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Chatper 15

Summary: 15. The World-Famous Watson Pet Hospital

The Watsons, including Byron, have been back in Flint for a week. They left the same night as the bombing. Kenny has been avoiding the family, hiding in the small space behind the couch. He has overheard his parents talk about how they are most worried about him, because he went into the church. Everyone has agreed not to tell Joey what happened. 

The small space behind the couch is the World-Famous Watson Pet Hospital. Since the family cannot afford a veterinarian, their pets hide back there when they get sick or injured. Some get better, others are gone in the morning. Kenny hides back there and even sleeps there at night. Byron finds him there and starts sleeping on the couch at night. Byron tries to get Kenny to play games or watch cartoons. Kenny does not want to interact with anyone and has given all his plastic dinosaurs to Rufus. Everyone is worried about him.

Byron takes Kenny into the bathroom, and Kenny breaks down crying. Kenny says that he feels ashamed that he did not fight the Wool Pooh in the church, the way Byron fought it in the lake. Byron tells him there was no one else in the lake and that Kenny was the only one in the family brave enough to look for Joey in the church. He also tells Kenny that he has nothing to be ashamed of, because the bombing was scary and sad. He tells Kenny that life is unfair, especially for Blacks, because the men that bombed the church probably will not get caught. 

Kenny cries for a long time but feels better after. He realizes that there is magic in the world, especially with all the interactions he has with his family. He also decides that he needs to get half of his plastic dinosaurs back from Rufus.

Analysis: Chapter 15

Chapter 15 completes Kenny’s coming-of-age narrative, as the racial violence he has experienced forces him to grow up more quickly than is fair for someone his age. Kenny gives away his treasured toy dinosaurs, an action that symbolizes the loss of his innocence and his movement away from childhood. The way Kenny processes his trauma shows the contrasting sides of his maturation. Hiding behind the sofa where he feels safe and hoping that the same magic that has healed sick and injured family pets over the years might heal him is distinctly childlike. However, this act of healing also shows an attempt to self-soothe that is emotionally mature. As a child, Kenny still needs help processing what he has experienced, and significantly that help comes from his older, more mature brother. The scene in the bathroom where Byron connects with Kenny by showing him his newly sprouted facial hair is a symbol of growing up, and one that recalls the scene in Chapter 8 where Kenny felt he was too old for Dad to teach him how to shave. Byron’s guidance allows Kenny to express and validate his feelings that the world is often unfair, particularly for Black Americans. The scene also reinforces an important life lesson that only comes with experience: that it is important to live life fully. 

The novel closes by focusing again on the theme of family as the Watsons pull together to process the trauma of the events in Birmingham. Although Kenny is at first resentful of their attentions, he recognizes their concern comes from a place of love. Most significant is the concerned attention of Byron as the dynamic between the older and younger brothers is often infused with a fair amount of teasing. However, it is in Byron’s company that Kenny is most able to let his guard down. Besides demonstrating their growth, Byron and Kenny’s conversation in the bathroom provides plot resolution and is exactly what Kenny needs to finally express his grief, guilt, confusion, fear, and shame about what happened in Birmingham. Although Kenny can’t quite believe Byron when he tells him that the Wool Pooh isn’t real because he has seen it with his own eyes, the conversation has made Kenny aware of the powerful, even magical, strength of the family bond. By the end of his conversation with Byron, Kenny is able to appreciate the magical healing powers of family and love, which is the key underlying message of the novel.

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