Plots & Characters
Who is the narrator of Bud, Not Buddy?
Bud Caldwell (First-person narration).
Who says this quote on page 226?
"Well, you’ve had four years to try to heal that scar, but it still hurts some of the time, doesn’t it? …Remember, your grandfather and I just found out that she passed. The hurt is brand-new for us."
Miss Thomas.
What type of irony is used when the mouth organ man refers to "Hoovervilles" (page 66)?
Verbal irony
Who was Herbert Hoover?
The U.S. President blamed for the Great Depression.
What does it mean if information is confidential?
It is private and should not be shared.
Why are Bud’s blue flyers important?
They advertise Herman E. Calloway’s band, whom Bud believes is his father.
Who says this quote on page 139?
"That’s why I said those flyers are so dangerous. The people who run the factories and the railroads seem to be really scared. To them, if a worker has any dignity or pride, he can’t be doing a good job."
Lefty Lewis
What literary device is used in this quote from page 234?
"I couldn’t think about her any more if there were a hundred hours in every day and a thousand days in every week."
Hyperbole
What is a Hooverville?
A shantytown built by unemployed and homeless people during the Depression.
What does it mean if someone is protective?
They care about others and guard them from harm.
What does Bud initially think about the room he is given at Grand Calloway Station?
He thinks it was a "dead little girl’s" room.
What is "the idea" Bud refers to on page 94?
The belief that Herman E. Calloway is his father.
What is ironic about Bud’s perception of danger?
He fears imaginary things like vampires but ignores real threats.
Why might an unemployed person need to go to a soup kitchen?
They have no job and need free food.
Which sentence correctly uses the word prodigy?
"The child was a prodigy because he solved advanced math problems at age six."
Or
“She was a prodigy at baking cookies, even though they always came out burnt.”
"The child was a prodigy because he solved advanced math problems at age six."
Why does Lefty Lewis pick up Bud on the road?
He knows it’s dangerous for Bud to be alone at night.
What is the literary device used in this line from page 94?
"It dug its roots in deep and started spreading out."
Metaphor
What literary device is used when Bud repeatedly says, “Here we go again”?
Repetition
Why did the people who ran factories and railroads fear workers with dignity and pride?
They thought those workers might demand better conditions.
What does it mean to feel sympathy for someone?
To understand and share their feelings.
Why are Bud’s rocks significant?
They were collected by his mother from places where Herman E. Calloway performed.
What does Bud mean by the phrase, "It dug its roots in deep and started spreading out," on page 94?
His belief that Herman E. Calloway was his father grew stronger.
What does Bud’s suitcase symbolize throughout the novel?
His connection to his past and his sense of security.
Why did so many people travel by train during the Great Depression?
They were looking for work and better opportunities.
What does it mean if someone is resourceful?
They use materials around them to solve a problem.