Write An Essay On The Two Sidekicks

In Buddy by M.H. Herlong, Lil-T and his new companion decide the fate of their lives. When sidekicks are split apart, they do not operate well, but when they are together, they are more powerful than ever. Anyone who is not a sidekick does not understand how important it is to be together all the time. Sidekicks struggle when they are far apart, but thrive when they are together. Buddy and Lil-T met when Lil-T’s family found him on the side of the road, but Lil-T knew from the start that him and his three-legged dog would become great friends, but more importantly, sidekicks. Sidekicks always want to be around each other, and the two sidekicks in the story are no exception. When Lil-T wakes up because he misses his dog who stays in their shed, he wakes up the whole family. Granpa T says: “We’re all tearing around the house in the dark because you’re dreaming about that dog? Granpa T says.” Tanya nods. “He died,” she says, and the lightning flashes all over the room. “In your dream,” I say” (48). Furthermore, the sidekicks want to be together all of the time because they need each other, they cannot survive without each other. In most cases, a family would not be as worried about their dog. However, there is an extremely strong and
special bond between a person and a dog in this novel. Sidekicks try to stay together. However, sidekicks are torn apart. When a horrible hurricane comes to New Orleans, Buddy is forced to stay at home, locked in a bathroom by himself with his sidekick and his family in Mississippi. Lil-T claims: “I can’t leave Buddy,” I say, and a little hiccup comes out. Granpa T sits down beside me. “Why do you love that ugly, old dog so much?” “I just do” (124). The real conflict of the book is not the hurricane, but it is about the worrying that the two sidekicks may never see each other again. Over 200 miles away from New Orleans where his sidekick is, Lil-T is devastated due to the overwhelming possibility that he may lose his sidekick and best friend. Finally, the anxiety of possibly seeing your sidekick again is immense.
When the family finally makes their way back to their ruined house, they walk up to the bathroom to see if Lil-T’s sidekick is still alive. Lil-T says: “But it don’t take even one second to see that Buddy himself ain’t in that bathroom no more. Buddy himself is gone… But he’s alive somewhere” (178). Although Buddy is not with Lil-T in the passage, devastation has an enormous presence. Lil-T is worried about his friend, as all sidekicks should be. His family may not be nervous about Buddy, but Lil-T certainly is because of their special bond. As all sidekicks should be, Lil-T is determined to find his beloved dog, even if it is the last thing he
does. In the end, Lil-T and Buddy do meet up, but that is not the point. Sidekicks will always find each other eventually because it is the most important thing for them to do if they ever lose each other. This novel is a great example of what true sidekicks would do if they are ever lost because they kept searching for each other.