Things aren't always fair for Peter Hatcher in Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. As the older kid, he often has to take the fall for Fudge's reckless actions. He resents having to take a back seat to his brother's needs, especially when he's affected by what Fudge has done, too. How unfair is it that Fudge gets fussed over and cared for when he's eaten Peter's pet turtle and Peter just gets ignored? He should have taken his case to Kids' Court.
The question of what's fair or unfair in families is a tough one. Parents never treat kids exactly the same, because kids aren't exactly the same, especially when there's a big age difference like in the Hatcher family. But when Peter feels that Fudge gets all the attention while he's doing all the hard work, nothing seems fair.
Even Judy Blume gets into the act—she named three books after Fudge even though Peter's still the one telling the stories.
Questions About Injustice
- Why do you think Peter's parents pay more attention to Fudge?
- Do you think it was fair for Peter's mom to blame Peter for Fudge's accident at the park?
- What do you think would make Peter feel more like he and his brother were treated equally?
Chew on This
Peter's parents should give each of their kids equal attention.
Peter's treatment by his parents isn't really unfair—it just seems that way because Fudge needs to be watched every second.