Peter Pan was an interesting novel to read since I had so many encounters with the story as a child. My most vivid memory of the Peter Pan story was the classic Disney movie. The Disney version is much different than Barrie's version. I enjoyed following Wendy's desire to be an adult, at the age of 22 I have a desire to be considered an adult and take care of those who are younger. I tutor a first grader and I see myself using techniques that my mom used to help me with spelling and math. You can also see Wendy mimic her mother's parenting roll when taking care of the lost boys. I think this act of mimicking parents is the most natural way of nurturing. We want to give others what we have been given by our mothers.
Another interesting point is that Peter Pan is adamant about not being a man and growing up, yet he is the leader of the lost boys, which automatically gives him grownup-like responsibilities. Wendy also calls him father, on the face this freaks him out, but there are points in the story in which he takes on the role voluntarily.
I have to agree that even thought Peter refuses to let Wendy call him father, he does take on these fatherly roles throughout the novel. The way the lost boys idol him because of his courageousness shows he is considered their father, even if he refuses to believe this. Also, Peter shows his maturity when he is able to take on Hook, protecting Wendy and the other Lost Boys. Whether Peter wants to believe it or not, he truly is the father figure for all of these children. He plays this role very well at times. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI also get the feeling that Peter likes to be in control of everything, hence why he voluntarily takes the father role on when HE initiates it instead of Wendy.
ReplyDeleteAlso the things that a father does that Peter does too (like protect lost boys/Wendy from Hook)I think he does more because he wants adventure rather than he is trying to be a father. Does that make sense? Like he fights Hook more because he wants the thrill of it rather than he wants to protect everyone.
great post! I most identify with the disney film Peter Pan as well, it's one of my favorites. I like the character of Wendy more in the book. In the film she, like Peter Pan, hates the idea of growing up and becoming a proper lady. In the book, Wendy aspires to be a mother and likes doing what she can to appear motherly. I volunteer at kinderfrogs and love to be there for the children and be a mentor figure to them, like wendy is for the lost boys.
ReplyDeleteI like how you can relate yourself to this story. We are not completely grown yet and neither is Wendy. Wendy took after her mom and so are you, seeing this connection is cool. At the end of the day we all have grown-up characteristics. Peter had them because he was the leader of the lost boys and the father figure, Wendy had them because she was the mother, and you posses these characteristics when you tudor children. I guess that means I have them too. Kind of scary.
ReplyDeleteI actually think its quite interesting that you say that Wendy mimics her mother when she takes care of the Lost Boys. I feel as if Wendy is very different from her mother. Her mother does take on the motherly role of telling bedtime stories, but I feel like that is the only time we see her as a true maternal figure. I personally feel that Wendy learns the motherly role from Nana, who is the true maternal figure in this story. I also feel that Wendy wants to be grown up because she isn't made to feel like a child by her parents who aren't represented as very nurturing - she seeks a different role in life that she knows she can assume and be appreciated for.
ReplyDeleteIt is funny that you blog about this. It was such a different read when you are an adult. I found Peter to be extremely manipulative and selfish.
ReplyDeleteI do remember when I was a child and would play house just like Wendy. I think that it is natural for a child her age to play "Mother". I know that similar to what we said in class, Wendy is wanting to become a mother and grow up far too quickly. I can definitely relate to that. I wanted to be a mom when I was a baby!
I definitely liked how you picked up all of the mimicking. I think it says a lot about the relationship between adults and children - quite a symbiotic relationship. You mirror your mom's actions as you grow up and in turn you find that grown up feeling by nurturing another.
ReplyDeleteI think that children do mimic their parents and older family members as a way of placing themselves within society. Bourdieu's idea of "social capital," that is, the idea that attaining or acting out certain social norms give a person power within a particular society, are challenged in Barrie's Peter Pan. Wendy's acting out the mother in her home seems natural, expected, and she seems to be merely adopting those behaviors she sees Nana or her mother performing. However, in Neverland, those same mothering actions are given new context, new meaning, and a new kind of power. I wonder what Barrie is saying about the place of "mother" in society. How much power, or "social capital," does that role have? Should we understand it to have more or less power?
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