Buddy In 'Sweet Potato Pie' By Eugenia Collier

Living in poverty is not easy. Sometimes you can’t get the education you want, but it’s the key to breaking it. Harlem’s harsh living is difficult for Buddy along with its outside influences that can get in your way. In the story “Sweet Potato Pie” by Eugenia Collier, Buddy begins his life in poverty and then graduates college and becomes a professor. Buddy and his family are hardworking and want to break the chain of poverty. He is a very dynamic character. Buddy teaches us a few life lessons such as, sacrifice for family, love which can be shown greater than words can, and perseverance.

Buddy demonstrates acts of sacrifice for his family. Buddy is down to earth and he has always been that way. He has always been happy with his life and made the best of what he had. He never blamed anyone for anything. He is always willing to do anything for his family. Throughout the book Buddy shows sympathy and compassion towards his family. He is representing the family by getting an education. He shows the courage to break the chain of poverty and create not only himself, but his whole family into a “somebody”. “Charley told that several months back he had picked up a kid from Buddy’s school, and Charley asked that kid whether he know Buddy or not. He told Charley that Buddy was the best

teacher he had. But Charley did not tell that he is Buddy’s brother. He didn’t want Buddy’s students knew his brother isn’t anything but a cab driver. You’re somebody said Charley.” (69). Charley knew he had to sacrifice for Buddy.
Buddy, along with his family, also show love which is shown greater than words.

Charley took the pie and did not mind being a “nobody” for his brother Buddy. It showed how Charley was helping Buddy to look and o the best. In the end Buddy has to make the decision, “I handed over my bag of sweet potato pie. If it was that important to him” (70). Buddy knows that that was better for him not to take a brown bag in. He looked professional just like everyone else. He did it for his brother and not himself. The pie is a symbol of love between Buddy and Charley, and a symbol of his former life. And to Charley a brown paper bag symbolizes the humble life he thought he had left. He was a

somebody.
Buddy consistently shows perseverance throughout the short story. He always wants to do good. From the start he knows what he wants to do. He wants to become “somebody” and get a good education. He knows he can break the poverty chain in his family. Charley and Buddy’s parents encourage him to keep up with his education. Pa says, “You go to school, boy, get yourself some learning. Make something out’n yourself” (66). Buddy realized he loved school with a passion, which became more intense when he began to realize what a struggle it was for his parents, brothers and sisters to keep him there. He stayed on top of his class throughout high school and never for one second did he not put all his effort into school and his education in general.
Buddy is a well rounded character who consistently is learning to be a better human being. He is handed little to nothing, and he makes so much from it. His parents were sharecroppers and he was just the youngest child in a poor black family. He lives a hard life full of struggle. How would you turn poverty into a great education and becoming a professor? When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you will be successful.