42 pages • 1 hour read
Double Fudge
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Symbols & Motifs
Money
The most prominent symbol in Double Fudge is also Fudge’s favorite thing in the world: money. For Fudge, money symbolizes the freedom to buy anything he wants: a new toy or an entire city. For Peter, money represents comfort and friendship, and for Mr. and Mrs. Hatcher, money is simply a means of creating security. Money might be a tangible item that can be touched and held, but in Double Fudge, money represents many things, including power, luxury, and safety.
Fudge and his parents have very different opinions about what money symbolizes. When Fudge’s mother refuses to buy him two pairs of shoes, he throws a tantrum and declares that his mother doesn’t love him because “If [she] really loved [him] [she] would have bought [him] both pairs of shoes!” (16). Like many small children, Fudge associates gifts and presents with love, and he is starting to understand that money and presents are directly connected. However, Fudge has not yet understood that money is not an unlimited resource for adults. His mother tries to tell him that she “can’t buy everything [he] want[s]” (16), which is an awkward and painful conversation for any parent to have with their child. While Fudge understands that adults work jobs that pay them money, he does not understand why someone like his friend Rich can have everything he wants, but Fudge cannot. Concepts such as salaries, budgets, and the privileges of wealth are not accessible to him yet, and his parents have difficulty explaining the complicated nature of money and wealth to him. Money is neither a good thing nor a bad thing: It is simply a necessity in life, and teaching children to have a healthy relationship with finances is no easy task.
Names and Familial Identity
In children’s literature, names bear a special significance. A child’s name is the first thing they learn about themselves, and in early childhood, a name is the starting point for forming a person’s identity. In Double Fudge, names are a reminder not only of who a person is as an individual but who they are connected to within a family tree.
When Flora and Fauna suggest that they might start calling their little brother “Fudge,” Fudge becomes very upset at the thought of his nickname being copied. He declares that “[his] name belongs to [him],” and he “own[s] it!” (84), even though Flora and Fauna say that it’s impossible to own a name. While the girls might be technically right, Fudge has every right to be upset. In earlier books in the Fudge series, Fudge was mocked for his name, and one teacher even refused to call him by anything other than Farley Drexel. Fudge has always stuck by his nickname, which is part of who he is. Although Flora and Fauna try to sway him by telling him that “copying is the highest form of flattery” (86), Fudge doesn’t see it this way. Fudge believes that by sharing his nickname with his younger cousin, he will lose a part of what makes him special and unique, which upsets him greatly. Of course, Fudge’s legal name—Farley Drexel—is an old family name that connects him to his younger cousin whether he likes it or not. Fudge and Farley—or Mini as they call him—will always share a name, and Mini’s knack for mischief is meant to echo all the mischief Fudge got into when he was younger.
Similarly, Peter doesn’t want to be connected to Flora and Fauna at school, and when the girls are introduced as the Heavenly Hatchers, Peter prepares to deny any familial connection to his cousins: He decides that he’ll simply “act as if this is just a coincidence” (147), but the truth comes out right away. Although Peter is very embarrassed, the other students at his school love the Heavenly Hatchers, and their performance suddenly earns Peter more popularity than he ever had before. Peter might be a completely different person from his cousins, just like Mr. Hatcher might be totally different from Howie, but because they share the last name “Hatcher,” they will always be connected to one another.
Personal Space and Home
The concept of personal space and having a designated place to call home is considered a core need for young children. Homes represent stability and safety, and personal space—such as a designated place for a person to sleep or an area to store their personal belongings—is a huge part of personhood in most societies. In Double Fudge, changes in homes and living spaces signify big shifts, introducing unique stressors and obstacles that the characters must work through.
Early in the novel, Jimmy tells Peter that he and his father are moving out of the apartment building and into an artist’s loft across town. Although Peter protests, Jimmy admits he has never been happy in his tiny apartment. He says that it’s “too small,” and has “always been too small” (22). Jimmy and his father are tired of not being comfortable. Peter accuses Jimmy of leaving him, and Jimmy explains that he isn’t leaving Peter. He’s leaving “an ant-sized apartment with no furniture” where he has to “[sleep] on a mat on the floor inches away from [his] father’s face;” he “need[s] [his] own space” (24). Peter is still angry, but once the Hawaii Hatchers arrive, Peter finally starts to understand what Jimmy meant about personal space.
The Hawaii Hatchers practically invite themselves into the New York Hatchers’ apartment, and Peter’s parents aren’t aggressive enough to protest. Instead, Howie and his family end up sleeping on the floor of the living room in their sleeping bags, “like a row of hot dogs in their rolls” (133), making it impossible for Peter or his family to watch television or roam freely. When Peter goes to the bathroom and sees that the space has been filled with “five toothbrushes,” “five towels,” and “five hairbrushes” (137), he loses his temper and starts throwing things. Peter feels trapped and cornered now that his personal living space has been invaded without his consent, and he begins to understand that everyone—Jimmy included—deserves to have their own space.
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