The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1995

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-3

Chapters 4-6

Chapters 7-9

Chapters 10-12

Chapter 13-Epilogue

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Vocabulary

Essay Topics

Quiz

Chapters 4-6Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 4 Summary: “Froze-Up Southern Folks”

Because Momma grew up in the South, she feels the need to dress Kenny and Joetta in many layers of clothes for their trip to school in Flint’s cold winter weather. Kenny has the job of helping Joey out of her layers once they arrive at school. She complains about having to wear so many articles of clothing, and she is always wet from sweat and “kind of drowsy-looking” by the time they arrive (48). Momma won’t relent, and one morning Kenny tells Byron he wishes Momma wouldn’t overdress them. First Byron reminds Kenny that he, Byron, used to be the one to help Kenny undress once at school. Then he promises to help. Kenny is wary.

On the way to the bus stop, Byron makes Kenny and Joetta practice a shocked reaction, telling them that he will explain why they have to wear all the layers, but that they have to act surprised when they eventually hear it from Momma. He tells them that every cold morning, garbage trucks go around and pick up all “them folks from down South who got that thin, down-home blood who freeze so quick” (54). Since Kenny and Joey have half-Southern blood, Byron says, Momma worries they might freeze. Byron also says he saw hundreds of frozen-to-death “Southern folks” in a garbage truck once: “It’s a sight that I’ma carry to my grave with me” (54). Kenny has his doubts about the story, but Joey cries at the image and no longer complains about the warm clothing.

The Watson siblings each get two pairs of warm, real leather, rabbit fur-lined gloves each winter, unlike other kids at school who get plastic mittens, socks for their hands, or no gloves or mittens at all. Kenny explains that if he, Joey, or Byron lose the first pair, Momma makes them wear the second pair “kindergarten-style,” pinned to a string run through their coat sleeves. After Rufus loses his pair, Kenny gives Rufus one glove for a while, then tells Momma he lost his first pair. That way Rufus can have his whole first pair, and Kenny can wear his whole second pair.

Unfortunately, a week later, Larry Dunn steals Kenny’s second pair. Kenny and Rufus know the gloves are Kenny’s when Larry gives Kenny and Rufus what Larry calls “Maytag washes,” rough washes of snow in the face in several “cycles.” Rufus and Kenny find blackened snow on their jackets after the washes and realize that Larry covered Kenny’s brown gloves in black shoe polish. Kenny sits on the curb and cries quietly, not knowing what to do. Byron and Buphead come along; when Kenny tells Byron that Larry Dunn stole his gloves, Byron approaches Larry, roughly demands the gloves back, and coerces Kenny to hit Larry. Kenny does, but weakly. Byron hits Kenny for not hitting Larry hard enough. Byron isn’t done with Larry; Larry has to perform in Byron’s movie The Great Carp Escape, in which the carp (Larry) tries to escape the net (the chain link fence Byron throws Larry against repeatedly). Kenny feels bad for telling Byron about the gloves: “I couldn’t stand to see how the movie was going to end, so me and Rufus left” (63).

Chapter 5 Summary: “Nazi Parachutes Attack America and Get Shot Down Over the Flint River by Captain Byron Watson and His Flamethrower of Death”

Momma warns Byron more than once about lighting matches for fun: “Just once more, Byron Watson, one more time and you’re burned” (64). Momma says when she was little, her family experienced a house fire and her clothes smelled of smoke for two years. She swears before God that she will punish Byron by burning him if he does not stop. Within a week, however, Kenny catches Byron pretend-making a movie in the bathroom, in which toilet-paper parachutists are burned alive (Byron lights them on fire with a match) and buried at sea (Byron flushes the toilet when they land in the water). The movie is called “Nazi Parachutes Attack America and Get Shot Down over the Flint River by Captain Byron Watson and His Flamethrower of Death” (65). Kenny spies through the keyhole and hears Byron saying dialogue as well as direction: “Not bad, but let’s have a little more screaming on the way down and how about having the Flamethrower of Death turned up a little bit?” (66).

After hearing several flushes, Momma comes upstairs and smells the lit matches. In a fury, she breaks open the locked door, grabs Byron and the matches, and hauls him down the steps. Her eyes are slits, and her voice reminds Kenny of a hissing snake. Kenny and Joey are scared; they’ve never seen Momma this angry. Momma gets fresh matches, Vaseline, and a Band-Aid, clearly intending to burn Byron: “She was going to set him on fire, then patch him up right at home!” (69). Joey begs her to not hurt Byron, and Momma reminds Joey that she (Momma) swore to God she would burn Byron if he messed with matches again. Joey admits Momma has to do it. At the last second, though, just as Momma is about to burn Byron’s finger with a lit match, Joey rushes in and blows out the flame. They repeat this scene four times until Momma tires of it. Byron’s punishment waits until Dad gets home.

