Discussion Topic

Descriptions of Mrs. Amos and Mr. Amos in "Bud, Not Buddy."

Summary:

Mrs. Amos and Mr. Amos in "Bud, Not Buddy" are depicted as cruel and unkind foster parents. Mrs. Amos is particularly harsh, showing no empathy or compassion towards Bud, while Mr. Amos is complicit in her behavior, supporting her decisions and actions against Bud.

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How would you describe Mrs. Amos in "Bud, Not Buddy"?

Mrs. Amos appears only briefly in the book, and she is a one-dimensional character, a caricature of sanctimonious evil and stupidity. She is mercenary, taking in orphans because she gets paid for doing it, and she is blinded by her emotions, doting on her lying, manipulative son Todd so much that Bud "can't blame Todd for lying...having someone who likes you so much that they think everything you say is the truth has got to be a liar's paradise". Mrs. Amos is abusive, toting around a "thick black razor strap" that she uses as a threat to make Bud conform to her wishes, and locking him in a shed for the night to make sure he can do no damage to her possessions.

Mrs. Amos likes to pretend that she is a righteous woman, and she is something of a bigot, telling Bud that she does not "have time to put up with the foolishness of those members of (their) race who do not want to be uplifted". She continuously points out Bud's beastliness and ingratitude, accusing him of all sorts of odious tendencies without warrant, while proclaiming herself to be "a woman of (her) word" (Chapter 2).

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How would you describe Mr. Amos in Bud, not Buddy?

This is an interesting question to consider, because when Todd Amos pretends that Bud hit him completely unprovoked, it is clear that Mrs Amos is the character who seems to be in charge and to decide what will happen to Bud. Mr Amos stays silent, not even saying a word, as he listens to his wife decide what will happen to Bud. In a sense, he seems to come across as the weaker character, as it is he who merely does what his wife tells him to do, taking Bud to the shed to lock him in for the night. The only reference to his character is when he stands next to his wife and then when he nudges Bud to go into the shed. Bud reports that when he apologised to Mr Amos, his only response was to "roll his eyes like that was enough for him." It is suggested that Mr Amos is perhaps not as cruel as his wife, as his actions show when he takes Bud to the shed:

Mr Amos handed me the blanket and pillow and gave me another nudge.

If he were to be a truly vindictive character, as Mrs Amos is presented as being, he may well have not given Bud anything to help him get to sleep and to keep him warm. This, along with the other evidence in Chapter Two, suggests strongly that Mr Amos is a character who is dominated by his wife and is something of a passive figure, merely doing what he is told rather than thinking and acting for himself.

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