Bud, Not Buddy

by

Christopher Paul Curtis

The Flyers Symbol Icon

The flyers that Bud carries around in his suitcase symbolize his pursuit of both freedom and belonging—freedom from the foster care system, but belonging in the sense of finding a family and a true home. The flyers, which once belonged to Bud’s late mother, contain information on Herman E. Calloway (whom Bud suspects to be his father) and the many iterations of his band over the years. For Bud, these flyers are an ongoing source of fascination and a tether to his hope that somewhere out there, he has family he belongs to. This hope persists despite Bud almost losing the flyers during a daring attempt to get on a train heading West with his friend Bugs. To get the flyers, Bud has to forego getting on the train, a moment that shows just how much he prioritizes his hope of belonging to a community and family that will care for him over his desire to leave Flint. That Bud is able to retrieve the flyers helps propel him to take the leap of faith and journey to Grand Rapids to find the man he is convinced is his father. Ultimately, it is the hope symbolized by the flyers that help him find a home and a new family worthy of filling some of the hole his mother left in him when she passed away.

The Flyers Quotes in Bud, Not Buddy

The Bud, Not Buddy quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Flyers. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Economic Insecurity and Community Theme Icon
).
Chapter 12 Quotes

I knew if I was a regular kid I’d be crying buckets of tears now, I didn’t want these men to think I was a baby, so I was real glad that my eyes don’t cry no more. My nose plugged up and a little growl came out of my mouth but I kept my finger pointed, cleared my throat and said, “I know it’s you.”

Related Characters: Bud Caldwell (speaker), Herman E. Calloway
Related Symbols: The Flyers
Page Number: 148
Explanation and Analysis:
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Bud, Not Buddy PDF

The Flyers Symbol Timeline in Bud, Not Buddy

The timeline below shows where the symbol The Flyers appears in Bud, Not Buddy. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 19
Resourcefulness Theme Icon
Family and Home  Theme Icon
...takes the rock that says Flint and puts it on his table. He takes the flyers, knocks on Herman’s door even though he knows he’s not in, and then leaves the... (full context)