Bud, Not Buddy

Bud establishes early on that he associates possessions with maturity and responsibility. While other children in the Home must use cloth or paper bags to keep their few things in, he says, “I have my own suitcase” (6). The items in the suitcase provide Bud with memories of the home he once had, the wise words of his mother, and information, he believes, regarding his father. Bud cares for his suitcase well, making sure his possessions are well-tended in his absence; he does this at the library, while washing dishes in Hooverville, when he must run for the train, and when he meets Mr. Lewis. His sense of responsibility for his possessions shows the maturity and wisdom gained early from four years without his mother. Later, he accepts the ownership of a new “suitcase” (Steady Eddie’s old saxophone case), a recorder, and a used saxophone. His acceptance of these gifts and his promises to devote time to learning both music and a musician’s lifestyle show Bud’s eagerness for stability and personal growth.

The motifs of names and naming is related to the theme of “Honesty Is a Complex Virtue.” Throughout the story, characters strive to show a higher truth or an abundance of truth through naming.