Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

Young children spend the majority of their waking hours at school; it is of paramount importance not only academically, but also emotionally and socially. Supportive teachers like Mrs. Haver, who delights Peter by noting that his group did a “super” job, can buffer the impact of other stressors in young children’s lives. School in general provides this benefit to Peter, and his fourth-grade class is one of the three primary spheres that comprise his small world within his larger Manhattan environment, along with his family’s apartment and Central Park.

When Peter, Jimmy, and Sheila are assigned the transportation project, Peter is determined to perform well on this task. He describes the assignment in detail, noting that their “committee” is required to make “a booklet, a poster, and be ready to give an oral report” (70). He pursues this project with characteristic seriousness and diligence, borrowing seven library books on the subject to educate himself about “speed, traffic congestion and pollution” (71). Because Peter is a disciplined student, he enjoys and thrives under the compliments that accompany high achievement, and so he throws himself wholly into schoolwork and projects. School is one place where he does not have to compete with Fudge for attention, and it is very important to him.

The importance of supportive, attentive individuals both inside and outside the nuclear family is emphasized here. Peter sometimes suspects that his mother has abandoned him in favor of Fudge. He resents the fact that even his father allows Fudge to appear in a Toddle-Bike television commercial, when Peter had fantasized about the social status he might enjoy if his friends were to “turn on their sets and say, ‘Hey, look! There’s Peter’” (88). His frustrations with Fudge include disapproval of his frequent tantrums, embarrassment about his unruly behavior in public, and anger over his invasion of Peter’s personal space.

Conversely, this anger coexists with Peter’s realization that he is essentially and truly loved by his parents, his brother, and others outside the nuclear family. Henry Bevelheimer, the elevator operator, models a kind, professional work ethic to the boy; Grandma is a source of nurturance and fun; and, as detailed above, Mrs. Haver provides assurance and validation in the classroom. Peter looks forward to riding in the elevator because it offers the opportunity to talk to Henry, who “even knows I’m nine and in fourth grade” (4). Peter is excited to show Dribble to Henry when he brings the pet home from Jimmy’s party; Henry is intuitive enough to suspect that Mrs. Hatcher may not share her son’s enthusiasm for the turtle. Additionally, Henry is concerned and supportive when a clearly terrified Mrs. Hatcher requests that he help her get to the ground floor immediately to meet an ambulance when Fudge swallows Dribble. Peter respects Henry, noting that he is so intelligent that he knows all the building residents and the floor of their apartments.

Similarly, Peter’s grandmother is a great source of affection and support. She is not a fully realized character—the reader is merely aware that she provides Mrs. Hatcher babysitting assistance and helps with Fudge’s tumultuous third birthday party. Nonetheless, Peter notes in passing that she taught him how to stand on his head during an overnight stay at her apartment. She is clearly an alternate source of love and affection for Peter when his parents are overwhelmed by the debilitating task of rearing Fudge.

It is no surprise that Peter is such a conscientious, mature little boy himself, given the kind, warm community of individuals supporting him and the entire Hatcher family.