | All Rights Reserved | Privacy | Legal. Kenny loves watching Byron get into trouble, and let's face it, so do we. Heck, we're betting even Byron is confused. Maybe he's supposed to show us that people aren't all bad or all good. He barely cares about other human beings, but here he is crying over a bird? If Byron hadn't pulled Kenny out of the water, Kenny probably would have died. Maybe his tough act is all about protecting himself from being vulnerable and getting hurt. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from Shmoop and verify that you are over the age of 13. Kenny says “I looked into the church and saw smoke and dust flying around like a tornado was in there… Byron might play it cool most of the time, but Shmoop is starting to get the feeling that he is really afraid of losing the people who matter to him. The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 essays are academic essays for citation. The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 essays are academic essays for citation. 3.) Sure, Larry stole Kenny's gloves, but by the time Byron is finished, Larry is thoroughly humiliated and hurt pretty badly. Having Joey die would certainly have sent a potent message about the inevitability of death, but such a death would have broken up the family unit that this text centers around. ... Byron Watson. Byron definitely changes more than anyone in Watsons. The story centres on the Watsons, an African-American family living in Flint, Michigan in 1963 and is narrated by ten-year-old Kenny Watson. Whatever is going on with Byron is obviously too complicated to just write him off as a bully. And we're not saying the bird mattered exactly, but it was a moment where Byron had to realize that death can come in an instant, often as a complete shock. Kenny 1.) Kenny seems like a pretty typical fourth grader. Having Joey die would certainly have sent a potent message about the inevitability of death, but such a death would have broken up the family unit that this text centers around. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser.