The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy

The Arundel Hall property, including the mansion, the cottage, and the expansive grounds, serves as the novel’s physical setting but also symbolizes larger ideas in the narrative. For the Penderwicks, Arundel becomes a symbol of a memorable family vacation that brings them new adventures and friendships. From the opening lines, the narrator establishes that this summer is one the sisters think back on often and recall as a significant moment in their childhood. “Fate drove us there, Jane would say” (1). Not only do they create new memories together as a family, but each sister also experiences significant changes during their three weeks at Arundel. Rosalind will always remember Arundel as the setting for her first romantic crush, and Skye will always remember becoming friends with Jeffrey. For Jane, Arundel brings fond memories of completing another novel, and no one will ever forget when Batty finds her voice. Arundel becomes a part of their shared history as a family and a season they’ll all look back on nostalgically.

From the moment the Penderwicks see Arundel, the castle-like structure becomes a symbol of childhood innocence and wonder: “Built from gray stone, it was covered with towers, balconies, terraces, and turrets that jutted every which way” (8). Arundel’s enchanting gardens, hidden passageways and tunnels, and attic become a playground for the Penderwick sisters where they and their imaginations can roam freely without the encumbrance of adult interference. The wide-open spaces are ideal for Skye, Jane, and Jeffrey to practice soccer and perfect their archery skills. Arundel’s many charms provide a bounty of inspiration for Jane’s adventure novel and Batty delights in frolicking with Hound outside and feeding Cagney’s rabbits. Mr. Penderwick rarely intervenes in their escapades and allows them free reign of the space until they collide with Mrs. Tifton, whose ominous presence and aristocratic snobbery break the spell of Arundel.

While summer at Arundel represents freedom for the Penderwicks, the mansion is more like a prison for its permanent residents. Its palatial walls represent the constraints of Jeffrey’s class physically and emotionally. He’s often confined to his room because Mrs. Tifton restrains his childhood freedom in favor of grooming him to become a society gentleman. Trapped literally and metaphorically in the ivory tower of class and expectation, Jeffrey chafes under his mother’s restraint and longs to express himself freely. For Jeffrey, Arundel, with its gallery of ancestral portraits staring at him, represents all that holds him back from being his true self: “[…] [I]t was like a museum, except with no velvet ropes or uniformed guards” (74). The Penderwicks not only liberate Jeffrey physically by bringing him out of the house but also help him find the courage to free himself emotionally—to bravely stand up to his mother and express his desire to attend music school.