Chapter 6 Summary: “Swedish Cremes and Welfare Cheese”

Momma sends Kenny and Byron to Mitchell’s grocery store to pick up milk, tomato paste, and bread for dinner. Instead of giving them cash, she tells them to sign for it on a credit slip at the checkout. Byron assumes this means they are now on welfare: “I can’t believe it. You really gonna start serving welfare food in this house? You really gonna make me embarrass myself by signing a welfare list for some groceries like a blanged peon?” (76). Momma tells him it is not welfare food, but the boys do not believe her. Byron makes Kenny approach the checkout with the groceries on his own: “Um, this has gotta go on the welfare list” (77). Mr. Mitchell explains it is indeed not welfare food and that Kenny’s parents will pay all at once instead of several times over the week. Kenny signs for the groceries and explains to Byron what Mr. Mitchell said, which puts Byron in a much better mood.

The next week, in the alley behind the grocery store, Byron hides in the green apple tree and throws cookies at Kenny when Kenny walks by. The cookies are Swedish Cremes, a favorite of Kenny’s, and he eats two before he realizes that Byron signed for them without paying. Then Kenny sees Byron already ate one entire bag. Byron also eats a green apple from the tree along with more cookies. Kenny wants to enjoy their time together but can only suggest cussing as a topic of conversation, which Byron quickly obliges. Because he has free cookies to spare, Byron throws several at a bird on a wire overhead. One of his throws knocks the bird to the ground and kills it. Byron becomes very upset and vomits. He insists it is the green apples making him sick and yells at Kenny to go away, hitting his arm and pelting him with rotten apples. Kenny reflects on how mean Byron is. Later, however, Kenny returns to the scene and sees a grave and a cross of two tied-together popsicle sticks. Kenny is confused by Byron’s actions: “Leave it to Daddy Cool to torture human kids at school all day long and never have his conscience bother him but to feel sorry for a stupid little grayish brown bird” (85).

Chapters 4-6 Analysis

In Chapters 4-6, Kenny reveals subtly that while he would like to trust Byron and enjoy his stories and company, too many incidents involving his brother leave Kenny feeling hurt or upset. Kenny is wary about falling for a trick or untruthful story, indicating it has happened before. He still, however, mentions to Byron the trouble Joey makes for him by complaining about Momma’s layered clothing approach in winter. Byron offers to help, and Kenny’s first thought is, “That didn’t sound too good” (51). When Byron gets going, though, Kenny willingly practices his shocked reaction as Byron directs him to do, then cannot help but be fascinated by Byron’s story of the frozen “Southern folks.” Although Byron was not kind initially when Kenny mentioned the problem, as he moved in circles around Kenny to get Kenny to spin so as to maintain his sideways look, Kenny admits that at least Byron caused Joey to stop complaining about the winter layers. Later, Kenny appreciates getting his gloves back, but he is not at ease with the cruel way Byron treats Larry to accomplish that feat. Kenny must leave when Byron continues to hurt Larry Dunn with his carp movie scenario.

Kenny sees all sides to Byron, as they live together, attend the same school, and complete the same errands. Consequently, the picture that Kenny puts together of his brother includes times when Byron is weak and scared as well as tough and streetwise. For example, Byron is clearly scared of and not as strong as Momma. He only escapes Momma’s punishment of burned fingers because Joey (who ironically is much weaker and younger than Byron) saves him repeatedly by blowing out the match. Kenny also sees evidence of Byron’s conscience; Byron is guilt-ridden over killing the bird, physically ill when he realizes it is dead, and mournful enough to fashion a makeshift burial and grave marker for it.

Ultimately Kenny realizes that though he wants to be able to hang out with his brother, it is awkward and difficult to do so: “I wasn’t used to being this friendly with Byron so I guess I was kind of nervous and didn’t really know what we should talk about” (82). Even when a good moment occurs, it does not last: “This was a perfect day! But like always, By ruined it” (82). While Kenny is an excellent observer of Byron’s actions, witness to his emotions, and sometimes participant in his antics, Kenny does not have the maturity or experience to understand the chaotic inconsistencies of teenage behaviors.