“Bud Not Buddy” by Christopher Paul Curtis is a heartwarming and inspiring novel that has captured the hearts of readers all over the world. Set during the Great Depression, the story follows the journey of Bud Caldwell, a ten-year-old orphan who embarks on a quest to find his father. Along the way, Bud encounters various challenges and meets unforgettable characters who leave a lasting impact on his life.
One of the reasons why “Bud Not Buddy” resonates with readers is the memorable lines and quotes that are scattered throughout the book. These quotes not only provide insight into Bud’s character, but also touch on important themes of family, hope, and resilience. They remind us of the power of determination and the strength of the human spirit, even in the face of adversity.
One of the most iconic quotes from the novel is when Bud says, “I’m not really sure why I’m doing what I’m doing, except it feels like it’s the right thing to do. I figure if I’m wrong, I’ll know it at some point.” This line showcases Bud’s unwavering determination to find his father, regardless of the obstacles he may face along the way. It serves as a reminder to trust our instincts and follow our hearts, even when the path may be uncertain.
Another memorable quote from the book is when Bud declares, “‘The thing I like best about jazz is that it gives you permission to be yourself.’” This quote highlights the transformative power of music in Bud’s life. Jazz not only serves as an escape for him, but it also provides a sense of identity and belonging. It serves as a reminder to embrace our passions and find solace in the things that truly make us feel alive.
Overall, “Bud Not Buddy” is a novel that is filled with unforgettable quotes that will stay with readers long after they have turned the last page. These quotes inspire us to persevere in the face of adversity, to cherish the power of friendship and family, and to always stay true to ourselves. They serve as a testament to the enduring power of storytelling and the impact it can have on our lives.
Inspirational Quotes from Bud Caldwell
Throughout Christopher Paul Curtis’ novel ‘Bud, Not Buddy,’ the young protagonist Bud Caldwell shares his thoughts and experiences as he navigates through challenging circumstances. Bud’s resilience, determination, and optimism are evident in his inspiring quotes. Here are some memorable lines from Bud Caldwell:
| “I figured out that if you stand still and are brave enough to say you’re scared, the streetlights will turn on if you stay.” |
| “I didn’t have to worry about how I looked to other people, because I knew they wouldn’t be as blind as I had been. They would see me as soon as I said: ‘Hi, my name is Bud, how are you?’” |
| “I knew that just because someone like me didn’t have parents didn’t mean I couldn’t grow up to be someone important. Even if people did say I was nothing but a nuisance.” |
| “I realized it doesn’t matter if you’re white or black or yellow or freaky green, you’re still a human being. And that means you got feelings, and they’re all important.” |
| “I knew I had to do the best things I could, even though I was only a kid, so I could make the greatest story ever told.” |
These inspirational quotes from Bud Caldwell remind us that no matter our circumstances, we can persevere, believe in ourselves, and make a positive impact on the world.
Heartwarming Quotes about Family and Friendship
1. “Family is not defined by blood. It is defined by love.”
2. “A true friend is someone who sees the pain in your eyes while everyone else believes the smile on your face.”
3. “Friends are the family we choose for ourselves.”
4. “A sister is both your mirror and your opposite.”
5. “You don’t choose your family. They are God’s gift to you, as you are to them.”
6. “In the cookies of life, friends are the chocolate chips.”
7. “Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one.'”
8. “A brother is a friend given by nature.”
9. “Friendship isn’t about who you’ve known the longest. It’s about who walked into your life, said ‘I’m here for you,’ and proved it.”
10. “Family and friends are hidden treasures. Seek them and enjoy their riches.”
