Introduction to Peter Pan and Wendy
Peter Pan and Wendy is J.M. Barrie’s classic children’s tale, which transports readers into the majestic world of Neverland—a place where mermaids swim, fairies fly, and little boys never, ever grow up (Barrie, 1911). The story begins in the home of the Darling Family, where Mr. and Mrs. Darling, and their children Wendy, John, and Michael reside. On one remarkable night, Peter Pan bursts into the children’s nursery and convinces them to fly away with him to the island of Neverland (Barrie, 1911).
Neverland is a most magical and awe inspiring place, inhabited by three different groups: Peter’s band of lost boys, the redskins, and the pirates, overseen by the fearsome Captain Jas. Hook. Captain Hook and Peter Pan are mortal enemies, because Peter cut off Hook’s left arm and fed it to a crocodile, who as a result has developed a taste for Hook’s blood (Barrie, 1911).
Wendy, John, and Michael settle into life on the island, and take part in many an adventure. Wendy even assumes the role of mother to the lost boys and Peter, taking care of meals, darning their socks, and reciting bedtime stories. One night, Wendy tells the story of her life back home, and this makes all the lost boys greatly nostalgic, and results in them deciding to leave Neverland to fly back home to England. Peter is devastated, but lets them leave. However, before they can fly away, they are captured by the pirates, and taken hostage on their ship The Jolly Roger (Barrie, 1911). When Peter learns of this, he sneaks aboard, and with the help of the lost boys and a little bit of mischief is able to defeat the pirates, including Hook, who in the end is eaten by the crocodile (Barrie, 1911).
All of the children fly home, and are joyfully reunited with their families. All except for Peter, for although he knows many joys and adventures, and will remain forever young, he will never know what it means to feel loved (Barrie, 1911).
Evaluation of Peter Pan and Wendy
My first introduction to Peter Pan and Wendy was the film Hook, starring Robin Williams as an adult version of Peter Pan, who must return to Neverland to rescue his children when they are kidnapped by Captain Hook (Spielberg, 1991). In fact, as a child I watched three literature-based films on an almost weekly basis: Hook, The Wizard of Oz, and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Oddly enough, although I was an avid reader, I never read any of the novels that inspired these films.
After a while I expanded my horizons, and grew out of watching and re-watching the three above films, and all but forget about Hook and the story of Peter Pan. My re-introduction to Peter Pan and Wendy did not come until two years ago, when I saw a production of Peter Pan performed at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. I was completely transfixed and mesmerized by Stratford’s production. In it, the character of J.M. Barrie was added to the play, and narrated and introduced many scenes to the audience. Interestingly, the actor playing Captain Hook also played the role of J.M. Barrie. It was this production of Peter Pan that finally inspired me to read Peter Pan and Wendy.
While watching the play, and later, when I finally read the book, I was surprised to find so many adult themes present in the text. Before reading it, I had always thought of Peter Pan and Wendy as the quintessential children’s book, but discovered that it also has great relevance to adults, and contains a great deal of information that would not likely be grasped by a younger audience. Themes of innocence, loss, and what it means to grow up are prevalent throughout the text. It also includes long and beautiful descriptions of abstract topics, and unimaginable landscapes. In fact, it was the inclusion of these adult ideas that most appealed to me when reading this book. The melancholy tone of the entire novel, and in particular the ending surprised me. But this was also something that greatly appealed to me as a reader. The fact that this novel was able to appeal to young children as well as adults of any age, is inspiring. The beauty in J.M. Barrie’s text truly brings Neverland to life, in a way that neither the film Hook, nor countless other interpretations of the story have done.
Publication History
Peter Pan and Wendy has a long and complicated publication history, largely owing the fact that it began as a play, and only later was released in book form (Lane, 2004).
The character of Peter Pan was first written about in the book The Little White Bird, which was published in 1902. After this, Peter was next written on in a play that was titled simply Peter Pan, which debuted in London in 1904, and was staged in New York in 1905 (Lane, 2004). The script of Peter Pan is what the book that is now commonly known as Peter Pan and Wendy is based upon, but this book was not published until 1911, at which time it was simply titled Peter and Wendy (Lane, 2004; Barrie, 1911). However, although the play Peter Pan was staged successfully for many years, the script from the play under went almost constant revisions, and was not formally published until 1929 (Barrie, 1929).
