different set of values. You're more emotional. We're sophisticated—cool to the point of not feeling anything."  Although the Greasers have the advantage in that we see the story through Ponyboy's eyes, the Socs obviously have the economic advantage.  In my opinion, there is a strange sadness surrounding this theme because we are never told that the conflict between the classes can ever be solved, . . . it can simply be understood.  Therefore, perhaps this is what Ponyboy is attempting to delve into by quoting Frost's "Nothing Gold Can Stay," because the title of the poem in itself exudes truth even in the midst of that understanding.

There are numerous lessons for readers of The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963.

One lesson is that all families have their own struggles. The Watson parents have tried to instill good values in their children. They have honest conversations with them, spend time together, and create a loving environment at home. Still, Byron creates constant struggles for their family despite their efforts to curb his problematic behaviors. While Kenny often presents Byron's antics with a dose of humor that reflects his admiration of his older brother, the stress which Byron creates for their family is so intense that they are willing to send him hundreds of miles away to live with his grandmother, in a desperate attempt to find some peace. Byron's need to create conflict doesn't mean that the Watsons are a bad family. This scenario presents the authentic struggle of many families who create healthy and supportive environments and must still face the discord that one family member can create.

Readers can also learn that both good and evil exist everywhere. Momma and Dad travel to Birmingham because they believe that it is a safer environment for Byron than Flint, Michigan; this speaks to their sense of desperation considering that the novel is set in Birmingham during the early 1960s. Although this city presented ongoing hostility toward African Americans during this historical context, Momma and Dad see the potential good it can offer their wayward son. They envision that the natural setting, full of opportunities for hunting and fishing, will prove to be a calming influence for their son's temperament. Instead, the family nearly loses Joey in the church bombing in Birmingham, proving that the city presented its own unique dangers for their son and family. Evil, therefore, transcends geographical locations and can be found everywhere.

Readers can also learn about the enduring bonds of families. When Kenny mentally retreats following the bombing, it is Byron who helps him emotionally recover. Byron is particularly tender yet firm, insisting that Kenny recognize his own strengths and that he continue to move forward. No one else in the family is able to accomplish this, proving that every family member is a valuable influence on each other. The bonds of family, though challenging at times, are powerful.

The overriding theme of The Watsons Go To Birmingham—1963 is the power of family.

Despite encountering many difficulties throughout the book, the eponymous Watson family remains bound tightly together through the deep love they share. It's no exaggeration to say that the Watsons are closer at the end of the book than they are at the beginning, and that's really saying something.

That doesn't mean, of course, that the Watsons don't have the kind of disagreements that are an everyday part of family life. In typical big brother fashion, Byron often picks on Kenny. And yet, Byron defends Kenny from bullying at school. This illustrates the point that, when push comes to shove, the Watsons will always stick together.

By the same token, Kenny defends Byron from their mother after he is caught playing with matches. Kenny is all too aware of Byron's unfortunate tendency to get into trouble and do foolish things. But when all is said and done, he's still his brother, and so Kenny feels an instinctive need to stick up for Byron.

As we follow the hilarious and moving escapades of the Watson family from the point of view of the tender and young Kenny, a number of themes seem to emerge as Kenny grows up through what he witnesses and experiences. One of the really interesting features of this novel is the way that historical fact and fiction are intertwined in the bombing in Birmingham. This obviously has a profound impact on Kenny, as we see in Chapter Fifteen. However, one of the themes that we can see emerging from this excellent novel comes when Kenny is forced to open up by his brother, Byron. When Kenny asks why the bombing happened, and expressed that it wasn't fair, Byron responds:

"Kenny, things ain't ever going to be fair. How's it fair that two grown men could hate Negroes so much that they'd kill some kids just to stop them from going to school? How's it fair that even though the cops down there might know who did it nothing will probably ever happen to those men? It ain't. But you just gotta understand that that's the way it is and keep on steppin'."

This seems to sum up one of the essential themes that the author is trying to communicate. In a backdrop of violent racist incidents, life definitely isn't fair. But somehow, you have to accept this fact and keep on going forward, regardless, because if you stop your life and live it filled with fear, then those who are opposed against you have won.

Great question! I think when we consider this novel one theme that we cannot ignore is how children process and understand concepts beyond their comprehension. It is particularly interesting that, thanks to Byron, Kenny imagines the Wool Pooh as a physical representation of death, that he has to fight firstly when he nearly drowns in the water by Collier's Landing and secondly when he tries to pull a girl out of the church after it has been bombed. Chapter 15 of the novel shows us a young, sensitive male trying to come to terms with all that he has experienced and trying to make sense of all that he has witnessed. It is only after he is able to talk with Byron that he comes to understand and process some of what has happened to him.

Another key theme of this work is family relationships. Throughout the novel, Byron and Kenny have a kind of love-hate relationship that oscillates between Byron bullying Kenny and Byron protecting and being kind to him. The author paints a realistic family with a series of relationships that are trying to cope with various conflicts, chiefly the struggle of the parents to bring up Byron to be a well-adjusted young man with strong values.

Christopher Paul Curtis's book The Watsons Go to Birmingham takes place in 1963, at the beginning of the African American civil rights movement in the United States. The Watson children learn about racial prejudice and confusing acts of racial violence, like the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church.

Unfortunately, this storyline is quite relevant to current social issues, since the Black community is still fighting for racial equity today in 2021. The African American civil rights movement did bring critical attention to systemic racism in US society and succeeded in outlawing racial segregation, but systemic racism and racialized violence are still very real problems. Consider current social issues like police brutality toward Black people and disparities in incarceration rates, healthcare, and housing between white and Black communities. All of these injustices show how the US still has far to go on the path toward true racial equity. Byron alludes to many of these issues after the bombing when he says to Kenny,

Kenny, things ain't ever going to be fair. How's it fair that two grown men could hate Negroes so much that they'd kill some kids just to stop them from going to school? How's it fair that even though the cops down there might know who did it nothing will probably ever happen to those men? It ain't. But you just gotta understand that that's the way it is and keep on steppin'.

Here, Byron mentions issues of race-based violence and racial inequality in the criminal justice system. Note how he mentions that the people who did it probably won't get punished. Sadly, this is still a real problem today. For example, consider how many white cops who are violent toward Black people do not get punished. Also, recall how the Black Lives Matter movement is still fighting to prove that Black lives are worth the same as white people's lives. The fact that this is still necessary today proves that the social issues Curtis explores in this book are still relevant today.