42 pages • 1 hour read
Judy BlumeDouble Fudge
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2002A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 1-3Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 1 Summary: “The Miser”
Twelve-year-old Peter Hatcher lives in Manhattan with his parents, his two-year-old baby sister Tootsie, and his exuberant five-year-old brother Farley Drexel, who goes by “Fudge.” Recently, Fudge has become obsessed with money, and he can’t stop thinking (and talking) about his plans to get rich and buy anything he wants. He asks Peter how much it would cost to buy all of New York City; Peter calls Fudge a “miser” and insists that he worships money and has no values. Peter raises his concerns about Fudge’s fixation with money to his parents, who dismiss him and claim that “it’s not unusual for young children to want things” (9). Still, Fudge’s constant talk about money begins to worry his parents. He creates his own play money, “Fudge Bucks,” and announces that he intends to “buy the whole world” with his imaginary riches. When Fudge’s myna bird Uncle Feather begins to join him as he sings about his love for money, Mrs. Hatcher wonders how this happened because the Hatchers were always careful with their money and never talked about it in front of their children. Peter suggests this is the problem, and he warns his parents that they need to get Fudge “straightened out” before the school year begins.
Chapter 2 Summary: “Shoes and News”
Mrs. Hatcher takes her children shopping for shoes as the new school year approaches. Fudge is feeling indecisive with so many choices, and when Peter suggests that Fudge should get the same shoes as him, Fudge declines and says that Peter’s shoes aren’t cool. Peter is surprised and wonders if he will be made fun of for his shoes at the start of the school year. Mrs. Hatcher urges Fudge to choose, but when he can’t decide between two pairs of shoes, he tries to pay the salesman with Fudge Bucks: “Enough for two pairs of shoes” (13). When the salesman tries to explain that the store doesn’t take play money, Fudge insists that it is real money from “The Farley Drexel Hatcher Bank.” The salesman and Fudge’s mother aren’t amused, and she buys him one pair of shoes. Fudge throws a tantrum, knocking things over and running through the store. Mrs. Hatcher manages to wrangle him, and Peter slips out the door and tries to distance himself from the chaos of his family. Fudge wails that his mother doesn’t love him enough to buy him two pairs of shoes, and although Mrs. Hatcher explains that money doesn’t grow on trees, Fudge doesn’t understand why he can’t have everything he wants all the time. Back at the apartment, Peter learns that his best friend, Jimmy Fargo, is moving out of the building to an artist’s loft in another part of the city. Jimmy’s dad is an artist, and his career is finally taking off. Still, Peter is upset at the thought of his best friend moving away, and he “[feels] like [he’s] been punched in the gut” (22). Peter and Jimmy argue, and Peter accuses Jimmy of leaving him behind now that his dad is “rich.” Jimmy becomes defensive and says that his father is not rich and that the Fargos have never had much money at all. Jimmy promises that nothing will change and he will still go to the same school as Peter, but Peter is still upset.
Chapter 3 Summary: “Who’s Mixed Up?”
The Fargos move out, and a new family moves in. Fudge befriends the child of the new neighbors, Melissa Beth Miller, who tells Fudge that she is in the “mixed-up group” at school. When Fudge says he is also in the mixed-up group, Mrs. Hatcher corrects him and says he is in the “mixed group.” In the building lobby, Peter’s dog, Turtle, greets an elderly woman named Mrs. Osterman, who lives in the apartment building. Fudge asks Mrs. Miller how much money she makes, which startles her and embarrasses Mrs. Hatcher and Peter. Mrs. Hatcher apologizes for Fudge’s rudeness, but Fudge complains that “grown-ups don’t like to talk about money” (28). Later, Peter asks his mother about the “mixed-up” group at Fudge’s school, and she explains that it’s an accelerated program for gifted children like Fudge. Peter laughs at his mother’s insistence that Fudge is “very mature for his age” (31), and he reminds her of all the trouble Fudge has had with his past school experiences. Mrs. Hatcher is trying to look on the bright side and have a positive attitude, but Peter is certain that no school can handle Fudge.
Chapters 1-3 Analysis
In the opening chapters of Double Fudge, Peter is once again at odds with his excitable, free-spirited little brother Fudge. While the Hatcher family is well-acquainted with Fudge’s antics, his newfound Obsession with Money has created more than a few embarrassing situations for the Hatchers. Mrs. Hatcher is especially offended by Fudge’s constant talk of buying things and making his own currency, and she can’t understand how he developed such an unhealthy attitude toward money. She says that she and her husband never talked about money with Fudge, but Peter points out that this might be the problem: Fudge never had to learn the value of things, and it might do him some good to be educated about money and where it comes from. Fudge is still a very young child, and while the older Hatchers are divided on how to address Fudge’s love of money, he is more than happy to talk about money matters with unsuspecting adults like the shoe salesman and Mrs. Miller. These moments develop the theme of Growing Up and Becoming Your Own Person, as Fudge is becoming interested in topics apart from his family’s interests. Fudge, always himself, is exploring the world through others’ perspectives on money, and this makes his family uncomfortable; he is no longer always in line with their thinking and habits.
At home, Peter quickly points out his little brother’s long list of flaws to his parents and the reader. He complains that Fudge is immature, embarrassing, and too hard to control, requiring patience from his entire family, especially Peter. Throughout the Fudge series, Peter often has to step in and intervene when Fudge gets into trouble. Peter feels deep embarrassment when Fudge acts out, and when Fudge throws a temper tantrum in the shoe store, Peter is so horrified that he leaves the store and his family behind. Peter’s embarrassment is a recurring motif in the novel and is a major factor in his character’s motivations.
However, Peter quickly jumps to Fudge’s defense when their neighbor Sheila Tubman accuses Fudge of having “no values” when he won’t stop talking about money. Peter might be annoyed by his little brother, but deep down, he knows that Fudge is just a kid, and he means no harm. Peter recognizes that Fudge isn’t trying to be malicious or uncouth; he is still learning how to have socially-acceptable conversations around touchy topics like money. As a result, he is protective of Fudge and will intervene if he feels his brother isn’t being treated fairly. Despite his frustrations with Fudge, Peter loves his brother and will stand up for him to others.
Peter’s conversation with Jimmy also raises an uncomfortable truth about money: Although Fudge seems to believe that money can answer all of his problems, Peter feels like money is the reason why his best friend is moving out of the building and into an artist’s loft across town. Jimmy’s father has recently started to make a little money with his art, and Jimmy is looking forward to no longer living in an “ant-sized apartment” with no beds and a refrigerator full of rotten food. Jimmy’s life is improving greatly, and although Peter knows he should be happy for the Fargos, he struggles to accept the change. The Fargos moving away is the first big change of many that Peter will have to deal with in Double Fudge, especially as the Hatcher family tree grows.
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By Judy Blume
