Bud Not Buddy Sparknotes

Bud, Not Buddy,by Christopher Paul Curtis, is a novel that tells the story of an orphan who is trying to escape his temporary homes and find the only family he knows of, set in 1936 during the Great Depression. The main character, Bud Caldwell is a ten year old who is sent to an orphanage at the age of six due to the death of his mother. The primary conflict of the story is Bud is on a mission and travels in hopes of finding his father, and he is determined to. The character is trying to find a permanent place to call home where he can be surrounded by family. By the end of the story, Bud learns that home doesn’t have to be a place with family; home is a place where one is surrounded by people that love them.
The author of this novel uses

the special technique symbolism, which significantly affects the story. The symbolism used is embedded in doors, and it’s first mentioned when Bud is reminiscing on what his mother told him about doors. “…no matter how bad things look to you, no matter how dark the night, when one door closes, don’t worry because another door opens” (p. 42-43). At the time, Bud was much too young to understand the meaning behind her words. It would take many years of growing knowledge and experience for him to finally understand. However, all Bud’s deep thinking about his mother’s talk of doors leads him to finally understand. “…she meant doors like the Amoses’ opening and the door in the shed opening leading me to sleeping under a tree getting ready to open the next door” (p.43). It was at this point that Bud realized the doors symbolized chances and opportunities, and whichever door you step through, or cause to open, determine the outcome of everything. Realizing this impacted the way Bud saw things, and whenever he saw a nice looking door, he wouldn’t hesitate to try and run right through it.
Bud Caldwell has many different sides to him, as all people do, but something that shines through often is how he is the kind of person that lies.

He does have good intentions though, because it’s required to protect himself and to survive even if he doesn’t always like it. “it seemed like he knew some of the things I know, the things I think of all the time and try to remember so I don’t make the same mistake more than seven or eight times. Shucks, I’ve got so many of them rememorized that I had to give them numbers” (p.11). Bud has what he calls “Bud Caldwell’s Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself” which is a list of things he lives by. Some of them include lying because Bud finds it a loathsome key to his lifestyle. Throughout his time, he has made these rules using past experiences so when he faces his future, it will be much easier. A liar is not the only way to explain what kind of person Bud is, because he has many other character traits. For example, he is the kind of person that gets attached to things. “I carry it with me everywhere I go ‘cause all my things are in there” (p.191). Bud has a suitcase that he takes with him everywhere, in which he carries his things. It is a few of his mother’s things that he is most attached to, and is the reason he always has it is always with him. The contents of his suitcase are the only things he has that are connected to his mother and her world. In conclusion, Bud Caldwell as a

person can be described in multiple ways, but his habit of lying and his attachment to certain things definately play a strong role in his character.
Herman E.

Calloway, also known as Mr. C, is an all-business, ruthless, but famous, old man who plays in a jazz band with a constantly changing name. This is the man who Bud believes is his father, but Herman rejected and antagonized Bud from the moment he arrived in Grand Rapids. “But isn’t it just my luck to come clean across the state to find my daddy and he turns out to be a mean old coot?” (p. 156). For almost all of the story, Herman is a cold, cranky man that isn’t good at showing his feelings or talking about them. He avoids Bud at all costs and is the only one in Grand Rapids that doesn’t welcome him with open arms. However, he isn’t all bad, and changes a lot towards the end of the novel because of a paralyzing realization. “Herman is not your father. But Angela Janet is his daughter’s name. If what you’re saying is true, Lord help us all, it looks like Herman might be your grandfather” (p.213). After the mention of Herman’s daughter that ran away long ago, it was clear that he was Bud’s grandfather and his only child was dead. It’s at this time that several things change inside of Mr. C and he shows emotion, along with a growing potential for care and kindness towards others. Although Herman E. Calloway seemed like a hopeless case who would be mean and moody forever, he proves that wrong in the

end.
The theme of this novel is not only the search for family, but also the need for family. As mentioned before, Bud has gone through more foster homes than anybody needs to and he can’t find one place that fits his only need; to be with people will give him unbridled love. “Boys, good news! Now that the school year has ended, you both have been accepted in new temporary-care homes starting this afternoon!” (p. 2). Whether it’s a foster home, or a spot under a tree, Bud has stayed many places and has learned to support himself in the way a parent or guardian would if he had one. He is coming of age, learning important life lessons, and would do okay on his own. However, his need for a literal and figurative home drive him to Grand Rapids, where he believes his father is. “We were hoping that you’d stay here at Grand Calloway Station for a while” (p. 189). After four years of the orphanage and foster homes, Bud finally found a place to call home. Even though his only relative was his grandfather, who at first he thought was his father, it was a place where Bud was surrounded by extraordinary people that love him. Throughout this story, Bud learned that family isn’t always about being blood related relatives, but it is always about people who love and care for him.
To this day, there are an immense amount of children who live in orphanages, foster homes, and also some that have no where to call home. Therefore, many people can personally relate to Bud’s story in some ways. Something one can conclude or learn from reading this novel is how much happier a child will be if they are given a home where they are loved. No child deserves to grow up in a place where they aren’t surrounded by others who love them.