Peter and Wendy

 

First sentence: All children, except one grew up.

Last sentence: When Margaret grows up she will have a daughter, who is to be Peter's mother in turn; and so it will go on, so long as children are gay and innocent and heartless.

Hearing reviews from other mothers who have been reading this children's classic to their children, I was taken back at the kind of details they were describing. Yes, I knew the book would not be the same as the movie, but the level of violence I found somewhat disturbing for a children's classic. Not to mention, the underlying malice towards mothers. Aside from the 'Flying Adventures and Adventures in Neverland', (what child wouldn't love to fly and play as pirates or Indians), the level of violence (Tinker Bell wanting to harm/possibly kill Wendy), all the killing the Lost Boys and Pan do throughout the book all this comes down to: Could this killing and malice towards mothers, (the above italics of 'heartless' children) be some type of reverse psychology to not be violent and not take your mother for granted (parents for that matter)?

Having four children myself, I've found myself wondering more than a few times like Wendy, "Oh, dear oh dear,' cried Wendy, "I'm sure I sometimes think spinsters are to be envied". Through out the book as Wendy takes care of the Lost Boys, like a mother would and since they never knew how a mother's love felt, by telling them that "IF you knew how great a mother's Love is", as she told them triumphantly, " you would have NO fear.", because she knew, "that the mother (specifically their mother, and a good mother) would always leave the window open for her children to fly back by."

And Barrie is quick to point this out, that, "ALL children know this about mothers." They know it is a mother's duty to love and care for their children. Towards the end of the story, as the Lost Boys are set to walk the plank, Wendy says her last words as mothers, "Hope our sons will die like English Gentelmen." and Tootles replies, "I am going to do what my mother hopes." (pg.125) 

My favorite part is as Barrie narrates the coming home of the children in advance noting all the things Mrs. Darling does, and how matter of factly says, "it would serve Wendy, Michael and John, jolly well right if they came back and found their parents were spending the weekend in the country?" Oh how many times I've felt like 'flying the coop' myself. Take a weekend off and leave my children to fend for themselves, (I've always made sure they were looked after, but I have found a little time away, once in a great while is good for both parents and children)

And so my final thoughts somewhat mirror that of Barrie, in looking on Mrs. Darling...

"a very sad-eyed woman, now that we look at her closely and remember the gaiety of her in the old days, all gone now just because she lost her babies, I find I won't be able to say nasty things about her after all. If she was too fond of her 'rubbishy children' she couldn't help it" (pg.142)

I wouldn't call my children 'rubbishy' when they misbehave or take me for granted, even when they were younger before they grew up. Just like the last line from the book, while children are gay, and innocent, I wouldn't quite put it that they were heartless, more like thoughtless and needing a moral lesson about not taking their mothers for granted. So, all the time spent in 'Neverland', the children see who Pan truly is, and how Pan represents children who don't grow up what it's like to live in 'Neverland' and not have a mother, and learn the moral lesson 'All children grow up, except Pan". I would even go so far as to suggest that Barrie himself, did not want to grow up, and relating to this I believe Disney felt the same way. That adults have this similar feeling of 'wishing' they didn't have to adult today; of wanting to be a child at heart, and taking this to heart, became the framework of Disneyland. Where adults could leave the real world behind them and enter the gates of imagination and adventure. 

 This novel satisfies A Children's Classic for the Back to the Classics 2021 Challenge.