Peter Pan By J.M. Barrie Review

Peter Pan is a story that highlights, berates and yet also celebrates the undeniable “heartless” nature of children. This intertwines with its inevitable pairing of the other part of the equation, the mother who would endure ten days of unhappiness to allow her children ten minutes of delight. Now this is a true glimpse into motherhood, another prevalent theme. Wendy, Michael and John leave their loving mother on a whim, fully expecting her window and thus her loving arms, to be open and welcoming when they come back at any time they please, even having the audacity to nearly forget about her while traipsing around Neverland. A mother’s love is a beautiful yet tragic phenomenon, taken for granted by children who cannot help their innocent and hence heartless nature, all we can do is observe. 

Peter Pan embodies the worst traits of children amplified, his conceit, forgetfulness--greedily snatching glory that doesn't belong to him--and love for make believe, as there are never any real consequences of make believe, right? And who can forget his infamous desire to never grow up. It is difficult to discern whether or not the book is a warning against our culture’s desire and fixation on eternal wide-eyed youth. But it is difficult to feel anything but pity when Peter’s fate is to forget every grand adventure and even loved ones. He bears the brunt of the burden of evading the natural course of growing up. Because what is a life with no purpose but to have fun that has no real meaning as there are no memories and no ties to the resulting connections? But as he is unaware of the tragedy of the nature of his existence, maybe it is a joyful story after all, ignorance is bliss.