Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up is a play written by Scottish
novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie (1860–1937), and first presented on the stage at the
Duke of York's Theatre on 27th December 1904. In 1911, Barrie adapted the play
into a book, Peter Pan and Wendy. It is a story of a mischievous little boy who spends his never-ending childhood
adventuring on the island of Neverland as leader of the Lost Boys. The story features some
fantastical elements, one of them being that Peter has the ability to fly, and his friends include a fairy named Tinker Bell. In addition, a crocodile that has swallowed a
ticking clock stalks the pirate leader, Captain Hook.
Play and novel comparisons
This is the portion of J. M. Barrie's mythos of Peter Pan that is best known to most
readers.
In both the play and the novel, Peter often visits the "real world" of Kensington, England to listen in on bedtime stories
told by Mrs. Mary Darling to her children. One night, Peter is spotted and, while trying to escape, he loses his shadow. On
returning to claim his shadow, Peter wakes Mary's daughter, Wendy Darling. When Wendy
succeeds in re-attaching his shadow to him, Peter takes a fancy to her and invites her to Neverland to be a mother to his gang of Lost Boys, the children who are lost in Kensington Gardens. Wendy agrees, and her brothers John and Michael go along. The great dangerous and
magical flight to Neverland is followed by many adventures. The children are blown out of the air by a cannon and Wendy is nearly
killed by the Lost Boy Tootles. Peter and the Lost Boys build a little house for
Wendy to live in while she recuperates (a structure that, to this day, is called a Wendy
House.) Soon John and Michael adopt the ways of the Lost Boys, while Wendy plays the role of mothering them, all the while
provoking the jealousy of Tinker Bell, Tiger Lily, and the mermaids.
Peter is often oblivious, concentrating on real and make-believe adventures and on taunting the pirate Captain Hook. Later follow adventures at the Mermaids' Lagoon, the near deaths of Tinker Bell and Peter, a
violent pirate/Indian massacre, and a climactic confrontation with Peter's nemesis, the pirate Captain Hook of the pirate ship the Jolly Roger. In the end, Wendy decides that her place is at
home, much to the joy of her heartsick mother. Wendy then brings all the boys back to London. Peter remains in Neverland,
promising to return and take Wendy back with him once a year to help him with his spring cleaning.
In the novel, Barrie includes an additional scene which was not in the play, but which he created for the stage under the
title An Afterthought. In this scene, Peter returns to Wendy's house, not realizing that more than twenty years have
passed since he took Wendy, John and Michael to Neverland, and that Wendy is now a married woman with a daughter, Jane.
Confronted with the news, he breaks down and cries. Wendy leaves the room to try to think, and Peter's sobs awaken Jane, who asks
him to take her with him to Neverland and to let her be his new mother. Peter joyfully accepts, and the two fly off together with
Wendy sorrowfully looking off after them. Peter will now return for Jane once a year as he once promised to return for Wendy.
Peter's relationship with Jane is what the Disney movie Return to Neverland
is based upon, but its plot is almost totally invented for the film; it has only the slightest resemblance to Barrie.
Barrie's additional scene is only occasionally used in the play or film versions of Peter Pan, but it made a poignant
conclusion to the famous musical production starring Mary
Martin.
Background
Barrie created Peter Pan in stories he told to the sons of his friend Sylvia Llewelyn
Davies, with whom he had forged a special relationship.
The character's name comes from two sources: Peter Llewelyn Davies, one of the
boys, and Pan, the mischievous Greek god of the
woodlands. Mrs. Llewelyn Davies' death from cancer came within a few years after the death of her husband. Barrie was named as
co-guardian of the boys and unofficially adopted them.
It has also been suggested that the inspiration for the character was Barrie's elder brother David, whose death in a skating
accident at the age of thirteen deeply affected their mother. According to Andrew Birkin, author of J.M. Barrie and the Lost
Boys, the death was "a catastrophe beyond belief, and one from which she never fully recovered… If Margaret Ogilvy [Barrie's
mother as the heroine of his 1896 novel of that title] drew a measure of comfort from the notion that David, in dying a boy,
would remain a boy for ever, Barrie drew inspiration."
