Genre
Children's literature
Setting and Context
New York City, 1970s
Narrator and Point of View
The story is narrated by Peter Hatcher, a nine-year-old 4th grader. It is told in the first-person perspective and past tense.
Tone and Mood
Because the story is being narrated by a child, it generally has a lighthearted and casual mood. The mood changes whenever Fudge does something terrible and Peter gets frustrated, but it always reverts back to laughter and contentedness afterwards.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Peter is the protagonist, and Fudge, his out-of-control little brother, is the antagonist.
Major Conflict
Peter spends every day of his life dealing with his "biggest problem"—his destructive two-year-old brother Fudge. Fudge is constantly misbehaving, ruining Peter's things, and causing all sorts of trouble, and Peter has to handle all these incidents as they come while still being a responsible big brother and setting a good example.
Climax
The climax occurs when Fudge swallows Peter's beloved pet turtle, Dribble, and needs to be rushed to the hospital.
Foreshadowing
The very first chapter of the book focuses on Peter getting Dribble the turtle for the first time, which foreshadows how important Dribble will become later at the end of the story. Readers can tell from the beginning that Fudge will eventually do something terrible to the turtle.
Understatement
N/A
Allusions
N/A
Imagery
See Imagery section.
Paradox
N/A
Parallelism
Peter's excitement at receiving Turtle at the end of the book parallels his excitement at receiving Dribble at the beginning. In addition, there are many parallel incidents of Fudge needing Peter's example in order to behave properly; this happens at the dentist, the shoe store, and the Toddle-Bike commercial.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
N/A