| Quote | Author |
| 1. “Family is not defined by blood. It is defined by love.” | |
| 2. “A true friend is someone who sees the pain in your eyes while everyone else believes the smile on your face.” | |
| 3. “Friends are the family we choose for ourselves.” | Edna Buchanan |
| 4. “A sister is both your mirror and your opposite.” | Elizabeth Fishel |
| 5. “You don’t choose your family. They are God’s gift to you, as you are to them.” | Desmond Tutu |
| 6. “In the cookies of life, friends are the chocolate chips.” | |
| 7. “Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one.'” | C.S. Lewis |
| 8. “A brother is a friend given by nature.” | Jean Baptiste Legouve |
| 9. “Friendship isn’t about who you’ve known the longest. It’s about who walked into your life, said ‘I’m here for you,’ and proved it.” | |
| 10. “Family and friends are hidden treasures. Seek them and enjoy their riches.” | Wanda Hope Carter |
Quotes that Capture the Spirit of the Great Depression
The Great Depression was a challenging time in history, marked by economic hardship and widespread poverty. The novel “Bud, Not Buddy” is set during this era and offers poignant quotes that capture the spirit of the times. Here are some memorable lines that reflect the struggles and resilience of individuals during the Great Depression:
- “You got to figure out which end of the fork to use, then you got to decide if you’re going to be selfish or not.” – Bud Caldwell
- “I decided I was going to be rich or die trying right here in this city.” – Bud Caldwell
- “Times is tough for everybody. You got to keep your spirits up and just keep on pushing on.” – Herman E. Calloway
- “Sometimes a man can live more in ten seconds than he can in an entire lifetime.” – Lefty Lewis
- “Being a family don’t mean that you all have to look alike or even live in the same house.” – Deza Malone
These quotes showcase the indomitable spirit of individuals during the Great Depression. Despite facing dire circumstances, they choose to persevere, maintain hope, and seek a better future. The characters in “Bud, Not Buddy” exemplify resilience, determination, and the power of the human spirit even in the toughest of times.
Funny and Lighthearted Quotes from Bud’s Adventures
“I didn’t have any ‘wonder what’s’ or ‘guess who’s’ running through my mind. I knew exactly what I was going to do. I was going to find Herman E. Calloway and my father if it killed me, went to default and came back for seconds.”
“Bud, not Buddy. Like I told you, a guy’s got to have the right kind of name. You can’t be no Buddy if you want to grow up to be strong. Besides, Buddy ain’t the kind of name a bruiser would have. I thought about it for a minute and told him that actually I’d made up my mind that when I grew up, I just wanted to have the biggest family and be the best husband and father in the world, and I would pick my name from there.”
“Yeah, well, in the first place, they don’t call me Buddy no more, only my mom calls me that. When I was five years old I decided I’d grow up to be a bachelor and come with a family that I picked out myself.”
“I couldn’t hardly believe it, my eyes got about as big as silver dollars. She was staying up with us! I ran up to her and gave her a big sloppy kiss on her mouth, just like Eddy does.”
“Then, before I could stop myself, Daddy put his arm around Eddy’s shoulders and pulled him real close. ‘Let me tell you something,’ he said to him. ‘Just because a buddy of yours is coming to stay doesn’t mean you’re going to be forgotten or put to the side.'”
“‘You know what I’d really like? A glass of milk.’ ‘Well you’re not going to get a glass of milk Bud. You’re going to get a bottle of pop.'”
“All right, you know this is serious business when a girl puts her hair up and there’s a whistle ahead of the meeting. You know you are somewhere serious.”
“And just then, I didn’t feel safe and held back and all that, not at all. I didn’t feel bashful any more either, and I wanted to see everybody I could. It was just like my eyes were wide open. I wanted to get back and look around in every place and I wanted to take every little thing back with me and chew on it and make it part of me.”
“Anyway, I explained to both of them, I figured that I just needed to be handy with the foot and not the fists, and so I started to kick at the war of words going on between the two of them.”
“His laugh was so strong that it’d grab you by the neck and make you laugh along even if you didn’t feel like it. Even if you didn’t know what he was laughing about.”
