Peter Pan, the story of the boy who did not want to grow up

Peter Pan is a well-known British play by writer James M. Barrie. The play is intended for a children’s audience and premiered in London in 1904. Before becoming a play, the character Peter Pan appeared in a novel by Barrie. In this first version, Peter lived in London and all the children were half-birds, which is why they could fly.

Barrie improved his novel and added new features that we will see in the play. Among the novelties, the introduction of fairy dust to be able to fly stands out, something that had to be included given the accidents that were occurring in the city by children who believed they could fly.

Peter Pan: where did so much inspiration come from?

Barrie was inspired by Kensington Gardens in Hyde Parka place where he used to spend a lot of time and where he frequented the Llewelyn Davies family, whose children would inspire the story and used to play in the gardens.

If we go to London and visit Hyde Park, we will find the statue of Peter Pan in the gardens. This statue is not there by chance, but was placed by the author of the work himself in 1912. He made it as a gift to the children of London and placed it in the place where Peter landed in the first version of the work. In addition, Barrie decided to transfer the rights to the work to the children’s hospital. Great Ormond Street in London.

Definitely, Peter Pan’s legacy seems infinite and has given rise to countless adaptations both in theater and cinema. Today we will focus on what is perhaps the most emblematic, the 1953 Disney adaptation.

Neverland

Neverland is a remote island that can be reached by flying to the highest point in the sky, then you must “turn on the second star to the right, flying until dawn.” It is a place where There are no laws and the children who live there have no responsibility.They spend most of their time playing and having fun.

This island may remind us, in part, of Pinocchio’s Island of Games, a movie in which alludes to Peter Pan. In both, the children who live on the island do not want responsibilities or to grow up; they are remote places that adults cannot access and where they can do whatever they want. However, unlike Pinocchio, The children who inhabit Neverland are the so-called Lost Children, those who no one has claimed.

The island is home to fantastic creatures such as mermaids and fairies, but also Indians and pirates.. The longer they spend in Neverland, the more difficult they will have to get out, recover their lives and their memories.

We can see Neverland as an idyllic place where anything is possible, a place full of adventure and fun. However, also It is a trap, because there children cannot grow, they never reach maturity. and, as a consequence, they have short-term memory.

Wendy, reason and maturity

Wendy lives with her family in London until one night Peter Pan will appear at their house and take them to Neverland.

At the beginning, Wendy is a girl like the rest and she is happy about it, just like her brothers, she is excited at the idea of ​​being able to fly and visit Neverland.so he agrees and begins his journey with Peter.

Peter and the Lost Boys will see in Wendy a maternal figure, a person who can take care of them and tell them stories.. In Neverland there are no girls and they lack any kind of protection or maternal figure, so that will be Wendy’s job.

Little by little, You will realize the importance of growing for your own personal development. and you will come to acceptance. She will become a kind of mother to the Lost Boys and, eventually, she will be convinced that she must move toward that growth.

Wendy is the female character we find in contrast to Peter. She is a responsible girl, who takes care of her younger siblings and aspires to become an adult woman. Furthermore, she is the rational part that complements Peter.

Peter Pan, the boy who didn’t want to grow up

Peter Pan is the protagonist, he is a boy who lives in Neverland and does not remember anything about his past.. He acts as leader of the Lost Boys because, even in that world without rules, the figure of the leader is necessary, which, in this case, falls on Peter.

Peter is also the one chosen to save Neverland. He is always accompanied by the Lost Boys and Tinker Bell, a very jealous and possessive little fairy.

Actually, Peter is a boy who is afraid of growing up, facing problems and reaching maturity.. She seems very brave when she laughs at Captain Hook, mocking him and getting on his nerves, but she is not brave enough to be able to face real-world life and adulthood.

Peter Pan and the power of imagination

He has an overflowing imagination, thanks to which he can fly. She is cheerful and does not see danger, his leadership skills are truly surprising. Furthermore, he is the one who convinces Wendy and her brothers to visit Neverland.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYhFVfkfujs

We see this leadership and power of conviction when he shows children that their thoughts will make them fly.they just have to believe in themselves, they have to believe that it is possible and emit happy thoughts, in this way and with the help of fairy dust, they will be able to fly like Peter.

Flight is something closely associated with imagination and freedom.. Humanity seems to have always longed for the flight of birds, perhaps, considering it something unattainable and almost divine. When we are children, it seems that one of our greatest desires is, precisely, the ability to fly.. Therefore, we see that Peter, a pure and unaltered child from the world of adults, gives free rein to his imagination and can fly.

Children’s imagination is really powerful and fascinating. However, due to the rationality of adults, it is limited. Therefore, the Lost Boys and Peter Pan They have a totally enormous imagination. Well, it hasn’t been altered by any adults in a long time.

The importance of being who we are

Peter Pan has a very charismatic personality, but he also shows himself to be a very carefree and absent-minded child, losing his own shadow. This Loss of shadow also shows a loss of identity. A problem accepting oneself. A kind of alienation of one’s own personality.

The shadow is like a mirror, where we recognize ourselves, it is something that is linked to us, that belongs to us. But Peter constantly loses her, that is, he loses himself. Peter hides from his shadow, he doesn’t control it, because he runs away from what he fears most: growing up.

This work has given rise to multiple interpretations and countless adaptations. Besides, has served to categorize the well-known Peter Pan syndrome. That is, people who do not want to grow or reach maturity. Also, to Wendy’s syndrome, people obsessed with satisfying others and underlying the fear of rejection. Definitely, Peter Pan It is one of the most emblematic works of the United Kingdom.

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