Foil

Character Role Analysis

Miss Thomas and Momma (Angela Calloway)

This pair of leading ladies helps us to understand how important a mother figure is for Bud. Bud only remembers certain things about his mother from looking at her belongings or from thinking about what she used to tell him. But we get to see how badly Bud misses being just a little kid, instead of all grown up and on his own, when Miss Thomas comes into the story.

Miss Thomas is beautiful like Bud's real mother, and like Angela, she sings to him, rubs his head, holds him, whispers "OK, baby, OK. I know, sweetheart, I know" (14.98) when Bud curls up and cries, and gives him the loving comfort and respect he used to get from his mother.

We also see how Angela learned how to be a mother from interacting with Miss Thomas. We can tell this because she gets Bud's attention in the same way Angela used to: "She stood up, grabbed both my arms and looked right hard in my face, just like Momma used to…" (16.64) and folds up Bud's clothes and puts them next to the bed while he sleeps. Because Angela grew up with Miss Thomas around, we can bet that she probably learned these things from her. Thank goodness for Miss Thomas.