believe in fairies, i do, i do!

I do believe in Fairies! (Fantasy Lit recommendation)

“All children, except one, grow up” (page 7). While the story of Peter Pan is fairly well known, thanks to Walt Disney, there are plenty of details and subtleties left out of the cartoon. For this reason, and because it is my favorite book after Harry Potter, I believe that everyone should read the actual book Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie. And with the fantastical trip two stars to the right and straight on till morning to the magical Neverland, this story certainly fits into the category of ‘fantasy literature.’

My favorite passage from the book is also my favorite argument for imagination and creativity: “for the Neverland is always more or less and island, with astonishing splashes of color here and there, and coral reefs and rakish looking craft in the offing…” (11). Barrie’s description goes on for paragraphs, as he describes Michael, John, and Wendy’s individual Neverlands, and compares and contrasts them. At the end of the description he says “On these magic shores children at play are beaching their coracles. We too have been there; we can still hear the sound of the surf, though we shall land no more” (12). I find this to be a very powerful observation on creativity and childhood, as really the whole book is such an observation.

With details like the kind-hearted Neverbird, the vicious mermaids (true to mermaid lore), the house they built around Wendy, and the underlying tension of possible romance between Peter and Wendy, the story of Peter Pan is much deeper and darker than Walt would have us believe. The story is a critique on childhood, on believing in magic, and on growing up and losing that childhood wonder. It is a literal case of characters experiencing fantasy to better understand the real world. It is also a bit of a tragedy, as exhibited when the children return home to the overjoy of their parents. “There could not have been a lovelier sight; but there was none to see it except a little boy who was staring in at the window. He had ecstasies innumerable that other children can never know; but he was looking through the window at the one joy from which he must be for ever barred” (147). Peter Pan gets to fly around and have adventures with mermaids and pirates. He never has to grow up, go to school, and get a boring job in the world. But it comes at a cost. He will be forever alone. That seems to be a profound statement in and of itself: if you refuse to grow up, you will be very lonely. I would argue that with this story, Barrie is arguing that while all children must grow up eventually, we should always remember not to loose our childhood wonder. We should not forget the magic in the world. J.K. Rowling may have made it popular to believe in magic again, but J.M. Barrie is the one who asked us to believe in fairies.





http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/peter-pan-j-m-barrie/1007393899?ean=9781593082130