To further complicate things, prior to the publication of Peter and Wendy, other Peter Pan related books were also published including: Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens in 1906, and The Peter Pan Picture Book in 1907, an approved retelling of the play Peter Pan aimed at children, which was written by David O’Connor and illustrations by Alice B. Woodward (Lane, 2004; O’Connor, 1907).
Since the publication of Peter and Wendy in 1911 countless editions have been released. In 1921, the book was first published as Peter Pan and Wendy, and illustrated by Mabel Lucie Attwell; however, this edition was actually adapted and not written by J.M. Barrie, but May Byron (Seville, 2004; Byron, 1921). Since the release of this publication, future editions of Barrie’s work were published as Peter Pan and Wendy (Seville, 2004). Over time illustrated, abridged, and picturebook editions have all been released. Most recently, the Peter Pan and Wendy Centenary Edition was published in 2010, celebrating 100 years of the timeless story about the boy who refused to grow up (Barrie, 2010).
Book reviews for Peter and Wendy (1911)
The complicated publishing history described above has resulted in numerous editions and forms of Peter Pan and Wendy being published over time. For the purposes of this paper, reviews pertaining to the publication of Peter and Wendy by J.M. Barrie in 1911 will be examined.
Based upon the book reviews from major news sources in both the United States and London, is appears that J.M. Barrie’s publication of Peter and Wendy in 1911 was highly praised. The New York Times reviewer writes: “Mr. Barrie makes you quite see it all and fell all the fever and joy of combat and quite wonderful adventure…only curmudgeons can fail to bless Mr. Barrie for doing it” (New York Times 1911: LS650). While, in The Spectator, a London based weekly magazine, their reviewer states: “we are very grateful to Mr. J.M. Barrie for bringing Peter to closer quarters,” (The Spectator, 1911: 833). The Spectator also acknowledges that Peter and Wendy is not only a children’s book, highlighting that adults will greatly enjoy Barrie’s writings on Neverland, as well as his insights into the lives of Mr. and Mrs. Darling (The Spectator, 1911). The positive nature of both book reviews was expected as at the time of publication, the play Peter Pan was already accepted as a critical and popular success.
The era in which Peter and Wendy was published
Though published in 1911, Peter Pan and Wendy is considered a part Edwardian fiction. The Edwardian Era lasted from 1901-1910, and was the last British era to be named after its ruling monarch, in this case King Edward VII (Maunder, 2003). Books that were published in this period often contained themes based around the conflict between the progressive and the static (Maunder, 2003). In a way, Peter and Wendy fits well within this theme, as the character of Peter Pan refuses to grow up, and as a result is stuck in one place while the world around him continues to move forward. Other notable authors from this period include: Joseph Conrad the author of Heart of Darkness, which was published in 1902, and Frances Hodgson Burnett who published The Secret Garden in 1910.
Today the Edwardian Era is remember with nostalgia, and is viewed as an idyllic time characterised by opulence, leisure, high fashion, household servants and grand hotels (Cassell & Co., 2002). In the years after the Edwardian Era, which were of course characterized by the First World War, people viewed the this time as one of extravagance, and an a brief idyllic ‘Indian Summer’ between the austere Victorian Era, and the hard times of World War I (Palgrave MacMillan, 2004).
Overall, Peter and Wendy was introduced at a perfect time in history, when people were felt free to imagine the world of Neverland, and let the opulence of Barrie’s writing carry them away.
Peter and Pan and Wendy’s Relation to other works by J.M. Barrie
J.M Barrie was born in Kirriemuir, Scotland in the year of 1860 (Lane, 2004). Both the sadness and joy in his life is said to be reflected in the book Peter Pan and Wendy. When Barrie was seven, his older brother David died in a skating accident, the death of his brother is said to have profoundly affected Barrie’s worldview and inspired the character Peter Pan (Lane, 2004). But it was Barrie’s relationship with the Llewellyn Davies family, which began in 1898 that led to the development and publication of Peter Pan and Wendy in its many forms (Lane, 2004).
