Tuesday, May 24, 2011

In the novel Bud, Not Buddy, how does Bud end up on the "lam"?

At the beginning of the novel, Bud is sent to live with the Amoses. Bud and Todd Amos have an altercation after Todd sticks a pencil up Bud's nose while he is sleeping. Bud slaps Todd in the face, and Todd proceeds to beat Bud ruthlessly. However, when Todd's mother walks into the room, Todd acts like he's having an asthma attack and blames Bud for his "dire condition." Mr. and Mrs. Amos send Bud to sleep in their raggedy shed as punishment. Bud manages to escape from the locked shed and decides to seek revenge on Todd. Bud then sneaks back into the Amoses' house and fills a glass with warm water. He quietly walks into Todd's room and gently pours the liquid onto Todd's pajama pants, causing him to pee his bed. Bud knows that he is in serious trouble and needs to leave the Amoses' home immediately. The slang term "on the lam" means "on the run." Bud mentions that he was "on the lam," meaning that he was running away from both the Amoses and the authorities after escaping their custody.

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