Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

Peter seems to have an innate sense that he is experiencing a somewhat unique childhood in an older New York City apartment building located near Central Park. He derives a sense of prestige from being a resident. As narrator, he describes the building’s elevator as one of the best in New York City, detailing its mirrored walls and the “soft, cushioned bench to sit on if you’re too tired to stand” (4).

An additional attraction is the elevator operator, Henry Bevelheimer. He allows the building’s children to call him by his first name “because Bevelheimer’s too hard to say” (4). Henry mans the elevator and has an encyclopedic memory that allows him to recall the names of the residents and the floor on which their respective apartments are located. This ability resonates strongly with Peter, who notes that Henry is “that smart!” (4). Henry and the elevator figure strongly into the episode that recounts rushing Fudge to the hospital by ambulance after he swallows Dribble. He rushes to the ground floor without making any stops, thereby providing Mrs. Hatcher with physical and emotional support during this crisis.