The Llewellyn Davies family consisted of Sylvia, Arthur, and their five children: George, Jack, Michael, Peter, and Nicolas (Lane, 2004). Barrie met George and Jack in Kensington Garden and soon became a fixture in the lives of each of the children, with whom he would play make believe, dream up the world of Neverland and bring to life the character Peter Pan (Barrie, 1929). In Barrie’s now infamous dedication to ‘the five’ in the publication of the play Peter Pan he states: “I always knew that I made Peter by rubbing the five of you violently together, as savages with two sticks produce a flame.” (Barrie, 1929: 2). Barrie became so close with the family that after the deaths of Arthur and Sylvia Llewellyn Davies in 1907 and 1910, from jaw cancer and lung cancer respectively, he assumed guardianship of the children (Lane, 2004). But unfortunately, after the deaths of their parents, the lives of the Llewellyn Davies boys continued on tragically. George was killed in 1915, fighting in World War One, Michael drowned while swimming in 1921, and Peter committed suicide in 1960 (Lane, 2004). J.M. Barrie never lived to learn of Peter’s suicide, by was devastated by the loss of George and Michael, and in fact after Michael’s death, Barrie all but stopped writing (Seville, 2004; Lane, 2004).
By the time Barrie made the acquaintance of the Llewellyn Davies family he was already recognized as an established author, most famous for Auld Licht Idylls, a book published in 1888, which is based upon his childhood in Kirriemuir (Serafin and Grosvenor, 2006). Other novels by Barrie including: When a Man’s Single (1888), A Window in Thrums (1889), and The Little Minister (1891) were also well received (Serafin and Grosvenor, 2006). Each of these books involve a deep attraction to a mother figure, displayed within the text, which are hypothesized as revealing Barrie’s own idolization of his mother (Serafin and Grosvenor, 2006; Lane, 2004).
Not only was Barrie a noted novelist, but he is also recognized as an established playwright, most famed for Peter Pan (1904), but also well recognized for other works including The Admirable Crichton, which was staged in 1902 and published in 1914 (Serafin and Grosvenor, 2006). The Admirable Crichton is written as a comedic social commentary on the roles of servants and masters in high society, and explores what happens when a serving man is forced into leadership (and a high society role) when individuals of all classes become ship wrecked on a deserted island (Barrie, 2004). Though very different than the play Peter Pan, The Admirable Crichton does of course contain the similar setting of an island on which anything can happen, which in someways may be seen as rather similar to the magical island of Neverland.
Despite the success of Barrie’s other works, it is his play Peter Pan and book Peter Pan and Wendy that he is most well known for. In fact, by 1950 over fifteen million people had viewed the play, and even more had read the book (Serafin and Grosvenor, 2004). Since then, the release of numerous other types of media referencing Peter Pan and Neverland, including the Disney film Peter Pan in 1953 have greatly increased the accessibility of Barrie’s work, and have resulted in Peter Pan, Captain Hook, and Tinkerbell becoming a pop culture icons (Serafin and Grosvenor, 2004; Seville, 2004).
Peter Pan and Wendy’s History since Publication
History in print
As previously discussed, Peter Pan and Wendy has a long and illustrious history in print, which include the publication of books, plays, and abridge retellings by alternative authors. Peter Pan and Wendy continues to be read by children and adults around the world, and as a result continues to be reprinted. The most significant event in the publication of Peter Pan and Wendy took place in 1929 when Barrie assigned the copyright in Peter Pan over to the Great Ormond Street Hospital, a children’ hospital located in London, England (Seville, 2004). This meant that this hospital would collect royalties in any future performances, publications, or broadcastings that reference or adapt Barrie’s play Peter Pan (Seville, 2004). Barrie’s death in 1937, would usually result in the work becoming accessible and available in public domain, but an in this case an amendment was made in the Copyright Act, which allowed the Great Ormond Street Hospital to continue receiving royalties (Seville, 2004). Although this situation is quite unusual, it seems fitting that the story of the boy who would never grow up is contributing to medical services that ensure that more children will be able to grow into adults (Seville, 2004).