Peter Pan first appeared in print in a 1902 book called The Little White Bird, a fictionalised version of Barrie's
relationship with the Llewelyn Davies children, and was then used in a very successful stage play,
Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up, which premiered in London on
December 27 1904.
In 1906, the portion of The Little White Bird which featured Peter Pan was published as the book Peter Pan in
Kensington Gardens, with illustrations by Arthur Rackham. Barrie then adapted the
play into the 1911 novel Peter and Wendy (most often now published simply as Peter Pan).
There are seven statues of Peter Pan playing a set of pipes, cast from a mould by sculptor
George Frampton, following an original commission by Barney. The statues are in
Kensington Gardens in London, England;
Liverpool, England; Brussels, Belgium; Camden, New Jersey, United
States; Perth, Western Australia, Australia; Toronto, Canada; and
Bowring Park in St. John's,
Newfoundland, Canada.
A new statue of Peter Pan was commissioned by Great Ormond Street Hospital to celebrate J.M. Barrie's generous gift of the
copyright. Unveiled by former Prime Minister James Callaghan in 2000, the bronze by
Diarmuid Byron O'Connor shows Peter blowing fairy dust over the passing
children. The original design included Tinker Bell stealing Wendy's kiss from his finger. The Countess of Wessex unveiled this addition in 2005. A limited edition of this statue has been
created to raise money for the children's charity.
Characters
Peter Pan
-
Peter Pan is the main character of the novel and various adaptations. He is described in the novel as a young boy who still
has all his first teeth; he wears clothes made of hemp. He is the only boy able to fly
without the help of fairy dust, and he can play the flute. Peter is afraid of nothing except women. He loves Wendy; however, it
is not a romantic love — he thinks of her as his mother. Barrie attributes this to "the riddle of his existence".
The Darling Family
- Wendy Darling — Wendy is the oldest, the only daughter and the heroine of
the novel. She loves the idea of homemaking and wants to become a mother; her dreams consist of adventures in a little woodland
house with her pet wolf. She bears a bit of (mutual) animosity toward Tiger Lily and Tinker Bell, because of their
feelings toward Peter (they consider her a rival for his attentions). She grows up at the end of the novel, with a daughter
(Jane) and a granddaughter (Margaret). She is portrayed with both blonde and brown hair in different stories. She is in love with
Peter Pan, and would like him to think of her as a girlfriend.
- Barrie is sometimes said to have "invented" the name Wendy with this story. He wanted to use an uncommon name for the
girl, so his original name for the character of Wendy was "Mia Angela Carol Darling." The name Wendy came about because Barrie's
friend, poet William Henley, called Barrie "friend." Overhearing this word, Henley's
4-year-old daughter Margaret could only pronounce it as "My Fweiendy" or "Fwendy-Wendy".
- In fact, the name was already in use in both the United States and the
United Kingdom, but was extremely rare. The Peter Pan stories popularized the name, at
first in the UK. Wendy is related to the Welsh name Gwendolyn, and was used by
Barrie at a time when Welsh names were making a resurgence in England.[citation needed]
- John Darling — John is the middle child. He gets
along well with Wendy, but he often argues with Michael. He is fascinated with pirates, and he once thought of becoming
"Redhanded Jack." He dreams of living in an inverted boat on the sands, where he has no friends and spends his time shooting
flamingos. The character of John was based on Jack Llewellyn-Davies.
- Michael Darling — Michael is the youngest child.
He is approximately five years old, as he still wears the pinafores young Edwardian boys wear.
He looks up to John and Wendy, dreaming of living in a wigwam where his friends visit at night. He was based on Michael and Nicholas Llewellyn-Davies.
- Mr. and Mrs. Darling — George and Mary Darling are the children's loving parents. Mr. Darling is a pompous, blustering businessman who seeks to attract attention (from his co-workers to his wife and children), but he is
really kind at heart. Mary Darling is described as an intelligent, romantic lady. It is hinted that she knew Peter Pan before her
children were born.
