How are Byron and Grandma Sands similar in The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963?
On the surface, the teenage Byron Watson and the elderly Grandma Sands may seem completely different. Byron is deeply attached to his urban lifestyle and is dismayed at the thought of spending a summer in Alabama, which he thinks of as backward. Grandma is uninterested in big city ways and is devoted to her small home and yard. In this regard, however, they are similar in that both are closely attached to their immediate environment.
Another similarity is their outer toughness or “meanness,” according to Kenny. Byron has learned to survive amongst an unruly crowd of teenagers by acting as tough as, or tougher than, the other boys. Unfortunately, he lacks a sense of moderation and has gotten into trouble with some of his escapades. Beneath this exterior, however, Byron is a caring, even sentimental person. Although he teases and sometimes bullies his brother, he cares deeply for him and...
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even saves his life.
Kenny is apprehensive about meeting his grandmother for the first time because Byron described her as “the meanest, ugliest person in the world.” At the same time, he looks forward to their reunion because he believes in their basic similarity: “These were the two meanest, most evil people I’d ever known.” Grandma does act bossy, but her commands are loving. She orders all the children to give her proper hugs, even Byron when he holds back. Although tiny, she has an authoritative presence, packing a lot of meaning into a few worlds. Kenny remarks on their similarity.
Wow! I could see where Byron learned to say a couple of words and have people think he’d said a whole bunch more!
What does Byron remember about Grandma Sands in The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963?
Byron remembers Grandma Sands as being "the meanest, ugliest person in the world", but Kenny knows that he is probably lying; Byron had only been four years old the last time he saw her. Like all the Watson children, Byron's imagination has played a huge role in the development of the image he has of his maternal grandmother. Although Byron swears that "he'd had nightmares for a couple of weeks after (the family) had left Alabama ten years ago", his recollection of Grandma Sands is in reality based as much upon hype as it is upon memory.
Grandma Sands's toughness is legendary in the Watson family, so by the time they roll up to her home in Alabama, Kenny is expecting to see "a troll...(someone) bigger than Dad...foaming at the mouth like she had rabies". Kenny as well as Byron and Joey are shocked when "a teeny-weeny, old, old, old woman that looked just like Momma would if someone shrank her down about five sizes and sucked all the juice out of her" appears to greet them. Kenny is convinced that his delinquent older brother would "destroy this poor old woman" in no time at all, yet it is soon evident that despite her small stature, Grandma Sands is a formidable woman who tolerates no nonsense. She immediately sets Byron straight, and Kenny is astonished to see his brother behaving like a model citizen before her, having capitulated "before the first punch (has been) thrown" (Chapter 11).