Quotes about Perseverance and Overcoming Obstacles
“They call me Bud Not Buddy ’cause there ain’t nothing in the world that can get me down.” – Bud Caldwell
“I peeled my eyes open real slow, but I didn’t see nothing but darkness. That’s when I started peeling my ears open and I heard stuff moving around in the dark. It sounded like somebody dragging a pole along the sidewalk full of cans and they was popping out one by one.” – Bud Caldwell
“I told her there wasn’t a sign in Heaven or Earth that could stop me from finding my father. There was only one thing that would, and that was if the police caught me first.” – Bud Caldwell
“I was over with the idea of getting adopted. That’s always a mistake. It’s like playing with matches in a fireworks factory. It’s just bound to blow up in your face.” – Bud Caldwell
“Wasn’t much else to do except sit down and cool off. Which is the worst thing to do when you’re supposed to be running away.” – Bud Caldwell
“I just hoped I didn’t run into the policemen that I’d seen going into the diner. ‘Cause I’d already been chased twice and had to fight once, and that is a lot more trouble than any city street is worth.” – Bud Caldwell
“God’s idea of what’s best for me is different from my idea of what’s best for me. If I had simply sat down once I started walking and never got up because it seemed like nothing really good was going to happen to me ever again, then I imagine I still would have found a way to where I was supposed to be, because I wouldn’t have been able to forget where I was trying to get to and so most likely the police would have found me and given me a ride there by now.”” – Bud Caldwell
“You got to keep your mind on fixing things and not worry about whether you’re going to get stuck doing them or not.” – Bud Caldwell
“They can’t make up for all the tough times I’ve been through, but they sure do make them a lot better. I’m thinking of Mary Todd Lincoln, Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver, and all the rest of them that made a way out of no way.” – Bud Caldwell
“It didn’t matter if somebody threw me a roll of cotton and told me to spin my own clothes or sew a pair of shoes together–I was going to get it done.” – Bud Caldwell
“No matter how bad things got or what happened to you, there was somebody else somewhere that had it a lot worse.” – Bud Caldwell
“You have to take the bad parts that come with all the good parts or else you’re not paying enough attention to what’s happening. Sometimes you just have to jump right in and take your chances.” – Bud Caldwell
“Just because you run away it don’t mean you have to be no homeless natural-born fool.”” – Bud Caldwell
“I didn’t know why, but I felt like they was trying to give me a hint about something. Something about making a bag of rocks not weigh so much or bust up your shoes or something like that.” – Bud Caldwell
“Just because the boat has shelves on it don’t mean you can make it go the wrong way. That’s something every fool knows.” – Bud Caldwell
Thought-Provoking Quotes that Explore the Theme of Identity
“I’m on a mission to find my father, and it’s too important to let myself be sidetracked. So no, I’m not Bud Caldwell. I’m Bud, not Buddy.” – Bud Caldwell
“Bud Caldwell, that’s your name, don’t you forget it for a second.” – Herman E. Calloway
“I realized that even if you’ve never met your father, you can still hope to find something of him in yourself that feels just right.” – Bud Caldwell
“Bud Not Buddy. The Not means ‘I am not going to put up with this’ Bud Caldwell.” – Bud Caldwell
“Being called Buddy was one of the most terrible and awful things that could happen to a boy like me, someone whose mother had let him down.” – Bud Caldwell
“I didn’t know what I’d find out there, but I knew for a fact that the only difference between sitting down and doing nothing and walking out the door was the difference between the same old dull and depressing day and a fabulous new life.” – Bud Caldwell
“Your name is your own private property, and you should never let anyone use it without your permission.” – Bud Caldwell
“No one can take away your name, Bud, and I’ll always be your buddy.” – Deza Malone
“You see, a man spends all his life trying to make a name for himself, looking for that one badge that will set him apart from everyone else, and if you take that away from him, you’ve taken away everything.” – Herman E. Calloway
Wise Quotes from Adult Characters in the Book
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“If there’s one thing I learned about people it’s that many will do almost anything for a penny.” |
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“We can’t always control what life throws at us, but we can control how we react to it.” |
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“The truth is powerful, but it’s also fragile. Handle it with care.” |
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“Always keep your eyes and ears open. You never know what valuable information you might stumble upon.” |
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“Nothing worthwhile comes easy. Hard work pays off in the end.” |
Quotes that Showcase Christopher Paul Curtis’s Writing Style
Christopher Paul Curtis’s writing style is renowned for its vivid imagery, rich characters, and poignant themes. Through his captivating storytelling, Curtis paints a picture that engages readers and leaves a lasting impression. Here are some quotes that exemplify his unique writing style:
- “Sometimes a moment is so remarkable that it carves out a space in time and spins there, while the world rushes on around it. This was one such.” – In this quote, Curtis demonstrates his ability to vividly describe a moment and transport readers into the story.
- “I decided during that whole mess that I was the only one in the world I could depend on. I was going to be my own Hoover wagon and my own bread and jam.” – Curtis’s use of figurative language, such as comparing oneself to a Hoover wagon, showcases his creative and evocative writing style.
- “As the blood dripped from my nose I felt like one of those pigeons I sometimes saw in the park, the ones that got pigeon-holed and then beat up by all the other birds. I felt like a beat-up pigeon.” – This quote exemplifies Curtis’s ability to create relatable and empathetic characters, using vivid descriptions to evoke emotions in readers.
Curtis’s writing style is marked by his ability to capture the essence of a moment, create robust and multi-dimensional characters, and use powerful and evocative language. These quotes are just a glimpse into the beauty and craftsmanship that can be found throughout Christopher Paul Curtis’s work.