1: title
• J.M. Barrie titled the novel, Peter Pan because the entirety of the plot revolves around the boy who never grows up and whose whole world is make-believe. Early on in the story, the audience is informed of the influence Peter Pan had on Mrs. Darling, the children’s mother, when she was a child. In addition, at the conclusion of Peter Pan, the tradition through the generations of Peter visiting Wendy’s family carries on.
• “There never was a simpler happier family until the coming of Peter Pan” (Barrie 6).
Section 2: Plot
• The exposition of the plot opens by explaining how, even at the young age of two, Wendy knew she was going to grow up- everyone had to grow up. This introduction foreshadows the event of Peter Pan, the only boy who never grows up, entering the life of Wendy. The exposition of the plot informs the place in which Mrs. Darling, Wendy’s mother, and the rest of her family reside. Also, the audience receives some background on Mrs. Darling, suggesting that Wendy’s mother withholds some unknown mystery The exposition builds up to the rising action of the plot through a series of events. The children mention Peter Pan to Mrs. Darling who initially doubts them, but soon has suspicions. Mrs. and Mr. Darling attend a party, leaving the children somewhat unguarded in which Peter takes the chance to retrieve his shadow.
• “Of course they lived at 14…She was a lovely lady, with a romantic mind and such a sweet mocking mouth.” (Barrie 1).
• The story, Peter Pan truly begins when Peter invades the children’s room . This event is what starts the adventures that Wendy, John, and Michael experience in Neverland. Peter breaks in to the children’s room to steal his shadow back, in return, waking the children. They meet Peter, who teaches them how to fly, and Tinker Bell who does not hide her jealous behavior. Peter urges the children to come back to Neverland with him, especially because he and The Lost Boys want a mother, which would be Wendy’s role.
• “The smallest of all the stars in the Milky Way screamed out: ‘Now Peter!’” (Barrie 25).
• The climax of Peter Pan is when Peter jumps to rescue Wendy but reaches to take his medicine first, which he does not believe is poisoned by Hook. Tink quickly ingests the medicine to save Peter from harm. She gets very ill and seems as though she will die when she thinks of a possible solution. By everyone believing and clapping, Tinker Bell was revived, and Peter was off to save Wendy.
• “Her voice was so low that at first he could not make out what she said. Then he made it out. She was saying that she thought she could get well again if children believed in fairies” (Barrie 148).
• During the rescue of Wendy and The Lost Boys Peter, unknowingly, but cleverly led the crocodile to Captain Hook. The crocodile is one among very few fears of Hook, and the crocodile would end the fight, thus solving the war between Peter and Captain Hook.
• “It was the terrible tick tick of the crocodile” (Barrie 161).
Section 3: Memorable Passage
• This passage is memorable because the event that occurs displays how Peter, like most children, believes the world should be fair. However, since Peter never grows up, he is always a child; he never develops the realization that the world is not fair. Peter recovers from the event quickly, while such an event would stick with any other child. Peter Pan keeps a naïve perspective on life.
• “He gave the pirate a hand to help him up. It was then that Hook bit him. Not the pain of this but its unfairness was what dazed Peter. It made him quite helpless. He could only stare, horrified. Every child is affected thus the first time he is treated unfairly. All he thinks he has a right to is when he comes to you to be yours is fairness. After you have been unfair to him he will love you again, but will never afterwards be quite the same boy. No one ever gets over the first unfairness; no one except Peter. He often met it, but he always forgot it. I suppose that was the real difference between him and all the rest” (Barrie 102).
Section 4: Mood/tone
• One mood/ tone of Peter Pan that is prevalent throughout the novel is fearlessness. Fearlessness is flaunted from beginning to end. While reading, the author creates a feeling that any mission or task is possible. From the moment that Peter arrives in the children’s room and convinces them to fly to Neverland, fearlessness is displayed.
• “…Wendy had never seen the lagoon by moonlight, less from fear, for of course Peter would have accompanied her, than because she had strict rules about everyone being in bed by seven” (Barrie 90).
Section 5: Theme
• One of multiple themes of J.M. Barrie’s novel is experiencing adventure and facing the unknown.
• The big conflict in Peter Pan is the trouble that Captain Hook and his pirates bring to Neverland. Peter has a goal of defeating Hook himself. Leading up to the finale of the novel, which displays the theme in itself, the children experience adventure every day and live in the moment. They explore, fly, fight pirates, and experience a true make-believe world. The quote expresses how the children are aware of what they are currently experiencing but are welcoming such experience and adventure face-on.
• “The difference between him and the other boys at such a time was that they knew it was make-believe, while to him make-believe and true were exactly the same thing” (Barrie 75).
