Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Bud, Not Buddy, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Economic Insecurity and Community
Children vs. Adults
Resourcefulness
Family and Home
Race and Racism
Summary
Analysis
The car stops after “thirty giant steps,” and the “vampire” catches up to Bud. He asks Bud to roll down his window, and Bud does in a way that only “their words could get in and out but [the vampire’s] hand or claws couldn’t.”
That Bud is unable to get very far does not change the fact that he thinks really well on his feet and knows how to flee danger, when necessary. Besides, though Bud is unable to drive, he still takes steps to ward off the adult “vampire.”
Themes
The “vampire” asks him to explain, and Bud tells him that he’s read the box. Moreover, Bud tells him he knows how to kill vampires and that his knife is “solid twenty-four-karat silver.”
Bud threatens the vampire to give an air of maturity and power that the man may not easily see from his tiny, disheveled frame.
Themes
Bud asks the man to show him his teeth, and the man does. Finally, he explains that he has to get the blood to a hospital in Flint for an operation. So, Bud finally unlocks the driver’s door—though he also opens his side of the car in case “[the man] had any tricks up his sleeve.”
The man’s explanation assuages Bud’s fears. Though he may not trust the man completely, Bud still remains hopeful that the man may be his best shot to Grand Rapids especially since his explanation of the blood in the car makes sense. Nevertheless, Bud remains vigilant and again has a plan to escape should he need to.
Themes
On the way to Flint, the man asks Bud questions about his family, so Bud tells him that his mother is dead and that his father is “Herman E. Calloway.” The man is surprised at first but, tells Bud that everyone knows his father. The man even notes the resemblance between them. Bud agrees with him and tells the man that people “say [he’s] the spitting image of [his] old man.”
Bud tells the man about himself as they drive, perhaps because he is tired of being on his toes in front of adults all the time. It is also possible that Bud continues to talk about Herman E. Calloway being his father because the more he says it, the truer it feels. Thus, it is a huge boost in confidence when the man speaks of Bud’s resemblance to his “father.”
Themes
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Bud asks the man for the rest of the food. The man gives it to him and introduces himself as Mr. Lewis, or Lefty. He tells Bud to call him Mr. Lewis since Bud is still so young. Lefty teases Bud by asking him if anyone has ever referred to him as a “little peanut-head.” He’s disappointed though when he thinks Bud does not understand that he’s teasing him.
Bud and Lefty continue to learn about each other, and Lefty’s teasing suggests that he’s genuinely fond of the boy. This is Bud’s first significant relationship with an adult in the book that is not strained or abusive but rather characterized by lightness and fun.
Themes
Soon, Lefty Lewis asks Bud to share the soda but notices that Bud has backwashed quite a bit, so he hands it back to him, noting that it’s “nothing personal.”
Again, Lefty has a penchant for teasing, which suggests that he has taken an immediate liking to Bud, despite Bud’s wariness towards him.
Themes
The man asks Bud if he’s tired, and Bud realizes that he can pretend to fall asleep to avoid answering more questions. So, the man tells him to get some sleep and gives him his jacket to use as a blanket.
Bud decides to pretend to be asleep so that he does not continue to give up all the information he has up his sleeve.
Themes
Bud believes he’s safe because he’s “never heard of a vampire that could drive a car and [he’d] never seen one that had such a good sense of humor.” So, Bud falls asleep to the scent of the jacket’s “spice and soap,” and the sound of the frogs.
Bud feels good in Lefty’s company—enough to actually fall asleep and trust that he will wake up in the right place. This is a huge departure from his usual distrust of adults.
Themes
Bud wakes up with the sensation like he’s “at the bottom of a well that someone had filled with tons of thick chocolate pudding. He hears a woman calling his name but remembers that “rule 29” states that when one wakes up with people around them, they should pretend to be asleep until they can figure out what’s going on. So, Bud pretends to be asleep and listens to someone tell the woman that he was walking from Grand Rapids to Flint. With that he remembers he was with Lefty Lewis.
When Bud wakes up, instead of panicking since he doesn’t know where he is, he uses the opportunity to listen in on Lefty’s conversation with a woman to find out more information about his whereabouts before giving himself away. Bud is especially wary of who the adults in the room may be and what they might want from him, so he decides to bide his time until he can figure everything out.
Themes
With his eyes still shut, Bud listens to the conversation and hears the woman refer to Lefty Lewis as “Poppa.” The woman pulls back the blanket they put over Bud, and Bud is embarrassed to realize that he is in a bed and his “knickers” are off—they must have partially undressed him before tucking him into bed. He thinks he will have to pretend to be asleep even longer until he figures “a way out of being so embarrassed.”
As Bud becomes more aware of the adults’ dynamic, he also becomes more conscious of how vulnerable he is in their presence as he realizes that some of his clothes are off. This is hard for Bud to grapple with since he always tries to portray himself as a strong person in the presence of adults.
Themes
Bud continues listening, trying to learn something about his dad, Herman E. Calloway. Eventually he pieces together that his father “was married to someone before he married [his] mom.” Bud also learns from Lefty Lewis that Herman E. Calloway has “got a reputation for being no-nonsense.” Lefty also mentions the possibility of Bud having a “half-sister,” that’s probably “full-grown by now.”
Bud is even more intent on listening to the conversation when it turns to his “father.” Bud is able to learn about Herman and a possible half-sister, which is probably an exciting moment for him as it means he may have more than one living family member.
