The Dark History Of Peter Pan, The Boy Who Never Wanted To Grow Up
Although a lot of people know Peter Pan from the animated Disney film about a boy in a green suit who flies around crossing swords with the notorious Captain Hook, the history of the character is much darker. Incredibly, the legend of Peter Pan dates back more than 100 years, and although it may be about a young boy in search of endless fun and everlasting youth, the story has more disturbing origins than most people might think. Learn about the author and the boys who inspired this iconic tale.
Early Origins
Author James Matthew "J.M." Barrie, born in 1860, was the son of Margaret and David Barrie. Barrie had an older brother who was considered by many to be the "golden child" of the family.
Unfortunately, the older brother, Alexander, passed away at a young age. Oddly, James, six at the time, may have found comfort in the fact that his older brother would never grow up, establishing a strange fascination with preserving innocence and age.
Becoming Uncle Jim
Barrie became acquainted with a few boys in an area now attached to London's Hyde Park. Back then, in 1889, it was known as Kensington Gardens. There, he met George and Jack Llewelyn Davies, whom he befriended after meeting their parents, Arthur and Sylvia.
Arthur and Sylvia would go on to have more sons, Peter, Michael, and Nicholas ("Nico"), with Barrie becoming a part of the family's life. Eventually, the boys would grow to know Barrie as "Uncle Jim" although there was no blood relation at all.
A Troubled Marriage
In 1894, Barrie moved to London where he met and married a woman named Mary Ansell. As a wedding present, he gave her a St. Bernard puppy, and the two never had children together. In fact, it's been rumored that the married couple never consummated their marriage.
Their relationship wasn't all that great, which he expanded upon in his story "Tommy and Grizel." Barrie wrote, "Grizel, I seem to be different from all other men; there seems to be some curse upon me… You are the only woman I ever wanted to love, but apparently, I can't." The two were divorced by 1909.
Peter Pan Is Derived From A Different Character
Although most people know of Peter Pan today, his first appearance was in the novel The Little White Bird, which was a novel based on George Llewelyn Davies. In the tale, a boy named David becomes friends with the narrator, who pretends that he had a son who'd passed away.
The narrator concocts this lie in order to get closer to David's parents. Throughout the novel, the narrator references a story about a character named Peter Pan, who stays young forever.
"The Dark Side Of Peter Pan"
Some people had suspicions about Barrie. In Neverland: J.M Barrie, the Du Mauriers, and The Dark Side of Peter Pan, writer Piers Dudgeon had quite a bit to say about the author.
In his writings, Dudgeon makes the claim that there was something more to Barrie's relationship with the boys. Dudgeon managed to find a collection of letters that were sent to Michael Llewelyn Davies, whom Barrie referred to as his "favorite" Davies Child.
The Revealing Letters
In one letter, it reads, "I wish I could be with you and your candles. You can look on me as one of your candles, the one that burns badly – the greasy one that is bent in the middle, But still, hurray, I am Michael's candle. I wish I could see you putting on the redskin clothes for the first time… Dear Michael, I am very fond of you, but don’t tell anybody."
This typically isn't the type of letter that an adult male should be sending to a young boy, especially after telling Michael not to tell anyone about it.
Defending Barrie
Author Andrew Birkin wrote a biography titled Barrie and the Lost Boys that explained that Barrie wasn't the predator that many believed him to be. Instead, he calls him "a lover of childhood, but was not in any... sense the [villainous person] that some claim him to have been."
Although what Barrie was writing at the time may have been easy to excuse as literature, these days, it's unlikely that would have been able to fly like Pan.
A Change In Guardianship
Unfortunately, Arthur Llewelyn Davies passed away from jaw cancer in 1907, and his wife passed away just three years later, from lung cancer, in 1910. Unbelievably, Barrie was given custody even though he had no blood relation to their children.
