Dealing with Change

The actions and transformations of most of the book’s major characters, and a few of its minor ones, are defined by experiences of change. Protagonist Peter, his Mom and Dad, and arguably his younger sister Tootsie (whose experience of change is associated with simply being born) are all defined by experiences of fundamental changes in circumstance that, in turn, reshape their perceptions of themselves and of their respective personal worlds. This is also true of minor characters like Jimmy, Daniel, and Alex, each of whom also experience significant change and whose reactions to those changes are also highlighted by the narrative. The only major character who does not appear to be reacting to change is Fudge. His demanding-ness and his extremities of behavior, even in response to the arrival of Tootsie, seem part of his fundamental identity, rather than as a reaction to...