Themes
The woman finally wakes Bud up with the promise of food, and Bud gets up and greets her and Lefty. Lefty teases the woman—who is, in fact, his daughter—about her food and teases Bud for his peanut-shaped head again, earning a smack from his daughter.
Lefty seems to enjoy teasing everyone, including his daughter and Bud, almost like Bud really belongs in their household—despite being only a visitor.
Themes
The woman introduces herself as Mrs. Sleet. She tells Bud to go wash up while she gets him clothes that no longer fit her son. She also tells him she has a special breakfast of pancakes, sausages, toast, and orange juice that he can have as he meets Kim and Scott Sleet.
Bud finds out that Mrs. Sleet is not like the other adults in his life, but someone who genuinely wants him to feel as home with her family, however briefly they’ll be in each other’s company.
Themes
When Bud comes out of the bathroom, he sees Mrs. Sleet has put new clothes on the bed for him. Because they are slightly too big, Bud rolls them up and is happy to have his “first pair of trousers.”
Mrs. Sleet’s kindness remains consistent, and she gifts Bud with his first pair of trousers. The gesture is not lost on Bud, who has had a hard life of struggle that has meant that gifts like trousers are incredibly rare.
Themes
Bud uses his nose to find the food; he notices that the Sleets have a whole room dedicated to eating. One of the two children at the table gives Bud a look that sizes him up. Shortly after, Lefty Lewis introduces his grandchildren, Kim and Scott Sleet, as his “favorite”—and only—grandkids.
Bud is impressed by the luxuries the Sleets have in their home and their dining room. It shows how conscious Bud is of class and what money can afford someone. He also meets Mrs. Sleet’s children and Lefty’s grandchildren and suddenly he is no longer the only child who has to hold his own in front of the adults.
Themes
Bud introduces himself to Kim and Scott as “Bud, not Buddy.” When Lefty Lewis leaves the table, the boy asks Bud if he ran away from home. Because Bud takes too long to answer, the boy asks if he ran because his father beat him, prompting Bud to respond truthfully that his “daddy never laid a hand on [him] in his life.” The boy presses Bud for more information, so Bud responds that he ran away simply because he “didn’t like where [he] was.”
Bud introduces himself to the kids as Bud instead of Buddy because it is the name his mother gave him, which again reminds him of her love for him. The children, meanwhile, find Bud’s presence in their home curious and Scott presses Bud for information about his family. Unlike the measured and careful way he speaks with adults, Bud finds himself opening up truthfully to the kids, much like he did with Deza in Hooverville.
Themes
Afterwards, Kim tells Bud that the sausages will be coming out soon and they’re going to share the food with Bud because Mrs. Sleet said that Bud is their “special guest.” Kim asks him if she’s treating him nicely and he responds that she is, so she makes a deal with him. She’ll sing him a song for the chance to ask him a question that he has to answer truthfully.
Mrs. Sleet’s concern for Bud is evident when she makes sure he is having a good time in her family’s company. Again, like her father, she is not like other adults that Bud has grown accustomed to dealing with. She encourages Bud not to feel like he is a burden on them. Meanwhile Kim takes over for her brother and decides to get to the bottom of Bud’s story.
Themes
Kim sings, and Bud thinks it’s horrible. After she finishes, she asks Bud how his mother died and Bud wonders who told her that in the first place. He responds that Momma “got sick [and] died real fast”—so fast that she didn’t even have time to close her eyes. Kim responds by wishing that “her mother never dies.” Soon after, Bud tells her that “everybody’s got to die [and that] it’s not sad unless they do it real slow and suffer.” Kim and Scott are surprised by this.
Bud has to—again—talk about his mother’s death. It seems like he wishes Kim didn’t know about it so he wouldn’t have to explain how it happened yet again. However, he is a good guest, so he talks about how his mother died and reflects in a sober and mature way that everyone will die, but not everyone will suffer—which is a blessing in its own way. His words are shockingly wise for a child and for that reason take the other kids by surprise.
Themes
Mrs. Sleet returns with what Bud assumes are sausages. Then after Kim and Scott say grace, people start passing the plates. Bud watches to see how much food everyone takes so he can mimic them. He also watches how much the children put on their fork as they eat.
During the meal, Bud is both part of the family and an outsider. He feels like he doesn’t quite fit in and has to watch the others closely to not draw attention to himself so that they forget he doesn’t belong.
Themes
Bud notices that it’s harder to eat with the Sleets because they talk a lot and they want him to talk too. This is hard for Bud because the Home taught him to eat quietly after grace. He notices that the Sleets laugh a lot too.
Bud has a hard time acting like he belongs because the Sleets seem to have a familiar rhythm with each other while they eat. Bud has never had a chance to learn this happy way of “eating” because of his time at the Home.
Themes
As they all talk, Mrs. Sleet mentions “redcaps,” so Kim asks her mother to explain what a “redcap” is to Bud. She explains that redcaps “load” trains and carry people’s luggage to their cars; she reveals that her father is one while her husband is a Pullman Porter, meaning he attends to the clients on the train.
The breakfast is also an opportunity for learning, something Bud loves to do. He learns from Mrs. Sleet and Kim about redcaps and Pullman porters, which expands Bud’s knowledge of trains in general.
Themes
Towards the end of the breakfast, Lefty Lewis teases Mrs. Sleet about her cooking again, prompting her to smack him on the head once more.
Again, teasing is a huge part of the Lewis-Sleet household. They give Bud something to laugh about and feel a part of.
Themes