Sylvia had left behind a letter that read, "What I would like would be if Jenny would come to Mary & that the two together would be looking after the boys & the house," with Mary being the boys' nanny and Jenny, her sister. However, Barrie altered the letter and changed Jenny to look like Jimmy, so it seemed that Sylvia wanted Barrie to be their guardian.
Taking In The Kids
Incredibly, Barrie's plan worked, and he tricked everyone into letting him be the boys' legal guardian. While the situation may be strange, there is still no evidence that Barrie ever abused any of the children.
Unfortunately, in 1915, George Llewelyn Davies was killed in World War I. George was the oldest of the Davies brothers, and after he died, Barrie and Michael's relationship grew stronger. When Michael left to attend Eton College, he had difficulty adjusting, although he did become good friends with another boy named Rupert Buxton.
Peter Llewelyn Davies Couldn't Stand Peter Pan
Supposedly, Peter Llewelyn Davies referred to Peter Pan as a "terrible masterpiece" with his son Ruthven believing that all of the unwanted fame drove Peter to become an alcoholic.
Although Peter seemed to be an optimistic and successful person, in April 1960, he took his own life. Barrie, who died in 1937 of pneumonia, gave the copyright of all his Peter Pan works to the Great Ormond Street Hospital, a children's hospital. To this day, the hospital still makes money from its ownership of the right.
Obsession With Boyhood
Peter Pan was released during a time when the current culture had a fascination with boyhood. Because of this, it resonated with readers in the early 20th century, especially with the upper and middle classes.
During this time, people were concerned that young boys were becoming too "soft" and losing touch with their masculinity. Henry William Gibson's book Boyology expands upon this, which suggests that schools and parents encourage with "wildness" of boys.
Letting The Boys Run Wild
Although the phrase "boys will be boys" is considered toxic masculinity in today's social climate, it was encouraged back then. Gibson wrote, "When he starts out to be a boy, he is more a little beast [...] He is, though, a man in the making."
It was also during this time that many boy-based institutions became established. For example, Robert Baden-Powell released his 1908 book Scouting for Boys, which helped initiate The Boy Scout Movement.
Taking Risks With Peter Pan
Releasing Peter Pan, when books such as Boyology were popular, was a smart move, but it was also risky. It seems strange that Peter Pan became so successful, considering that people were pushing masculinity when Peter Pan is about a boy who never grows up.
Brian Herrera, a Princeton professor who teaches the course "Queer Boyhood" explains, "I see Barrie as being in conversation both with and against [...] He said that the idea that there is something precious and extraordinary about boyhood, but he doesn’t seem to see adult masculinity as the natural next step of the boyhood wildness, but as a cruel step away from the magic of boys.”
Creating A Myth
In a 2004 essay written by Anthony Lane about Barrie in The New Yorker, he writes, "In Peter Pan, Barrie achieved the rarest alchemy of all, the one that no writer can plan or predict: he invented a myth."
Nevertheless, although the myth of Peter Pan might seem like an innocent children's story today, where the story is derived from is much darker. Today, children might remember the Disney version of the tale, but Disney is known for taking tragic stories and turning them into moneymakers directed towards children.
Creating The Character Of Peter Pan
As discussed earlier, the character of Peter Pan first appeared in Barrie's novel, The Little White Bird. In the book, Peter Pan is a seven-day-old baby that believes he can fly, and this part of the story was particularly popular. Because of the book's success and specifically the character of Peter Pan, Barrie felt he could take things further.
In 1904, he decided to create a play about the character Peter Pan, otherwise known as The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up. He then published more chapters about Peter Pan in a book titles Peter Pan in the Kensington Garden.
There Were Differences In The Characters
Although Peter Pan came out of Little White Bird, they weren't the same characters at all. In the original story, Peter remained one week old forever and believes his mother will always leave the window open for him so that he can return home.
However, when he finally decides to return, he's heartbroken. He finds that all of the windows are barred and that his mother is cuddling with a different child and that he's been replaced.