- Nana — Nana is a Newfoundland dog who is employed as a nanny by the
Darling family in Kensington Gardens.
The Six Lost Boys
Main Article: Peter Pan's Lost Boys
- Tootles — Tootles is the humblest Lost Boy because he often misses out on their violent adventures. Although he
is often stupid, he is always the first to defend Wendy. He grows up to become a judge.
- Nibs — Nibs is described as gay and debonair, probably the bravest
Lost Boy. He says the only thing he remembers about his mother is she always wanted a cheque-book; he says he would love to give
her one. He's also the oldest and best looking Lost Boy.
- Slightly — Slightly is the most conceited because he believes he remembers the days before he was "lost." He is
the only Lost Boy who "knows" his last name — he says his pinafore had the words "Slightly Soiled" written on the tag. He
cuts whistles from the branches of trees, and dances to tunes he creates himself. Slightly is apparently a poor make-believer. He
blows big breaths when he feels he is in trouble, and he eventually leads to Peter's almost-downfall.
- Curly — Curly is the most troublesome Lost Boy.
- The Twins — First and Second Twin know little about themselves — they are not allowed to, because Peter Pan
does not know what Twins are. First Twin is a mighty dancer, who loves to wear a dunce cap. He is called proud in Peter Pan
and Wendy.
Inhabitants of Neverland
- Tiger Lily is the proud, beautiful princess of the
Piccaninny Tribe. She is apparently old enough to be married, but she refuses any suitors because she desires Peter over all. She
is jealous of Wendy and Tinker Bell. Tiger Lily is nearly killed by Captain Hook when she is seen boarding the Jolly Roger with a
knife in her mouth, but Peter saves her.
- Tinker Bell is Peter Pan's fiery, jealous fairy. She is described as a common
fairy who mends pots and kettles and, though she is sometimes ill-behaved and vindictive, at other
times she is helpful and kind to Peter (for whom she has romantic feelings). The extremes in her personality are explained by the
fact that a fairy's size prevents her from holding more than one feeling at a time. In Barrie's book, by Peter's first annual
return for Wendy, the boy has forgotten about Tinker Bell and suggests that she "is no more" for fairies do not live long.
- Captain James Hook is the vengeful pirate who lives to kill Peter Pan, not so much
because Peter cut off his right hand, but because the boy is "cocky" and drives the genteel pirate to "madness." He is captain of
the Jolly Roger. He attended Eton before becoming a pirate and is obsessed with "good form." Hook meets his demise when a
crocodile eats him.
- Mr. Smee is an Irish nonconformist pirate. He is the boatswain of the Jolly Roger. Smee
is one of only two pirates to survive Peter Pan's massacre. He then makes his living saying he was the only man James Hook ever
feared.
- Starkey, also known as Gentleman Starkey, was once an usher at a public school. He is Captain
Hook's first mate. Starkey is one of two pirates who escaped Peter Pan's massacre — he swims ashore and becomes baby-sitter
to the Piccaninny Tribe. Peter Pan gives Starkey's hat to the Never Bird to use as a nest.
- Fairies — In the novel Peter and Wendy, published in 1911, there are fairies on
Neverland. In the part of the story where Peter Pan and the lost boys built a house for Wendy on Neverland, Peter Pan stays up
late that night to guard her from the pirates, but then the story says: "After a time he fell asleep, and some unsteady fairies
had to climb over him on their way home from an orgy. Any of the other boys obstructing the fairy path at night they would have
mischiefed, but they just tweaked Peter's nose and passed on." [1]
Themes
The most apparent thematic thread in the story concerns "growing up" (or not), with the character of Peter wanting to remain a
child forever in order to avoid the responsibilities of adulthood. "Peter Pan syndrome" has become a psychiatric term named by Dr. Dan Kiley to describe an adult who is
afraid of commitment or refuses to act his age. It is also sometimes used to positively describe an innocent, childlike approach
to life.
Peter and Wendy form a contrast between childhood and maturity. Peter Pan remains a child in mind because he cannot feel the
pain of death and loss. He forgets soon after the fact anything that is not happy and lighthearted: "I always forget them after I
kill them".
