James Buddy “Bud” Threadgoode Jr.

James Buddy “Bud” Threadgoode Jr. is the central character in this novel. Bud is the son of Ruth Jamison and Frank Bennett. Ruth left her abusive husband and took shelter in Whistle Stop. When Buddy was born, he was adopted by the Threadgoode family. He was raised by his mother and her partner, Idgie Threadgoode, in Whistle Stop. When he was young, Bud lost part of his left arm in a railway accident.

Bud is a motivating character because he does not allow his disability to limit what he can do. He is a star quarterback in high school. He earns his license to practice veterinary medicine, even though some people thought that he could not do the work with a prosthetic arm. Bud also retired a captain from the army. He went on to run his own veterinary clinic. Bud continued to advocate...