Barrie's Relationship With The Boys
One of the biggest controversies surrounding Barrie by both historians and biographers was whether his relationship with the Davies boys was inappropriate or not. Currently, there is no evidence to say that he did or didn't have such a relationship with the boys, although numerous of Barrie's acquaintances described him as asexual.
In fact, Nicholas, the youngest of the Davies boys reported that "I don't believe that Uncle Jim ever experienced what one might call a stirring undergrowth for anyone – man, woman, adult, or child."
Still An Odd Relationship
Although Barrie may have forged the documents in order to place the Davies boys under his guardianship, Barrie was a close friend of the family. He even went on vacation with them, although he spent most of his time around the boys by the lake, filling their heads with stories about fairies and pirates.
Considering all of this, it's believed that Peter Pan is based on George Llewelyn Davies, who was five, and Barrie 37 when they first met.
It Started Out As A Play
Although many people know Peter Pan either from film or books, it actually started as a play. It wasn't until 1911 that Barrie finally turned his play into a novel titled Peter and Wendy.
As Peter's character was fleshed out, it's clear that Barrie created the character from a mixture of people from throughout his life, including himself. Peter is portrayed as someone that is an outsider of British society, a similar way that Barrie felt himself.
Peter And Wendy
The story Peter and Wendy that Barrie wrote was far different than what the final product of Peter Pan turned out to be. In the story, Wendy wants Peter to acts like a father, however, he has no ideas on how to do so.
This may have come from Barrie's own personal experiences with women, particularly his wife. In one of his journals, Barrie noted, "Greatest horror – dream I am married – wake up shrieking."
References To The Little White Bird
In the later developments of the Peter Pan character, Barrie kept the backstory of the character that he used in his novel The Little White Bird. However, in this version, Peter leaves Kensington Park and goes to Neverland, where he establishes his crew of the Lost Boys and is constantly at odds with the pirates.
In Barrie's newer version of the tale, Peter is also older and is no longer a baby but a young boy, and the Peter Pan that we think of today. Furthermore, Wendy Darling and her children turn into mothers, replacing Peter's. Yet, sadly, when Wendy grows up, she can no longer play with Peter or continue to be his mother.
Is The Ending Happy Or Sad?
At the end of the story, Peter reunites with Wendy when she is an adult. However, Wendy feels an immense amount of guilt, because she had to grow up and abandon Peter just like his mother.
This realization broke Peter, however, not all was lost. Wendy's daughter Jane was able to replace Wendy in Peter's heart and her daughter as well, and so on, and so on. This way, there were always children to play with Peter.
Peter Has A Tendency To Harm Ruthlessly
In both the book and play, Peter doesn't seem to show any remorse when it comes to killing pirates. Furthermore, in the book, we also learns that he has killed Lost Boys, although the exact reason isn't all that clear.
On top of all that, Peter also altered the bodies of some of the Lost Boys so that they could fit through the tree holes that lead into their underground layer. Since Peter can't tell the difference between real and make-believe. he would also give the Lost Boys pretend meals and refused to believe that they were actually hungry.
Respected Leader Or Dictator?
One of the most recent renditions of the story is Lost Boy by Christina Henry. In this version, Peter Pan isn't a symbol of undying youth but a sinister cult leader that takes little boys from their families and forces them to play a game called "battle," which results in the boys killing each other off.
Although the boys in the story don't necessarily love Peter, they're stuck in Neverland, and he's their only source of protection, so they're forced to follow under his leadership.
The Darkness Of Neverland
Throughout the story, the Lost Boys and the Darlings are constantly in danger. In fact, it almost seems that Peter likes putting them in danger so that he can save them for his own entertainment. He likes saving them to show off, not really because he cares about them.
However, Neverland's idea came about with Barries and the kids playing around a lake in the countryside. While Neverland might seem like the ideal place to live, it's actually quite disturbing when you think about it.