There is a slight romantic aspect to the story, which is sometimes played down, or omitted completely, in the movie
adaptations. Wendy's flirtatious (by standards of the day) desire to kiss Peter, his desire for a mother figure, his conflicting
feelings for Wendy, Tiger Lily, and Tinker Bell (each
representing different female archetypes), and the symbolism of his fight with Captain Hook
(traditionally played by the same actor as Wendy's father), all could possibly hint at a Freudian interpretation (see Oedipus Complex). Most "children's
adaptations" of the play omit any romantic themes between Wendy and Peter, but Barrie's 1904 original, his 1911 novelization of
it, and most musicals at least hint at the romantic elements.
Another theme is mentioned in the 2004 film Finding Neverland: "It is all
the work of the ticking crocodile. Time is chasing after all of us."
It is traditional in productions of Peter Pan for Mr. Darling (the children's father) and Captain Hook to be played (or
voiced) by the same actor. Although this was originally done simply to make full use of the actor (the characters appear in
different sections of the story) with no thematic intent, some critics have perceived a similarity between the two characters as
central figures in the lives of the children. It also brings a poignant juxtaposition between Mr. Darling's harmless bluster and
Captain Hook's pompous vanity. This technique of tying two characters together was later used in the 1939 film
The Wizard of Oz and the Stephen Sondheim musical
Into the Woods, among others.
Adaptations
-
Peter Pan has been adapted for stage and screen many times.
Captain Hook fends off the crocodile in the first film version of Peter Pan
The premiere performance of the first stage adaption took place at the Duke of York's
Theatre, London, on December 27, 1904. It starred
Gerald du Maurier as Captain Hook and Mr. Darling, and Nina
Boucicault as Peter.[2]
Of particular note are the popular TV version and the animated film version. The 1954 stage version was re-staged for
television by NBC .
The production was so well received that 2 additional live version were broadcast. Mary Martin played TV's Peter Pan for the
third time on December 8, 1960 and it is this version, also telecast by NBC, and recorded on color videotape, that was repeated in 1963, 1966 and 1973, driving the popularity of Peter Pan.
Disney's Peter with the Lost Boys
On February 5, 1953, Disney released its animated film version of Peter
Pan with music by Sammy Cahn, Frank Churchill, Sammy
Fain, and Ted Sears. 15-year-old film actor Bobby Driscoll supplied the voice of
Peter. In the film, a visual reference is made to Peter's ties to the Pan of
Greek mythology by showing him absent-mindedly playing the Pan pipes (also called pan flute), which the nature spirit was famous for playing. This version contained
little of the original dialogue from the play or its novelization.
Sequels and prequels
-
There have been several additions to Peter Pan's story including the authorised sequel, Peter Pan in Scarlet and popular films Return to
Neverland and Hook.
Copyright status
The copyright status of Peter Pan varies from one jurisdiction to another, and is disputed in at least one of them. The
question is complicated somewhat by the various versions in which the story has been published. For example, elements introduced
in the earliest versions of the story by Barrie may be in public domain in a given
jurisdiction, but elements introduced in later editions or adaptations might not. For example, Disney holds the copyright for the
character designs, songs, etc. introduced in the 1953 animated film, but not for the characters themselves.
European Union
Barrie gave the copyright to Great Ormond Street Hospital, Britain's
leading children's hospital, before his death. GOSH claims full copyright in the European
Union until the end of 2007. In the 1990s, the term of copyrights was standardised throughout the EU (see Directive on harmonising the term of copyright protection) to
extend 70 years after the creator's death. Although Peter Pan was considered public
domain in some jurisdictions at that time, this provision placed it back under copyright.
