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Peter Pan and Wendy Book Cover 1915

It seems safe to assume that most people are familiar with one version or another of the tale of Peter Pan. Some generations may be more familiar with the dramatic adaptations, including the famous debut of Mary Martin as Peter. Others may have enjoyed various picture book editions or young adult sequels and prequels. As a child I enjoyed the Disney animated version, and later the Spielberg sequel Hook. Like many, I didn’t read the original novel by Scottish writer J.M. Barry, Peter Pan and Wendy, until it was required in a college-level children’s literature course.

Throughout the class I was surprised to learn that the original Grimm’s fairy tales and other children’s folk stories were often a bit rougher around the edges than their sugary Disney counterparts. It was not uncommon to encounter gruesome violence, incest, and cannibalism in stories like “Red Riding Hood” and “Cinderella.” Though J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan isn’t thematically horrifying, there are certainly elements that might trouble today’s parents.

First of all, the amount of violence in the book is rather startling. Compared to the Disney version, in which the pirates rarely receive more than a bop on the head, the novel is a bit more graphic, as Peter maliciously kills pirates without much concern or regret.

Modern readers may also be troubled by Barrie’s portrayal of women throughout the story. Wendy, Tiger Lily, and even fiery Tinkerbell are portrayed as damsels-in-distress, dependent on Peter to save them. In addition, the jealous interactions between these three female characters suggest that they view their own identities only through Peter’s eyes and feel unfulfilled without his attention. Furthermore, Wendy takes on the passive, stereotypical role of obedient housewife, as she doesn’t participate in any of the adventures of the Lost Boys and is merely content to keep house and dote on the rest of the children.

Readers may also be disturbed by the out-dated, inaccurate depictions of Neverland’s Natives who are referred to as “redskins” who engage in “savage” behavior. Throughout my reading, these elements of violence, racism, and sexism startled me, and I found myself grappling with an important question: Is it possible to look beyond these inappropriate components to appreciate the beautiful, imaginative tale beneath? Are we, in today’s society, too concerned with political correctness, or are we right to reject a children’s book for such reasons?

Of course, this is a question everyone must answer for themselves. I believe it is possible to enjoy a novel despite its disparity in societal values and standards. This cannot be accomplished by simply ignoring the book’s troublesome passages. As readers, we can seek to recognize and question these sections while allowing ourselves to enjoy the whimsical, innocent episodes, like the hunt and capture of Peter’s mischievous shadow. After all, Peter Pan helped to establish many fundamental tropes of the children’s fantasy genre, like the existence of an alternate world and the presence of fairies and other remarkable creatures. Despite the story’s flaws, I found the image of Peter perched outside the nursery window, looking inside at a scene from an ever-recognizable childhood, stayed with me long after the story’s conclusion. I predict that J.M. Barrie’s novel, flaws intact, will occupy our society’s collective imagination for years to come.

To learn more about J.M. Barrie’s work and his inspiration for the chilling villain Captain Hook, check out this LT article by Rachel McGinnis.

Every Friday, the staff at Literary Traveler gathers up relevant book news from around the web, bringing it together in a handy post for book lovers to peruse.  Enjoy!

• An interesting piece from the Jewish Review of Books asks the question: Why are there so few Jewish fantasy authors?  It’s something I’ve never considered, but considering the Christian allegories in Narnia and the like, it’s certainly worth thinking about.  Michael Weingrad argues, “we should begin by acknowledging that the conventional trappings of fantasy, with their feudal atmosphere and rootedness in rural Europe, are not especially welcoming to Jews, who were too often at the wrong end of the medieval sword.”  More thoughts on the relationship between religion and the fantasty world at The Second Pass.
• Independent publisher Melville House has announced their intention to host an award ceremony for the best and worst book trailers. Book trailers, for those of you who don’t know, are short videos created to promote upcoming books.  Categories include “Best Big Budget Book Trailer,” “Best Cameo in a Book Trailer,” and hilariously, “Least Likely to Actually Sell the Book.”
• One possible contender for the Melville House awards?  Actor Zach Galifianakis, who appeared in the trailer for John Wray’s Lowboy. Galifianakis and Wray humorously switched places in this short video, with the actor portraying the writer and the writer playing a far more chipper Zach.
• In 2006, Elizabeth Gilbert’s book Eat, Pray, Love became an instant hit, a bestseller, and a defining entry in the travel writing-cum-memoir canon.  As you’ve probably heard, the story of Gilbert’s self discovery is being made into a feature film, starring (who else?) America’s sweetheart Julia Roberts.  Roberts talks to the New York Times about the film, which left her “exhausted when it was all done.”  But “I loved every second of it,” she added.
• And finally, start this weekend off right by listening to a bit of poetry. Singer/songwriter Natalie Merchant has done something interesting with her newest album, Leave Your Sleep.  Merchant has taken her favorite poems from childhood and set them to music in such a way that both adults and children can enjoy the resulting lullabies.  She chose works by famous poets (like Robert Graves, E.E. Cummings and even  one from Mother Goose) mixed in with those of lesser-known writers, including Charles Carryl and Lydia Huntley Sigourney.