George “Bubber” Kelly Character Analysis in The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

Mick’s younger brother and favorite sibling. Together, the two of them are often tasked with caring for their baby brother, Ralph. Bubber is sweet and silly, and Mick often finds herself overwhelmed by love for him. Bubber has a wild streak, however, and this unruliness often gets him in trouble—such as when he accidentally shoots Baby Wilson with his friend Spareribs’s rifle. After the incident with Baby, Bubber insists on going by his given name, George, and becomes sullen and withdrawn. Mick tries to keep George’s spirits up and help him get back to the person he once was, but he is unmoved by her efforts and slowly grows more and more disconnected from her.

George “Bubber” Kelly Character Timeline in The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

The timeline below shows where the character George “Bubber” Kelly appears in The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...Mick fetches her baby brother Ralph from the kitchen and waits for her second brother, George—whom everyone calls Bubber—to return from Sunday School. Once Bubber is back, Mick, Bubber, and Ralph,... (full context)

Communication and Self-Expression Theme Icon

Mick leads Bubber and Ralph to the construction site of their family’s new boarding house. She leaves Ralph... (full context)

Mick tells Bubber to comfort Ralph, then goes by herself into the empty, half-finished house. Though the Kelly... (full context)

Mick hears Ralph crying again. She goes outside to find him sitting in his wagon alone—Bubber is nowhere to be seen. Mick feeds Ralph a jelly bean from her pocket to... (full context)

Racism, Inequality, and Injustice Theme Icon

In the kitchen, Mick and Bubber listen as Portia, a black woman who works as a servant in the boarding house,... (full context)

...doesn’t find religion. Portia, her husband Highboy, and her brother Willie all have peace—as do Bubber and John Singer. Bored by the conversation, Mick leaves the kitchen and wanders up and... (full context)

...is perpetually excited and ready to face each day. Most mornings she takes Ralph and Bubber out on an aimless walk. As the heat of the afternoon descends upon them, Mick... (full context)

...Mick is giving a prom party at the boarding house later that evening, and she, Bubber, Portia, and Mr. Kelly spend all afternoon cleaning and decorating the place with streamers. Mick... (full context)

After eating, Mick goes outside to join the other kids. Bubber and his friend Spareribs are playing with a gun Spareribs has inherited from his recently... (full context)

Mick soon gets annoyed with the kids’ chatter and decides to go the library. Bubber is playing with Spareribs’s rifle, and she warns him to be careful and not let... (full context)

...in an ambulance with Baby to the hospital. As all the commotion slows, Mick realizes Bubber is nowhere to be found. Later that evening, Mick’s father comes home and reports that... (full context)

Mick knows exactly where to find Bubber—he is in their old tree house in the yard. She goes up to talk to... (full context)

...Kelly says he’s worried that Mrs. Wilson will sue them. Mick suddenly feels terrible for Bubber and worries that something bad actually will happen to him. Mick longs to run back... (full context)

...and explain that while she isn’t planning on suing the Kellys or pressing charges against Bubber, she’s only refraining from doing either because she doesn’t want Baby swept up in a... (full context)

Mick runs out to the tree house and climbs up to find Bubber—but he isn’t there. Mick realizes he must be running away. Mick runs back inside and... (full context)

After they drive half a mile out of town, Mick spots Bubber on the side of the road. He has a butcher knife on him, and Mr.... (full context)

As the days go by and Christmas approaches, Mick notices a change in Bubber. He insists on going by his given name, George—even as kids in the neighborhood cruelly... (full context)

In the wake of Bubber and Baby’s accident, the Kelly family—forced to repay Lucile each month—has fallen on hard times.... (full context)

...in a “funny” way, and Mick believes he does so because he spotted her and Bubber stealing chewing gum one time. Harry insists that while Brannon is an odd man, he's... (full context)

...worse. As dawn begins to break, Mick gets up from the sofa and runs into George’s room (as Bubber is now called), where she crawls into bed with him to get... (full context)

...Bill takes the man’s room. Mick, who has been sleeping on the couch, moves into George’s room, but still has trouble sleeping. She lies awake half the night most nights, full... (full context)