Kenny is often picked on by the other kids on the bus, especially if his brother Byron isn't on the bus. One day, the driver picks up two new kids. Kenny immediately senses that a miracle is occurring, because the bus slows down and waits for the new students (something the bus driver never does). Kenny has attended Sunday school and has learned that when you feel really sad, God sends a savior to help you. He believes the new kids will save him from getting teased and beaten up because they are from the country. They wear clothes with holes and beat-up shoes. Kenny senses that these kids will not fit in, because they are not like the city kids and they are very polite; he knows that they will take negative attention away from him and put it on themselves.
There are two components to Kenny's idea of...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
his personal saver (Chapter 2). One is his childish interpretation of religious teachings. The other is his understanding of his social position.
Kenny's family is Christian and he attends Sunday School. There he learned about Jesus Christ and his individual relationship to all believers. This means understanding that Jesus is the personal savior of each individual. As Kenny is not familiar with the word "savior," he understands it as "saver."
In changing schools, Kenny had quickly learned the importance of hierarchy and fitting in. He knows that the children in his school and on his bus immediately assess the differences in new kids and ridicule the perceived outliers. He has suffered as they have mocked him for his "lazy eye" and love of books.
When he sees the new boys, he notices they have shabby clothes and speak differently. Realizing the other kids will now torment them, he sees salvation: God has sent Kenny his personal saver.
Why does Kenny see the new kids as his personal saviors?
Kenny, who is a bit of a nerd, is the target of kids' abuse on the bus until two new kids show up to take the bus. From attending Sunday school, Kenny is aware of the idea of a savior—someone who can take away your problems and save you from pain. He regards the new kids as his personal saviors.
When the two new kids show up on the bus, it is clear that they are outsiders. They speak with what Kenny describes as a "down-South accent," and one of the boys wears a ripped-up jacket, jeans, and dirty, worn tennis shoes. Because the new boy is so skinny, badly dressed, and overly polite, Kenny is sure that the kids will start to pick on him. His little brother is similarly dressed and also wears a big, corny smile. One of the bullies on the bus, Larry Dunn, says, "look at the nappy-headed, downhome, country corn flake the cat done drugged up from Mississippi, y’all!" All the kids on the bus begin to laugh at the new kids, and Kenny knows that he has been saved from being the target of their bullying. The new kids are even greater outsiders than he is. Therefore, he regards the new kids as his saviors.