Few People Think About The Lost Boys
Although Henry's version of Peter is certainly darker than the original character, her portrayal of the Lost Boys isn't necessarily inconsistent with the original tale. For instance, Barrie didn't tell the story from the perspective of any of the Lost Boys and didn't make them into characters with any feelings the reader can relate to.
Instead, Peter treats the Lost Boys more like objects than friends, much like Henry's version. From this perspective, Peter can be understood as a sociopathic narcissist that doesn't care about anyone but himself.
Developing Peter
When coming up with the character of Peter, Barrie found the traits of selfishness and innocence to be appealing, and although he had plans to have Peter become empathetic towards the end, he was unable to do so.
Therefore, Peter Pan remained the same character, which makes it easy to almost make Peter more of a villain than a hero. This begs the question of whether Barrie is an extremely clever writer or if he didn't think anything wrong about the suspicious of his character.
Connection To Christmas
For some individuals, the story of Peter Pan is associated with Christmas, although there is a reason for this. This is because, during that time of the year, most plays were performed during the holiday season.
So, when Peter Pan took the stage, it attracted massive crowds, and people were attracted to the magic of the story on top of the holiday season. That's why, for many people, Peter Pan is sometimes seen as part of the holiday tradition.
The Legend Is Still Making Money For The Hospital
When Barrie left the copyright to Peter Pan to the Great Ormond Street Hospital, that meant that the hospital continued to get receive royalties. That meant they were paid for broadcasts, publications, adaptations, and any other kind of productions that featured the title of Peter Pan.
However, they weren't paid for sequels, prequels, or adaptations of any kind. Interestingly, Barrie instructed the hospital never to disclose the amount of money they ever received, which they agreed to.
Changing The Story
Since the original script was written, the story of Peter Pan was altered by Barrie almost every year. Because of this, one of the popular versions of Peter Pan that fans know is set in the 1950s and '60s. By updating the story with the times, it keeps the tale of Peter Pan fresh and exciting.
Interestingly, in the original story, there was no Fairy Dust, which was added in later. In the beginning, Peter and the Lost Boys could fly whenever they wanted, which resulted in a number of children harming themselves after they were convinced that they could fly too. Therefore, Barrie added Fairy Dust as a necessary component to flying.
Differences Over Time
Initially, when Peter Pan was just a stage play, the character Tinker Bell was just a dot of light on the stage that was moved by using a focusing mirror. However, in current productions, the character is a puppet designed by the talented puppeteer, Sue Dacre.
Also, Peter didn't wear green at all, although that's what most people envision him in. Originally, Peter Pan typically wore tan, brown, auburn, and cowbells. In one version, he even wears a leather jacket to look like James Dean.
Captain Hook Attended Eton College
In 20th century England, adventure novels were all the rave, such as Robert Lewis Stevenson's Treasure Island. In the original version of the play, Captain Hook's final words were "Floreat Etona," the Eton College motto.
When discussing Captain Hook, Barrie confirmed that Captain Hook attended Eton College and was even peers with Long John Silver. Barrie even confirmed through Peter and Wendy that Captain Hook was the only person that Long John Siver ever feared.
Disney Had Their Own Take, Kind Of
Even though many people know the story of Peter Pan from the Disney version, it isn't all that different from the original play. The darkness in Barrie's original play is evident in Disney's animated version, such as the fact that Peter will forever be a child.
Dr. Professor Allison Kavey, an expert on Peter Pan, commented, "The Peter in The Little White Bird and Peter and Wendy is among the most honest depictions of a literary child I think I have ever read. He is selfish, devoted to his own entertainment, except in battle scenes, incapable of taking care of himself. He also loves like a child, without thought the effect his love has or what it will mean if he forgets for a whole."
Making It Appropriate For Children
To make the story of Peter Pan more age-appropriate for Disney, they made some significant changes in the animated version. For example, they made Peter a young boy (instead of a baby), with the same looks and mannerisms as a boy in the 1950s, the same decade that the film was made.
As the years have gone by and new versions of the story have been released, the tale's theme is yet to change, which is the concept of everlasting youth.