Like most traditional narratives, The Watsons Go to Birmingham features a first chapter that serves as an introduction to the main characters?
Like most traditional narratives, The Watsons Go to Birmingham features a first chapter that serves as an introduction to the main characters. This novel is primarily about a family, the Watsons, so even though this story is told from Kenny's perspective, the other members of his family are just as important to the narrative as he is. Their banter at the television in the first chapter and their reaction to Byron's sticky situation serve as a good introduction to the family dynamic. Byron is immediately set up as Kenny's "foil, " a character who has exact opposite traits that accentuate certain characteristics of the protagonist. Kenny is a star student, while Byron has apparently flunked two grades. Kenny is careful, caring, and cautious, while Byron makes impulsive decisions and cares more about being cool than about being a good brother. Byron rules the school, while Kenny either flies under the radar or is made fun of for his wits and his lazy eye. By being such a juvenile troublemaker, Byron brings out Kenny's virtues. The parents' relationship is set up clearly, too. Though readers do not know all the details of their marriage, it is clear that Wilona must love Daniel a lot, since she made the decision to leave her life in Birmingham behind and move up to the cold North to be with him. The love that both have for their children is shown in these chapters, especially through their concern when Byron gets his lips stuck on the car mirror. The Watsons' close family bonds will undoubtedly prove to be an essential element of this story as it moves along. At this point, the Watsons seem very much like a normal family ; however, it is important to consider the time period in which they live. The Watsons are a black family living at the peak of the Civil Rights Era in the 1960s, a time of great conflict over the segregation policies enacted against African Americans. In the North, the Watsons are mostly untouched by this hatred ; however, Daniel briefly reminds Wilona that in the South, in Birmingham, discrimination is still alive and real.