United Kingdom
The UK copyright for Peter Pan originally expired at the end of 1987 (50 years after Barrie's death), but was
reestablished through 2007 by the European Union directive. Additionally, in 1988 the government had enacted a perpetual
extension of some of the rights to the work, entitling the hospital to royalties for any performance or publication of the work
(or works based on the play, such as those re-using the characters). This is not a true perpetual copyright, however, as it does not grant the hospital creative control nor the right to
refuse permission. Nor does it cover the Peter Pan sections of The Little White Bird, which pre-dates the play and was not
therefore an 'adaptation' of it. The exact phrasing is in section 301 of, and Schedule 6 to, the Copyright, Designs and Patents
Act 1988:
- 301. The provisions of Schedule 6 have effect for conferring on trustees for the benefit of the Hospital for Sick Children,
Great Ormond Street, London, a right to a royalty in respect of the public performance, commercial publication, broadcasting or
inclusion in a cable programme service of the play 'Peter Pan' by Sir James Matthew Barrie, or of any adaptation of that work,
notwithstanding that copyright in the work expired on 31 December 1987.
- …
- 1.—(1) In this Schedule—
- "the Hospital" means The Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street, London,
- "the trustees" means the special trustees appointed for the Hospital under the National Health Service Act 1977; and
- "the work" means the play "Peter Pan" by Sir James Matthew Barrie.
- …
- 2.—(1) The trustees are entitled, subject to the following provisions of this Schedule, to a royalty in respect of any public
performance, commercial publication, broadcasting or inclusion in a cable programme service of the whole or any substantial part
of the work or an adaptation of it.[1]
United States
The conversion of U.S. copyright terms from a fixed number of years following publication, to an extending number of years
following the creator's death, has introduced confusion over Peter Pan's copyright status. Great Ormond Street Hospital
claims that U.S. legislation effective in 1978 and again in 1998 extended their copyright until 2023. Their claim is based on the copyright
for the play script for Peter Pan, which was not published until 1928. By then, the character of Peter Pan had appeared in
three previously published books, the copyrights of which have since expired.
GOSH's claim is contested by various parties, including Disney, who had cooperated with the hospital previously, but in 2004
published Dave Barry's and Ridley Pearson's
Peter and the Starcatchers without permission or royalty payments. The
Library of Congress catalog states that the original edition of Peter and Wendy was published in 1911, and Disney asserts
that that material, like any other work published before 1923, was already in the public domain at the time of these extensions,
and was therefore ineligible to be extended.
A dispute between the hospital and writer J. E. Somma over the U.S. publication of her sequel After the Rain, was
settled out of court in March 2005. GOSH and Somma issued a joint statement which characterized her novel as "fair use" of the hospital's "U.S. intellectual property rights". Their confidential settlement does not set any
legal precedent, however. [2]
Other jurisdictions
The original versions of Peter Pan are in the public domain in at least Australia,
Canada, (where Somma's book was first published without incident), Yemen, Seychelles, São Tomé and
Principe, Eritrea, San Marino, Palau and Switzerland (where the copyright expired and was not renewed when
the term was later extended; see Copyright law of Switzerland). This is also true in
Afghanistan and Ethiopia, which do not have copyright laws
of their own and are not signatories to any of the
international copyright treaties. It is however still in copyright in Mexico and other Latin American countries where the
copyright term is author's life + 100 years, even for foreign authors.
Controversy
Like many other works of fiction from the era (such as the works of Rudyard Kipling and Mark Twain), the Peter Pan canon contains
much material which may be construed as offensive to modern audiences, though it was likely not intended to be offensive or
considered inappropriate at the time.
Specifically, the books have been accused of both racism and sexism. The former charge primarily concerns the portrayal of Native Americans in Peter And Wendy — the portrayal is highly stereotypical,
with Native Americans being shown as warlike primitives who speak in guttural tones. Barrie's treatment of female characters has
also been criticized by modern readers — most of the female characters in Peter And Wendy (Wendy, Tinker Bell, Tiger Lily,
and the mermaids) fawn over Peter Pan (and Tinker Bell makes several attempts on Wendy's life, out of jealousy), yet Peter
ignores all of their affections.
See also
References
- ^ J.M.Barrie, Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens and Peter and Wendy, Oxford
Press, 1999, page 132
- ^ Duke Of York's Theatre. "Peter Pan.", Reviews, The Times, Dec 28,
1904
General references
External links
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