Towards the end of the story, Kes is killed by Jud, Billy’s older brother. Billy is extremely upset and tries to go and find sympathy off his mother, but instead she just starts shouting, and when Billy starts to cry, he tries to seek comfort from his mothers shoulder but she just holds him off, embarrassed. She is extremely unsympathetic and seems to be ashamed of Billy. Her attention is never fully on Billy, when ever she is talking to Billy, she is busy doing something else ‘His mother was standing with a lipstick poised at her mouth, watching the doorway through the mirror. When she saw Billy she started to apply the lipstick.’
Mr.Sudgen, treats Billy in a very similar manner to Mrs. Casper, he is also very unsympathetic, physically, verbally harsh, Impatient, unhelpful and has no time for him.
Mr. Sugden is also not very concerned about Billy’s health. He didn’t care for Billy when he could have got pneumonia ‘I don’t care what he gets, I’ll show him!’
Mr. Sugden makes Billy feel very small and as though he is not wanted and shouldn’t be there ‘Casper, you make me SICK.’ as though he looks down on him and that he is a disgrace.
He doesn’t encourage Billy at all during his lesson’s telling him that he is rubbish. “Shut up, lad!” as if nobody wants to hear or know that Billy is there.
Mr. Sudgen makes out as though he enjoys treating Billy badly and beating him up. He makes jokes out of it to make the other children laugh which makes Billy feel lonely. He likes to get rid of his anger without thinking about how hurt Billy is.
Mr. Sudgen is rather immature, as he wants to win against his class of 14 year old boys and also making sure he plays as man united.
Mr. Farthing is the complete opposite to the other two. He is very sympathetic towards Billy. When Billy tells his English teacher that he and the other latecomers has been in trouble with Mr.Gyrce, the head teacher, Mr. Farthing says “yes, know, how many this time?” Billy then tells him they have had two strokes of the cane and Farthing asks “Sting?” I get the impression he understands how much the cane hurts and therefore feels a bit sorry for Billy.
Mr. Farthing only ever threats to be physically harsh towards Billy and never actually does, unlike the other two “You’ll both be asleep in a minute, I’ll Knock you to sleep!”
Mr. Farthing also makes time for Billy, to go and watch him fly his kestrel, which Billy really appreciated as it was the only time he got some attention from something else apart from Kes.
Mr. Farthing encourages Billy in class which makes him more confident. He shows his appreciation to Billy;
‘Well done Billy. That was very good.’
He treats him like any other pupil, though being stern when telling Billy off for falling asleep in lesson time, he is still treating Billy the same as any toher teacher would to any pupil that feel asleep.
Though out this book, Billy only ever received any attention from his English teacher rather than his mother, which shows how little Mrs. Casper attempted to talk and care about her son, or that Mr. Farthing made a big effort, but over all Billy still wasn’t a very cared about child, and he felt lonely and unwanted until he got his kestrel which was the only thing he loved in his love.
