Character Relationship Map: Kes

Characters

• Billy (played by David Bradley) — protagonist

  A fifteen-year-old boy from a poor South Yorkshire mining community. Abused at home and bullied at school, he has little hope for the future, but training a kestrel gives him confidence and expands hi...

• Jud (played by Freddie Fletcher) — protagonist

  Billy's older half-brother, who works at the coal mine and is physically and verbally abusive toward Billy. He expects Billy to join him at the mine and later kills Billy's kestrel in revenge after lo...

• Mrs. Casper (played by Lynne Perrie) — supporting

  Billy's mother. While speaking with friends about her children's prospects, she describes Billy as a hopeless case. She is present after the kestrel's death when Billy brings home the bird's broken bo...

• Billy's Friend (played by George Speed) — minor
• Fish and Chip Shop Man (played by Bill Dean) — minor
• Billy's Friend (played by Stephen Crossland) — cameo
• Billy's Friend (played by Frank Norton) — cameo
• Billy's Friend (played by Martin Harley) — cameo

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Billy → Mrs. Casper (Family Mother And Son) — Billy is Mrs. Casper's son in a strained household.

  Mrs. Casper is identified as Billy's mother, and she discusses her children's chances in life.

• Billy → Jud (Family Half-Brother) — Jud is Billy's older half-brother within the Casper family.

  The plot explicitly describes Jud as Billy's older half-brother.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Billy → Fish and Chip Shop Man (Social Customer) — Billy interacts with local food sellers while trying to care for the bird.

  Billy spends Jud's betting money on fish and chips and later seeks meat for the bird; the butcher gives him scrap meat free of charge.

• Billy's Friend → Billy (friend)
• Billy's Friend → Billy (friend)
• Billy's Friend → Billy (friend)
• Billy's Friend → Billy (friend)

Story Analysis

A neglected boy finds purpose through training a kestrel, but family violence destroys the fragile freedom it represents.

Plot Progression

1. A Life Without Prospects — Billy lives in poverty and faces abuse at home and school. Jud assumes that Billy will eventually work at the coal mine, while Billy rejects that future.
2. The Bird In The Sky — Billy takes a kestrel and steals a falconry book so he can learn to train it. The bird gives him a new focus and expands his sense of possibility.
3. A Brief Taste Of Success — Billy receives praise for speaking about the kestrel. He then uses Jud's betting money for food after being advised that the horses are unlikely to win.
4. The Winning Bet — The horses unexpectedly win, leaving Jud furious about the lost payout. His anger turns the betting mistake into a direct threat against Billy's kestrel.
5. The Kestrel's Grave — Jud releases and kills the kestrel after it flies toward him. Billy retrieves the body, confronts Jud and Mrs. Casper, and buries the bird on the hillside.