Section 6: Different ending/resolution
• Peter Pan leads the crocodile to Captain Hook to end the fight once and for all. However, for a slight moment, Peter is distracted by Wendy and the boys who are struggling holding their own. Within a split second, Hook kills the crocodile and regains his momentum. Peter and his crew flee for safety. Peter was never able to kill Hook; Neverland is now reigned by the evil Captain, and outside visitors would be less than stupid to come into Neverland. The tradition of Wendy’s family descendants visiting Neverland cease to exist, and once the children return home, their adventures are never to be spoken of.
• “At last Hook had got the boon for which he craved. ‘Bad form,’ he cried jeeringly, and went content to the crocodile” (Barrie 174).
• “As you look at Wendy, you may see her hair becoming white, and her figure little again, for all this happened long ago. Jane is now a common grown-up, with a daughter called Margaret; and every spring cleaning time, except when he forgets, Peter comes for Margaret and takes her to Neverland, where she tells him stories about himself, to which he listens eagerly. When Margaret grows up she will have a daughter, who is to be Peter’s mother in turn; and thus it will go on, so long as children are gay and innocent and heartless” (Barrie 200).
Section 7: Minor Character
One of the first characters introduced in the story of Peter Pan is Mrs. Darling, the mother of Wendy and her brothers. She is minor to the overall plot of Barrie’s novel, but significant to the exposition of the story.
• Mrs. Darling seems to have a mystery about her that no one in her family can seem to fully uncover.
• “Her romantic mind was like the tiny boxes, one within the other, that come from the puzzling East, however many you discover there is always one more; and her sweet mocking mouth had one kiss on it that Wendy could never get, though there it was, perfectly conspicuous in the right-hand corner” (Barrie 1).
• She has lightness to her, a positive, happy persona that Mr. Darling does not acquire.
• “And gayest of all was Mrs. Darling, who would pirouette so wildly that all you could see of her was the kiss, and then if you had dashed at her you might have got it” (Barrie 6).
• Although somewhat spunky and child-like, Mrs. Darling is also extremely caring and motherly by providing such comfort.
• “It happened to be Nana’s evening off, and Mrs. Darling had bathed them and sung to them, till one by one they had let go her hand and slid away into the land of sleep”(Barrie 11).
• Mrs. Darling proves to be secretive along with her mysterious aura that she reserves. When Peter lost his shadow in the Darling house.
• “She decided to roll the shadow up and put it away carefully in a drawer, until a fitting opportunity came for telling her husband” (Barrie 14).
• In a state of Mr. Darling’s frenzy, Mrs. Darling shows her calm demeanor while fixing his tie for the party that the couple was going to attend.
• “Even then Mrs. Darling was placid, ‘Let me try, dear,’…” (Barrie 17).
Section 8: Cover
• The original Peter Pan cover shows a picture of the children, Tinker Bell, and Peter Pan. The setting appears to be before the main voyage to Neverland takes place when Peter is teaching Wendy and her brothers how to fly. The original cover only displays an event in the story. The new cover displays the overall theme that I chose to represent the novel, experiencing adventure and facing the unknown. Peter, Tink, and the children are looking out to a vast sea and world expecting newness and awaiting adventure.
Section 9:
• Yes, I would recommend to people of all ages to read Peter Pan. Unlike many classic novels, this one is entertaining and a breeze to read. Also, I would recommend reading the book because most people know the story of Peter Pan from the movie, but much more context comes from reading the plot rather than watching the events. Throughout reading the novel, one feels adventure, magic, and attachment to the characters which makes reading the book enjoyable.
• “‘And I know you meant to be kind,’ she said, relenting, ‘so you may give me a kiss.’ For a moment, she had forgotten his ignorance about kisses. ‘I thought you would want it back,’ he said a little bitterly, and offered to return her the thimble.‘Oh dear,’ said the nice Wendy, ‘I don’t mean a kiss, I mean a thimble’” (Barrie 35).
• I like this part in the novel because this event shows Peter’s child-like naivety even though in Neverland he is an important authority. Somewhat arrogant and cocky, Peter Pan truly does not know everything there is to know
• “Tink was not all bad; or, rather, she was all bad just now, but on the other hand, sometimes she was all good (Barrie 53).
• This quote comes from the part where jealous Tinker Bell leads Wendy off to get her killed because of her relationship with Peter. In the moment of reading, the event is extremely frustrating because the children have just arrived in Neverland, and fairies, in my mind, should be positive and uplifting, not malicious.
Section 10: Works Cited
• Barrie, J M. Peter Pan. Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division, 1911.