The Watsons Go to Birmingham is a linearly told story that may be segmented into three main sections: the Watson family's life in Flint, the family's travels on the road to Birmingham, and their experience in Birmingham.
Life in FlintAs discussed in the Setting section, the largest portion of the book is dedicated to depicting the Watson family's life in Flint. The most important outcome of this exposition is that readers develop empathetic relationships with the main characters, as is explained in the Characters section.
Two key takeaways that surface through the storytelling in Flint include the following:
On the Road...As the Watsons travel on the road to Birmingham, they are increasingly immersed into witnessing the effects of racism, which are largely absent from the storytelling in Flint. The family's physical journey from north to south reflects a shift from one cultural setting to another, and the time on the road transitions readers into following a wholly new direction for the story's plot.
In and After BirminghamIn physical terms, the heat of Birmingham immediately contrasts with the coldness of Flint. The family has arrived in a place that is undeniably different from the home that they are accustomed to and this new setting becomes host to two serious plot events: Kenny's near drowning at Collier's Landing and the church bombing that anchors the story to the historical Birmingham bombing.
The Watson family survives both events, but their lives become indelibly marked by their time before and after Birmingham. While they return to Flint together, they are not the same. Kenny keeps "disappearing" (Curtis, 1995, p. 129) and his parents worry about him. Also changed, Byron - initially described as a juvenile delinquent - takes to looking after Kenny with care and is responsible for helping him heal. In the end, Kenny acknowledges that Byron "knew what he was talking about when he said I was going to be all right" (p. 137). The book closes and Kenny is all right. |
Images
- Map image by Unsplash: https://pixabay.com/en/map-usa-map-usa-united-states-1149538/
- Road image by Suzanne Sannwald