Coming Through Slaughter by Michael Ondaatje is a particular novel about Buddy Bolden, one of the pioneers of jazz music. This novel orbits around his character, constantly providing clues to discovering who Buddy Bolden was really.
Many characteristics of Bolden are described in the following passage:
"It was a financial tragedy that sleep sobered Bolden up completely, that his mind on waking was clear as an empty road and he began to casually drink again although never hard now for he played in the evenings. He slept from 4 to 8. His day had begun at 7 when he walked the kids a mile to school buying them breakfast along the way at the fruit stands. A half hour's walk and another 30 minutes for them to sit on the embankment and eat a huge meal of fruit. He taught them all he was thinking of or had heard, all he knew at the moment, treating them as adults, joking and teasing them with tall tales which they learned to sift down to the real. He gave himself completely to them during the walk, no barriers as they walked down the washed empty streets one on either side, their thin cool hands each holding a finger of his. Eventually they knew the politics of the street better than their teachers and he in turn learned the new street songs from them. By 8 they were at school and he took a bus back to Canal, then walked towards first, greeting everybody on his way to the shop."(p.13)
A reader can infer that Buddy is an alcoholic, and it is implied that his body is so used to the alcohol, that it can absorb it in four hours. However, one can assume that he doesn't drink at night because he needs to be relatively sober to be playing his music.
It seems very important for him to walk the kids (presumably his children) a whole mile to school. He talks to them about everything he is thinking, which portrays a very meaningful relationship between him and his kids. He shows a very paternal and caring attitude with them, buying them breakfast and taking them to school, which is something that would be typically done by a mother. The fact that they have to buy breakfast implies that no one will cook it for them. This would mean that their mother is not fulfilling her job as a maternal figure, and therefore leaves this part to Buddy. Bolden also displays a very friendly and trusting personality with his children. The way he acts with them makes him look more like a friend than a father, swapping his duty of teaching values to teaching jokes and street politics. In turn, he also learns from his children, which could make readers infer that he has a childish side too.
Buddy takes the bus back to Canal, which suggests that walking to school isn't absolutely necessary. This could mean that they can't afford three bus ride tickets plus going back, or Buddy wants to spend more time with his children.
He greets everybody on his way back to the shop, which could mean that he is very friendly and is known by everybody in Canal.
This is the first image that Ondaatje offers of this mysterious character. Later on, other descriptions of Buddy’s character will let us see a different side of him.
Many characteristics of Bolden are described in the following passage:
"It was a financial tragedy that sleep sobered Bolden up completely, that his mind on waking was clear as an empty road and he began to casually drink again although never hard now for he played in the evenings. He slept from 4 to 8. His day had begun at 7 when he walked the kids a mile to school buying them breakfast along the way at the fruit stands. A half hour's walk and another 30 minutes for them to sit on the embankment and eat a huge meal of fruit. He taught them all he was thinking of or had heard, all he knew at the moment, treating them as adults, joking and teasing them with tall tales which they learned to sift down to the real. He gave himself completely to them during the walk, no barriers as they walked down the washed empty streets one on either side, their thin cool hands each holding a finger of his. Eventually they knew the politics of the street better than their teachers and he in turn learned the new street songs from them. By 8 they were at school and he took a bus back to Canal, then walked towards first, greeting everybody on his way to the shop."(p.13)
A reader can infer that Buddy is an alcoholic, and it is implied that his body is so used to the alcohol, that it can absorb it in four hours. However, one can assume that he doesn't drink at night because he needs to be relatively sober to be playing his music.
It seems very important for him to walk the kids (presumably his children) a whole mile to school. He talks to them about everything he is thinking, which portrays a very meaningful relationship between him and his kids. He shows a very paternal and caring attitude with them, buying them breakfast and taking them to school, which is something that would be typically done by a mother. The fact that they have to buy breakfast implies that no one will cook it for them. This would mean that their mother is not fulfilling her job as a maternal figure, and therefore leaves this part to Buddy. Bolden also displays a very friendly and trusting personality with his children. The way he acts with them makes him look more like a friend than a father, swapping his duty of teaching values to teaching jokes and street politics. In turn, he also learns from his children, which could make readers infer that he has a childish side too.
Buddy takes the bus back to Canal, which suggests that walking to school isn't absolutely necessary. This could mean that they can't afford three bus ride tickets plus going back, or Buddy wants to spend more time with his children.
He greets everybody on his way back to the shop, which could mean that he is very friendly and is known by everybody in Canal.
This is the first image that Ondaatje offers of this mysterious character. Later on, other descriptions of Buddy’s character will let us see a different side of him.
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