Bud, Not Buddy Themes

The main themes in Bud, Not Buddy are independence versus community, systemic racism, family and belonging, and economic hardship.

  • Independence versus community: At the start of the novel, Bud is independent and distrustful of adults, but he learns to trust others and accept the value of community.
  • Systemic racism: Bud's journey is set during a time of widespread racism and prejudice against Black Americans. 
  • Family and belonging: As an orphan, Bud searches for a sense of belonging and finds himself accepted by ever more welcoming and familial groups.
  • Economic hardship: During his journey, Bud encounters the immense poverty brought on by the Great Depression.

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Themes: Independence Versus Community

For much of Bud, Not Buddy, Bud is instinctively distrustful of the adults around him. As a child who has been mistreated by so many of them, Bud’s hesitance is framed in the narrative as self-defense rather than prejudice. Indeed, his first notable interaction with new adults—the Amos family—ends in his being blamed for a fight and locked in a dark backyard shed, where he is attacked by wasps.

In the absence of an overarching authority in...

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Themes: Systemic Racism

While Bud is, for the most part, spared overt person-to-person racism throughout his journey, Christopher Paul Curtis does not shy away from portraying the limitations and dangers imposed by systemic racism on the Black community during the Great Depression.

There are two instances where this disparity is made especially clear. When Lefty Lewis first meets Bud in chapter 10, Lefty is most concerned with Bud’s safety in the especially racist town...

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Themes: Family and Belonging

As Bud searches for his purported father, he experiences different—and ever kinder—versions of family that help him develop his sense of belonging. Under the strict rules of the orphanage, he develops a defensive sense of self, taking on the persona of the savvy, wise kid who can outwit anybody if he sticks to his own set of rules for survival. Once out of the orphanage, he enouncters a number of families: the Amos family, where he feels like an...

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Themes: Economic Hardship

Bud’s journey is set against the backdrop of the Great Depression. There are signifiers of the economic hardships encountered during that time throughout the book, but this context is especially highlighted when Bud decides to try hopping a train and finds himself in the company of other such wanderers, all of whom are heading west for a chance at a better life.

When he comes upon a ramshackle settlement—a “cardboard jungle,” as his friend...

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Expert Q&A

What specific aspects of individual vs society theme can be discussed in Bud, Not Buddy?

The theme of individual vs. society in Bud, Not Buddy is illustrated through Bud's journey as an orphan searching for identity and belonging. This theme is evident when Bud navigates societal structures during the Great Depression, encountering both resistance and compassion. Instances like the refusal of a white family to accept aid from a black community highlight societal divides, while the kindness Bud receives in Hoovervilles underscores the enduring human spirit amidst societal challenges.

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Themes: Independence Versus Community

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