Summary

Soloman in Kensington Garden and sends birds to ladies who asked for children. The birds later become boys or girls. Every child grows up, except Peter Pan. He flew out of his window when he was a week old and arrived at Kensington Gardens. When he returned to his mother, he found the window barred and he couldn't go back.

One day, when the Darling family went to a party and Nana (the nurse who is a dog) wasn't on guard, Peter Pan came. He taught the children to fly and the darling children, Wendy, John, and Michael flew with him to Neverland. Captain Hook, a pirate who is very sinister is their enemy. Peter and his boys succeeded in defeating the pirates and killing Hook. The children returned to their homes and grew up. Years later Peter came again for spring cleaning time but found Wendy became a lady. He flew with Jane, her daughter, to Neverland.

A Simple Story

Peter Pan is a children's classic book. Other children's classic books include The Wizard of Oz, Black Beauty, and Alice in Wonderland. Those books can be read by both children and adults, for they usually have a deep meaning based on a simple story.

The story of Peter Pan is very simple and easy to understand. However, what's worth noticing is the characters in it and the detailed description of them. There are many symbols in this book. The symbols or story may not be realistic or strict. One should understand what they intended to tell when reading such books and pay attention to the very beautiful style of writing behind it.

For example, Barrie wrote "All children could have such recollections, for, having been birds before they were human, they are naturally a little wild during the first few weeks, and very itchy at the shoulders, where their wings used to be." This is intended to show that children are free and have no boundaries, just like a bird that can fly in the wild.

Children vs Adult

In the book, children are described as "gay and innocent and heartless." Peter Pan is always forgetful of things, forgetting about Hook, forgetting about time. He is always joyous and ignorant of things that had happened. For example, when he broke into the Darlings' house, he tried to glue his shadow on with soap. When Wendy sewed it for him, he thought it was him instead of Wendy that fixed his shadow. He was proud of himself claims he has never slept when Hook poisoned him. He lent Hook a hand after Hook was inferior and in a worse position than him. He never knew how to cheat.

Michael, the youngest of the children, drank his medicine when Mr. Darling refused. For his need of good form, Mr.Darling gave Nana his medicine after that and tied Nana to a tree. This ignorance and arrogance caused a lot of trouble later. This shows the cowardly side of grown-ups.

Hook and Smee are dark and bad-natured. The pirates care about good form, but the real thing is, they are afraid of facing themselves. Hook desperately tried for good form till the last moment of his life, claiming he is the only one sea cook feared. He said he wanted his son to have a claw rather than a hand, to show he is not defeated. He was trying to hunt down others all the time. He designed the fight with redskins to cheat the boys to go out. Hook clawed Peter when Peter gave him a hand.

In the book, Hook is being chased endlessly by a ticking crocodile. The clock inside shows that time of one's life is going past just every moment, and that one is always being chased and hunted down.

The boys sleep in one bed and turn together, which showed they are practically the same. They argue but are very cooperative. The pirates are not. When Hook asked others volunteer to go into the cabin where Peter Pan is they all refused. Like dogs, Hook treated the pirates. And like dogs, they showed him their fangs. When they were dying, they thought they were the last ones alive. They were not seeking help from others and lost the fight, though one to one they are stronger than the boys. Captain Hook is a symbol of many people in this world and the dark side of the author himself.

Sadness in the Loss of Childhood

This book has a deep sense of melancholy when one reads it many times. When Maimie left Peter Pan and got back to her mother, afraid of staying with him too long, she could only look across the Serpentine and never went back.

When Wendy grew up, she refused to go with Peter to Neverland. She tried to be small but couldn't anymore. The questions asked by Peter and the obvious answers behind them are very sad. When all is changed and the nursery is no longer what it was, Peter was still himself after all those years. He still had those first teeth with him, though he forgot he didn't come for a long time and all about Hook. The children all grew up, and John and Michael are no longer sleeping in the same house. Children grew to lose their flying ability and fail to believe. Growing up is a process every child goes through. The book ends with Jane being grown-up and Margaret, her daughter, flying to Neverland with Peter Pan.

Childhood symbolizes the thing one went through once but can never linger long. Ultimately, one has to grow up and be exposed to the diverse and unkind world. This is what Barrie wants to tell. This book deals with the thing everybody lost when they become old. The author remembers the "gay and innocent and heartless" feeling when he was young and detest cheating and the unfairness of adults. Childhood is so simple and pure for us as one has nothing to care about, and can always be like Peter Pan, who forgets just about everything and take no note of the passing time. Barrie wants to fly away just like Peter did and enjoy the freedom of the world. In the book, he explained flying as "being lifted by lovely thoughts." One fails to fly only when he doesn't believe anymore. He also wants a mother to care for him always, as Peter found and brought Wendy to Neverland. He expressed his thoughts with metaphors in the book. The real world disagrees with Barrie's thoughts and he puts the contradiction down in his book.

In fact, physically, J M Barrie himself is only a little taller than 5 feet and always looked like a child in his life. He is always the same. He found his life hard in society and eventually became friends with children (the Llewelyn Davies). This relationship is much more long-lasting than his marriage, and the Davies even vacationed with him. He even supported them financially. When the five children grew up, however, they aren't so close with him anymore. His relationship with them ended tragically when Davies' parents died and one of the children drowned.

The book tells stories using make-believe and narrative tone. The author expresses his thoughts in a magic world of fairies. He is melancholy for the constant changes in the real world and despises the sinister side of adults. He describes Percy Shelley in the third chapter of Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. Shelley is as grown-up as he need ever expect to be and is never exactly grown-up. He despises money except what you need for today and made a paper boat of his bank note and sent it sailing on the serpentine. This is a reflection of himself.