The Scottish writer, J.M. Barrie, created the character of Peter Pan and the story of Peter and Wendy Darling. Though the character of Peter Pan first appeared in chapters from The Little White Bird (1902) and subsequently published as “Peter Pan in Kensington Garden”(1906) it was in Barrie’s 1904 play Peter Pan, Or the Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up that the character and story fully took place.
The play premiered in London and was such a big hit, that a year later it opened in New York as well.
Barrie continually tinkered with the text of the play, the character of Peter and the overall story over the years, subsequently publishing the novel version of Peter and Wendy, now generally just known as Peter Pan, in 1911.
The script of the play was eventually published in 1928.
In this module, we will be looking at the original Barrie text of the play and novel and will explore various interpretations of this story and character and consider how this story, like Alice in Wonderland, became a staple of children’s literature and popular culture.
Where did you first encounter Peter Pan? What do you remember about the story? (Comment below)
8 thoughts on “Peter Pan”
I think the first time I had ever encountered Peter Pan was through the animated film that was released by Walt Disney at a very young age possibly at school.
A couple of characters I remember are Tinker Bell, Wendy Darling and her lovely siblings, Caption Hook, and lastly Peter Pan himself.
From what I can remember, the story begins with Peter Pan flying through the window of Wendy’s room, as her brothers and herself are amazed by his capably of flying. Peter and Tinker Bell both come from a place called Neverland, where children stay young and bring Wendy and her siblings along with him to visit but they soon miss their old life after encountering difficulties with Peter Pan’s nemesis Captain Hook.
Yes Jessica it was the same exact experience for me! The first time I encountered Peter Pan was a film version that Disney created in 1953. And then I came across the version with Jeremy Sumpter and I vividly remember thinking how I didn’t envision Peter Pan as a blonde boy.
I used to watch peter pan as a kid and I remember that peter pan took the kids ot neverland so they wouldnt grow up and be kids forver
I think the first time I encountered Peter Pan was the movie that came out in the early 2000s with Wendy and the lost boys.
My first encounter with Peter Pan was being read a picture book of peter pan and then later on I saw the Disney movie but I do not remember much of what happened.
My first encounter with Peter Pan was at a very young age I remember watching the movie probably in the early 2000s it wasn’t animated. I remember I really enjoyed it. the characters I remember are Peter Pan, tinker bell, and Captain Hook.
I was very very young when I first encountered Peter Pan and I could say I didn’t watch it a lot of times or maybe did and I don’t remember. But Peter Pan and Tinker bell are the only characters I remember.
I agree with Vlera, I can’t exactly recall watching anything Peter Pan-related, maybe I didn’t exactly like it, but only know those two characters, Tinker Bell and Peter Pan, and Captain Hook. And I never even came back to watch the films ever while growing up or even now.