How does Byron's personality evolve throughout "The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963"?

The Watson's Go to Birmingham is a novel written by Christopher Paul Curtis and is somewhat based on true events.

Byron Watson is a main character in this novel and is quickly introduced as a delinquent child. Byron often gets in trouble and is egged on by his brother, Kenny. Byron gets in fights and picks on his brother. The rest of the Watson family is fairly straight-laced so it is interested that Byron has such a bad side.

When the family goes on a trip to Birmingham to visit their grandmother and to check out the possibility that Byron could move there for the summer to keep him out of trouble, readers start to notice a change in Byron.

Byron becomes more complicated. He feeds a bird, then in an outrage, kills the same bird. He feels horrible about his actions and then hosts a funeral for this bird. Readers will start to understand that Byron is very complex and there is more to his bad side than what meets the eye.

By the end of the novel, Byron realizes that the people in his life who support him are important to him and he cares about them. He does not want to lose those who are close to him. Readers learn this through his actions. Byron saves Kenny from drowning and also protects Kenny and encourages him to talk about the bombing that takes place.

This story is a true coming of age story for Byron.

How does Byron's personality evolve throughout "The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963"?

Byron changes over the course of the story by becoming less antagonistic towards his family. In the beginning, he  goes out of his way to torture Kenny. He is always taunting him, or using physical force against him. He finds the gang life and causing trouble to be appealing. Their time in Birmingham brings racial issues and tragedy that cause Byron to be a good brother to Kenny. After the church bombing, Kenny is devastated. It is Byron who is able to make him feel better by telling him that Joey is alive because she went after Kenny and that it was incredibly brave of Kenny to go into the church. He also tries to explain to him how something like this happens. By would not have been this caring at the beginning of the story.

How does Byron's character change when the Watsons arrive in Alabama?

After the Watsons arrive in Alabama, Byron seemingly becomes a nicer boy overnight. Accordingly, the family makes the trip to Alabama in order to visit Grandma Sands and also to drop Byron off for a little stay with her. The hope is that Grandma Sands will straighten Byron out.

In Chapter 11, Kenny thinks that Grandma Sands will be no match for his troublemaker big brother. After all, she looks way too fragile to counteract the sort of misbehavior Byron is famous for. However, Kenny finds himself surprised when Grandma Sands puts Byron in his place when he answers her disrespectfully. Although Grandma Sands is small and withered, she's quite the disciplinarian; Kenny gets the idea that she's not the sort of old lady who will tolerate bad behavior. In fact, Grandma Sands may just be one of the main reasons Byron changes so suddenly.

"You good at following directions, Byron?” “Huh?” By’s face twisted up."What?” Grandma Sands’s voice popped like one of those big brown grocery bags being snapped open. By looked surprised and said, “I meant, ‘Huh, ma’am.’ “You good at following directions? Jobe’s is a good little walk.” I said,“He can follow directions real good, Grandma Sands, he’s not as dumb as he looks.” I shut up real quick and wished I hadn’t said anything when Grandma Sands looked at me and said,“ ’Lona, maybe there’s two who should be spending the summer down here with their granny.”

I started to think that making Byron spend all of his summer in this heat was more punishment than even a juvenile delinquent like him deserved. But he seemed like he was having a great time.

Kenny also thinks that the Alabama heat is too much for Byron and has temporarily incapacitated Byron's ability to behave badly. However, he also thinks that Byron seems to be enjoying himself; presumably, being away from Buphead's bad influence has also made a difference in Byron's attitudes.

Byron's change is further evident when he refuses to go to Collier's Landing with Kenny and Joey. Meanwhile, Kenny can't believe that the rebellious brother he used to know would listen to any adult, but here he is warning Kenny not to go to Collier's Landing just because Grandma Sands says so. Later, by all indications, Byron even saves Kenny from being drowned. Living in a wholesome environment has certainly helped Byron to act more like the big brother he should be.

When Kenny becomes shell-shocked after the bombing of Joey's church, it is Byron who comforts Kenny and offers him supportive words of wisdom to guide him out of his emotional paralysis. Byron's emerging maturity appears to be fueled by his experience staying with Grandma Sands in Alabama.