History on stage
After its first staging in on December 27th 1904, Peter Pan became known as a holiday play, and was revived in London every year around Christmas. Each year, Barrie would make small changes to the script, and occasionally even added lines to the play that were made up by the Llewellyn Davies boys (Seville, 2004). In 1907 one of the greatest changes to the play was made, in which Barrie added an act that explained what happened to Wendy when she grew up (Seville, 2004). In this act, Wendy has a daughter named Jane, who Peter finds when he returns to visit. Peter is shocked that Wendy is no longer a child, but Wendy and Peter are able to come to an understanding when she allows Peter to take Jane away for spring-cleaning each year (Barrie, 1929).
But the story of Peter Pan and Wendy has also received the Broadway treatment, and in 1950 a musical production of Peter Pan opened in New York. This production stayed very close to the original script, but was not highly viewed or well remembered (Seville, 2004). Four years later, in 1954 Jerome Robbins produced the now famous Broadway musical Peter Pan, which was filmed and broadcast on television (Seville, 2004). Though this production differs considerably from the play, it is one of the most well known stage versions of Peter Pan today.
History on screen
But today the story of Peter Pan and Wendy is not most known in play or even book form. The creation of two Walt Disney cartoons: Peter Pan, and Peter Pan: Return to Neverland, have instilled cartoon images of characters including Peter, Wendy, Hook, and Tinkerbell in the minds of children around the world (Seville, 2004). Disney’s Peter Pan which was released in 1953, and its sequel which premiered in 2002 are both radical departures from Barrie’s Peter Pan and Wendy, and eliminate almost all of the melancholy and beautiful sadness that is so present in the book (Seville, 2004). Numerous other films have attempted to present Neverland on the silver screen including a silent film released in 1925, and the aforementioned Hook released in 1991 (Seville, 2004; Spielberg, 1991). In fact, the presence of Peter Pan and other character from the book in our culture today, make it difficult to even read Peter Pan and Wendy without imagining Disney or other film interpretations.
The Impact of Peter Pan and Wendy
Influence on other books
The story of Peter Pan and Wendy has likely has immeasurable impacts on countless authors who have been inspired by Barrie’s work over time. Many authors have published stories abridged or revised versions of Peter Pan and Wendy, but few have written unique works using the characters developed by Barrie because of the work’s unique copyright status (Seville, 2004). In fact, Peter Pan in Scarlet, which was written in 2006, is the only official sequel to Peter Pan and Wendy, which has been acknowledged by the Great Ormond Street Hospital (McCaughrean, G., 2006).
Influence on psychological fields
The impact that the story of Peter Pan and Wendy has had on society is immeasurable. Barrie’s modern day fairy tale has inspired countless children to believe in magic, to think that fairies are real, to imagine that they too can fly. However, the darker aspects of Peter Pan have also held influence in fields including psychology (Seville, 2004; Trussler, 2007). In fact in 1983 American psychologist Dan Kiley coined the term ‘the Peter Pan syndrome’, using it refer to boys that have never grown up and become men. Michael Jackson is often cited as an example of a man suffering from this psychological issue (Seville, 2004; Trussler, 2007). Later, Kiley went on to write on ‘the Wendy dilemma’, which ensues when woman cannot stop mothering their men (Seville, 2004). The psychological studies that have grown out of Peter Pan and Wendy make it clear that Barrie’s book is anything but a light and fun filled children’s book, but rather a complex and multi-layered story filled with adventures, and gaiety, but also a great deal of sadness, much of which can be seen reflected in Barrie’s own life.
Future Impact
Peter Pan and Wendy continues to be recognized as a classic children’s novel. Not only is it continually read by young readers around the world, but theatrical, televised, and cinematic interpretation of Peter Pan continued being produced.
References
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O’Connor, D. (1907). The Peter Pan picture book. London: George Bell and Sons.
Barrie, J.M. (1911). Peter and Wendy. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.
Spielberg. S. (director). (1991). Hook. United States: Tristar Pictures.
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Trussler, S. (2007). Peter Pan and Susan: Lost children from Juliet to Michael Jackson. NTQ, 23(4), 380-387. doi: 10.1017/s0266464x07000292
Lane, Anthony. “Lost Boys; Why J.M. Barrie created Peter Pan.” The New Yorker, November 22, 2004. Accessed January 28th 2012. http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2004/11/22/041122crat_atlarge.
McCaughrean, G. (2006). Peter Pan in scarlet. Margaret K. McElderry Books.
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