The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 Guilt and Blame Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #4

The Wool Pooh. Oh, man. I gave the shoe one more hard tug and it popped loose from a frilly white sock. I got real scared. I walked as slowly and as quietly as I could out of the church. Maybe if I moved quietly he wouldn't come for me. Maybe if I walked and didn't look back he'd leave me alone. (14.47)

This moment right here is the source of Kenny's guilt at the end of the book. What makes this the particular moment he struggles with? What is the significance of the frilly sock?

Quote #5

I was waiting to see if the magic powers were going to treat me like a dog or a cat, or if when Byron or Joey woke up one morning they'd find a crumpled-up yellow towel where I was supposed to be. (15.21)

Poor Kenny—he thinks he might not deserve to be in the family anymore. He's waiting for someone else to tell him that it's going to be okay or that he really doesn't belong.

Quote #6

I'd never noticed what a little crybaby and snitch [Joey] was. Every time you turned around she was threatening to go tell on you or was whining about something or being just a plain old pest. After a while to get even with her I wouldn't even look at her. I started hating her guts. (15.24)

If Kenny feels so guilty about not saving Joey, why does he start to hate her? On what planet does that make sense?