Buffo is an infamous Flop (a Jewish guard inside the ghetto) who hates children, especially Misha. He enjoys suffocating children by pushing their faces into his enormous stomach. He’s also known for chewing mint leaves, the smell of which lingers on his victims. Misha and Janina can’t resist baiting Buffo, calling him Fatman. After the war, Misha sees Buffo—now a shrunken shadow of his former self—wandering the streets of Warsaw.
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Buffo Character Timeline in Milkweed
The timeline below shows where the character Buffo appears in Milkweed. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 23
The Flop holding the club is a fat man named Buffo, who’s infamous in the ghetto. He loves tormenting Jewish children by suffocating them in his...
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Chapter 30
Pretty soon, Misha and Janina are stealing food again. One day, they find Buffo punishing some boys who’ve stolen piles of onions. He and other Flops beat the boys...
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The next day, Misha sees Janina mocking Buffo—a perfect imitation. Misha pushes Janina into an alley, unable to stand the thought of Buffo...
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Chapter 37
...never sure if they’ve run away, gotten caught and hung for smuggling, or killed by Buffo. One day, Doctor Korczak and his orphans are marched down the street. The orphans are...
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Chapter 41
...berries, wild scallions, and ditch water. He sleeps in the weeds and often hallucinates, seeing Buffo, Uri, Himmler, Doctor Korczak’s orphans, and Mr. Milgrom. He’s used to Janina being there, copying...
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Chapter 43
...clothes, calling him “Fatman.” He pulls his old armband out of his pocket and tells Buffo to kill him, but Buffo silently shuffles away.
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