Tag Archives: the real story

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The Dark Side of Peter Pan

As many people did, I grew up watching Peter Pan as a kid and wanting to be part of never land myself. As I got older, I realized that there is was always a deeper meaning behind the innocence of these Disney movies filled with adult lessons and sexual humor that I didn’t understand back then. A child is simply drawn to the animations of the story and the desire to be part of it, the last thing any of them would expect is that they are watching real life lessons unfold before them as they go into adulthood and realize it themselves. While I knew Peter Pan was fictional and that never land didn’t exist in reality, it was disturbing to see Peter Pan as well as many other childhood Disney movies I grew up watching in a whole new light, and in a disturbing way strong enough to ruin some childhood memories.

As Jacqueline Rose pointed  out in in the class reading of “ The Case of Peter Pan”  the twist is that the author of Peter Pan is actually just a man who had a desire and interest in little boys himself. This is what I meant by disturbing memories strong enough to ruin a childhood memory, because the whole image of Peter Pan is now seen as something different and not in a good way. Especially in today’s society, where problems like that happen daily, it doesn’t paint a good image for the author or the fans who grew up wanting to be part of Pan’s fictional life. Now I see that this story wasn’t meant for children at all but rather for adults to know, the worst part is knowing that this story probably would of never existed if it wasn’t for possibly the authors interest to possess these little boys. I’m sure everyone who is familiar with the story of Peter Pan has the same question in mind, and I’m not sure exactly myself either.

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Story Behind Peter Pan

When I was young, around 10 years of age or so, I remember watching commercials on t.v featuring Peter Pan. I never actually saw the movie or read the story, but I got the gist of it. It was about a young boy who could fly and never had to grow up. I thought that was a fantastic idea, what child didn’t want to stay young and carefree forever. I knew even then that Peter Pan was a story meant for young children. However, after reading “The Case of Peter Pan” I am very surprised to discover that Peter Pan was actually never a character intended for children. Instead, Peter Pan was a story written by a man (Barrie) who had a secret desire to “steal and possess”  young boys.  It was, instead, originally meant for young adults, because back then children could not even afford to buy the book or even understand it’s contents. I also learned that children’s books can be a form of “seduction”, not in a sexual or erotic way though. In the sense that these books entice and draw children into the story, I can see how children’s books might be considered a “seduction” of sorts.  The story of Peter Pan also had to go through many revisions in order to make it more appropriate for children. In the words of Rose “there is no child behind the category ‘children’s fiction’….” This quote shows us how adults have a different purpose for writing children’s books, purposes that children do not actually understand, because they are just taking the books for face value. The real reason that adults write children books is probably something that young children can’t grasp, and in the case of Peter Pan, the reason is darker and more “troubled” then children realize.