Analysis Of Peter Pan By James M. Barrie

If I remember far back enough, my first impression of indigenous culture and peoples was through Disney’s Peter Pan film from 1953. I was introduced to the red-skinned Indian chief who was incredibly grateful after Peter Pan had saved his daughter Tiger Lily--the princess—and celebrated through dance and singing about why the Indigenous tribe had red skin. At the time I first watched the film, this depiction was not something that I fluttered an eye at. However, as I have grown older and learned about the detrimental influences that these stereotypes cause, my love for the film has motivated me to learn more about the issues indigenous peoples face in their daily lives.

“Lost Girl” written by Kimberly Belflower, a student at the University of Texas in Austin from New York who writes plays with fresh emotions and beautiful language that inspect the relationship between young women’s internal and external lives. “Lost Girl” is a play about adult Wendy Darling, the girl who when younger ran away with the well known Peter Pan. More specifically the play is about Wendy dwelling on her past with Peter and past in Neverland. She is obsessed with him, the lost boy who took her flying and gave her the childhood adventure any child only dreams to be a part of. She clings to the memory in hopes that he will one day come back like he said he would, she even leaves her window open twenty- four seven in hopes that he will

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world”-(Albert Einstein). Imagination is one of the varieties of themes that are introduced in Peter Pan. It is demonstrated in the novel in an assortment of ways from the children’s actions to Neverland itself. When you are a child imagination encircles the world like Albert Einstein said, and when you are young your imagination is more vibrant. It also configures as you start to matriculate and start realizing reality. In J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, the theme of Imagination is illustrated by characters, events, and symbols.

The Disney adaptation of Peter Pan has been seen as racist and stereotypical due to the way the Indians were portrayed in the film. The Indians were portrayed as wild, stoic, broad-nosed, red-faced men in typical feather headdresses. The song, “What Made the Red Man Red”, is considered politically incorrect to modern eyes and ears. In the song, the Indians tell they get the color of their skin by maintaining a permanent blush due to their pursuit of Indian women. Asking "How?" and saying “Ugh” are described as being major catalysts for Indian education. The Chief speaks in a stereotypical fashion (“Chief heap glad that Peter Pan rescue Tiger Lily”; “Teachum paleface brother all about Red Man.”). They’re often called savages

Peter Pan is a timeless tale in which transcends time and culture through its’ underlying themes. Each of the characters fulfilled their roles tremendously, and was able to bring forth these themes in their own unique ways.

In the time that the relationship between Tea Cake and Janie took place, it was normal for the woman to stay home and complete the chores for the household while the man worked. This conventional Relationship does work for these two lovers. Tea Cake asks Janie to work along side him in the fields, and the people ”generally assumed that she thought herself too good to work like the rest of the women and that Tea Cake ‘pomped her up tuh dat.’”(133) While everyone else thinks that Janie is too pampered to work the fields, Tea Cake believes that she, because she is not his subordinate or superior, is capable of labor. This does not mean that Janie has to take up more responsibilities because Tea Cake starts to help with the chores and making supper. Janie is not a piece of Tea Cake’s property which he can boss around. They both share work and responsibilities creating an equal relationship. Tea Cake does not ask for Janie to take on more work than him , nor does he expect to be the only worker in their bond. Equality is Tea Cake’s utmost concern in he and Janie’s

The fact that J.M. Barrie decides on the nursery for being the location for both the beginning and the end of the novel is symbolic of the importance of family life and maternal care in the novel Peter Pan. After the Darling children return back home from their adventures in Neverland, they come back to the nursery to be taken care of again by their mother and father. Wendy, which

J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan tells the story of “the boy who never grew up.” Barrie paints Peter as an extraordinary character living in a mystical world called Neverland, flying through the air, and fighting villainous pirates. He is also the boy who takes a young girl named Wendy from England back to Neverland with him. The interaction and interdependence of Barrie’s two characters, Peter and Wendy, symbolize and spread cultural gender stereotypes by mirroring the stereotypes embodied by the adult characters in the story—Mr. and Mrs. Darling—and by reflecting the ideas of gender roles of the time and foreshadowing the children’s understanding of reality and expectations, as well as their eventual maturation.

Children are often looked upon as little angels, in art, and called so by their parents who love them dearly. But while children are small and cute, and innocent too, there is truth to their being heartless. In Chapter 16 of Peter Pan the children are described as, "Rubbishy children" (205, Barrie). Despite their being shameless little cads, their mother, Mrs. Darling, can find no fault, and loves them all the same. Even when they left their dear parents so easily, as if they would not be grieved at their disappearance.

At first glance, J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan appears to be an innocent literary depiction of a young boy who wishes to never grow up—thus, remaining a child. Peter Pan, the story’s main protagonist, poses as the mischievous and youthful boy who spends his eternal life seeking adventures and leading the Lost Boys through the make-believe island, Neverland. Peter acquires the company of a young British girl by the name of Wendy Darling and her two little brothers, John and Michael Darling. In the company of the British children, Pan travels back to Neverland to primarily utilise Wendy for her motherly-expertise. Further inquiry and literary analysis of the 1904 novel leads readers to believe there is more to the story than what can be seen at first glance. Peter Pan is one of many novels subject to feminist literary criticism; the novel displays an array of male characters with very few female characters to contrast. Furthermore, female characters can be seen as passive, and frequently submit to paternal authority. In Peter Pan, women are assigned specific roles that mirror the responsibilities of those in the Victorian Era. The demeaning and gender-stereotypical interpretation of women coupled with the encouragement of male dominance places the story under criticism for its subjugation of women. In essence, the female characters are subject to the gender stereotypes and societal norms of the Victorian era in which they are

Every night, after a long, tiresome day in second grade, I would curl up in bed and beg my Mother to read me one of my favorite books, Peter Pan. There was something always magical about Peter Pan that helped me escape the daily events of the real world. Whether it was his capability to fly, difficulty to find his shadow, or ability to never grow old, the story of Peter Pan has stuck with me and has helped shaped me into who I am today.

If I were to be put in the scenario where I had to choose who to follow on the island, I would have chosen Ralph. Ralph didn’t succumb to the pressure of becoming savage and childlike as the others did, instead he chose to be logical and honor his initial goal; to be rescued. Day by day I am presented with situations where I can choose to be a leader, or follower. If I noticed other students ridiculing a classmate, I would divergently stand apart and stand up for that classmate, which in a sense makes me a leader.

J M. Barrie's Peter Pan is a poignant tale about the magic of childhood. The main character, Peter Pan, is a magical boy who wishes never to fall into the banality of adulthood, but to have an adventure every moment and remain forever young. The play details Peter's relationship with a young girl, Wendy, who is on the cusp of young adulthood. Peter's gang, the Lost Boys, wish for a mother to read them stories. Peter goes and retrieves Wendy to be their new mother. Their adventures reveal much about the nature of childhood and Barrie's thoughts on the bittersweet necessity of growing up.

In J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, young Wendy Darling and twelve year old John Darling, along with Peter Pan, learn that maturity is not shown by age, but by attitude, as seen by Wendy’s motherlike attitude, John’s fighting spirit and decision making, and Peter’s immaturity at times even though he is older. Wendy uses her attitude to help raise the Lost Boys and give them the mother they need. John’s headstrong attitude helps immensely in the fight against Captain James Hook, as he is smart in fights and is able to make impactful decisions. Peter’s immaturity shows that even though he is significantly older than the Darlings, he has many immature traits. In other words, age does not mean anything, just like Wendy, despite