Mystery of Life

Author’s Note: This is a theme piece about the determination of a young boy named Bud to find his long lost dad.  

If you lived in an orphanage for almost your whole life and you knew that you have other relatives living in the world that you could find, what if you found a clue that could help you find one of them, would you try to find him or not?  A young kid by the name of Bud in the book Bud Not Buddy by is about a boys’ determination to find his lost father.  Determination is a huge theme in this book and it is also shown in life and literature.

The first  of many reasons that this book shows the theme determination is how Bud never gives up looking for his dad. One moment in the book he misses a train that would have brought him right to his destination, but he didn’t give up, he researched maps and decided to take the 7 day walk to Grand Rapids.  Also, when he finally made it to the house his dad was at, is father turned him down and denied any relationship between them.  Bud didn’t give up, he kept spitting out evidence like a printer spits out paper and finally his dad caved in and told him the news.

Although Bud is extremely determined to find his Dad, the whole city of Flint Michigan is also determined to help Bud find his dad. Right after Bud misses the train he went to  a library and a librarian gives Bud food and a map  so Bud can walk to Grand Rapids. Likewise, while Bud is walking to Grand Rapids a random bus driver pulls over, picks Bud up, feeds him, and takes him to where his father is.  Lastly, Bud’s father’s band always sticks up for Bud when his dad didn’t believe they were related.

Even though, Bud, Not Buddy is a one of a kind book with a giant amount of determination, Enclave by Ann Agurrie is another story that shows determination because the main character Deuce is determined to save her section of the city or Enclave and find out who her parents are.   Both of the characters in these books are very strong and started off with nearly nothing.  But, given a small  opportunity each of these characters can get determined and do almost anything.   An example is in Enclave when Deuce and her partner are running to help save a city, they run days on end determined to save the collapsing city.  Both of these stories show a significant amount of determination.

Not only does the theme in this book relate to literacy, but it also relates to life.  Most humans and animals that are determined will go to an extraordinary measure to accomplish a task, kind of like Bud.  For example, if a  

After overcoming all of these obstacles Bud is so much stronger and his journey paid off with Bud having an actual family.  None of this would have happened though, without Bud’s amazing determination. Also, Bud would have never got to where he needed to be.  Determination truly is a huge theme in this book and in many other literacy writing and throughout life.