Short Fiction · Character

Peter Rabbit

The naughty rabbit who squeezes under Mr. McGregor's gate against his mother's warning, trading a morning of blackberrying for a frantic flight through the garden.

major

Also known as Peter, the bad rabbit, the good rabbit

First appearance: The Tale of Peter Rabbit

As a major figure in Short Fiction, Peter Rabbit is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Disobeys his mother and enters Mr.

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Peter is one of four rabbit children living in a sandbank under a fir-tree, and the only one who ignores Mrs. Rabbit's order to stay out of Mr. McGregor's garden — where his father, she reminds them, ended up in a pie. His appetite and curiosity carry him from lettuces to radishes to a face-to-face meeting with the gardener himself, and his new blue jacket with brass buttons proves his undoing when it snags on a gooseberry net. His terror, tears, and narrow escapes make him the reader's anxious companion through every corner of the garden.

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This excerpt presents the story's dramatic climax because it reveals the fundamental contradiction at the hear…

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In the story

Peter Rabbit appears across 8 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Disobeys his mother and enters Mr. McGregor's garden, is chased, loses his clothes, and escapes.
The Tailor of Gloucester
Not present in this chapter.
The Tale of Benjamin Bunny
Still recovering from his earlier ordeal in the garden; accompanies Benjamin but is nervous and eager to leave.
The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle
One of the animals who meets Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle on the path to receive his clean blue jacket.
The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit
The fierce bad rabbit who steals the carrot and scratches the good rabbit.
The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies
Flopsy's brother who keeps a nursery garden; sometimes lends cabbages to Benjamin.
The Tale of Mr. Tod
Benjamin's companion who helps dig the tunnel and keeps watch during the rescue attempt.
List of Illustrations
Appears in multiple illustrations: being tucked into bed, escaping Mr. McGregor, losing his clothes, and returning home.

Chapter companion notes

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