Separation of Families and Growth of Children in Children’s Literature: Educational Values of Bud, Not Buddy

Abstract

This study analyzes the separation of families that modern society has and how children grow up in the environment. Family is important for children to develop their physical, mental and emotional growth. As time goes, the types of family are getting diverse, and it is hard to define the concept of family. The disintegration of the traditional family, divorced parents, and single parent can cause suffering or trauma to children. Thus, children’s literature tries to imply these social problems in a plot, and we expect that people would be aware of how family is important to children. This study chooses Bud, Not Buddy, a winner of Newbery Medal Award in 2000, and attempts to investigate how the protagonist, Bud, 10 year old boy, overcomes spatial, emotional separation. Also, this paper analyzes how Bud develops morality and grows self-esteem through various experiences when he goes to search for his father. In children’s literature, a parent-alternative presence emerges, giving children a sense of stability and guiding them to live in the right way. In this book, a suitcase, memories of his mother, and some stones come out as mother-alternative, and Bud relies on them mentally. Children are open minded and very flexible to adjust to difficult situations. Even though Bud couldn’t find his real father, he finds a second home where he can rest his body and mind comfortably. While facing up to the problem of separation of families, which is an unfortunate and dark side of the current society, this novel is meaningful by conveying a positive message of hope to future society through the process of the main character Bud himself growing up.