Everybody goes through change at some point in their life. In Christopher Paul Curtis’s book, The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963, both the characters Byron and Kenny go through change. However, Kenny goes through a more dramatic change, inside and out. He is growing a mustache, he learns that magic isn’t even real, and he learns, sadly, the world isn’t fair. That’s a lot to take in for a 10 year old boy. The first change that Kenny goes through is physical. Being 10, he is starting to grow taller, and have other changes, like a mustache! On page 105 of the novel, Kenny states, “‘I’m starting to get a real mustache. Look.’ I stuck my upper lip out for Dad to see.” For Kenny, this is a giant change. He is proud of it, and he should be. Being his age, changes start to happen, and Kenny getting a mustache makes him so happy. It symbolizes that he is growing up, and he is getting closer to an adult. His dad even talks to him like he is talking to an adult, which definitely boosts his confidence. For his dad to acknowledge him as an adult is very important. It helps Kenny for when he …show more content…
Life isn’t fair. People are not fair. This really changes him, emotionally and mentally. In the end of the novel, Kenny and By are discussing things in the bathroom. On page 202, Kenny says to By, “‘But Byron, it’s just not fair.’” By responds with, “‘Kenny, things ain’t ever going to be fair.’” This is hard for Kenny to grasp. Being only 10, it is hard to grasp a topics that some adults don’t even understand. Kenny didn’t understand why whites hated blacks so much that they would kill them. He couldn’t grasp that after the bombing, nobody went in to save their own kids. He didn’t understand what made whites dislike blacks just for their color in the 1960’s. He thought everyone and everything was unfair. Kenny learning that at such a young age affected him, but will help him grow and change in the