Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie takes place in a magical land where children never grow up. The island of Neverland is the home of Peter Pan, the Lost Boys, and their friends. Peter Pan and the Lost Boys live in a world where they are children forever, physically and mentally. Neverland is an island full of adventure, with pirates, Indians, and mermaids. In J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, Peter Pan and the Lost Boys engage in imaginative play in the way they interact with Neverland as a magical, uncharted land where they are free to explore and play forever, capturing the power of a child’s imagination in the absence of adults.
Neverland is an adult free island, buzzing with children whose imagination’s run wild. Children remain children forever on the island because it is against the rules of Neverland to grow up. The narrator in Peter Pan explains the way Peter runs the island, “The boys on the island vary, of course, in numbers, according as they get killed and so on; and when they seem to be growing up, which is against the rules, Peter thins them out; but at this time there were six of them, counting the twins as two” (1911, chapter 5). The element of not being able to age within Neverland could suggest that Barrie believes that as adults grow older, they lose their childlike imagination because they are concerned with many other things. Shipley (2012) explains, “In refusing to grow up, Peter and the Lost Boys are also refusing the heterosexual role assignment of the ‘real world,’ the world where they would have to marry women and produce children” (154). Adults become preoccupied with the stresses of life and responsibilities, no longer having time to play or go on enchanting adventures, which is why Peter Pan refuses to grow up.
Peter Pan and the Lost Boys engage in imaginative play everyday through many different types of adventures. Barrie emphasizes the boy’s daily activities by writing, “Adventures, of course, as we shall see, were of daily occurrence…” (Chapter 7). Adventures in Neverland consisted of running away from the pirates, planning sneak attacks on the Indians, and playing games with the mermaids in the lagoons. Dramatic play also happens often within the Lost Boys home. They live in a cave with seven different entrances made out of hollowed out trees, which became a strategic place for the Lost Boys to hide from Captain Hook. Peter Pan’s life in Neverland is so involved with adventure and imaginative play that the lines between play and reality are almost blurred. Filimon (2013) believes that Peter Pan, “plays make-believe on the Neverland, but he conflates make-believe and reality, to the extent that “make-believe and true were exactly the same thing” (229). Peter Pan and the Lost Boy’s lives are so filled daily with playful adventures, which makes it challenging to determine what is pretend and what is real. However, Wendy and her brothers are able to discern between this fantasy world based on make-believe and reality because they have not lived in Neverland forever. They have their life at home to compare Neverland to.
Neverland, the home of Peter Pan and the Lost Boys, is a place of eternal imaginative play. This land gives the children the freedom to dream big and use their imagination to their fullest potential. Shipley describes Neverland as a place where, “childhood dreams live forever”(158). There are no responsibilities within Neverland, and only one rule: Children never grow up. Peter Pan and the Lost Boys exhibit this playful life through their adventures throughout Neverland.
Work Cited
Barrie, J.M.. Peter Pan. Lit2Go Edition. 1911. Web. <http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/86/peter-pan/>. December 8, 2014.
Filimon, Eliza Claudia. "Forever At Play In J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan." Studia Universitatis Petru Maior - Philologia 14 (2013): 225-
230. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 8 Dec. 2014.
Shipley, Heather E. "Fairies, Mermaids, Mothers, And Princesses: Sexual Difference And Gender Roles In Peter Pan." Studies In
Gender & Sexuality 13.2 (2012): 145-159. Academic Search Premier. Web. 8 Dec. 2014.
Neverland is an adult free island, buzzing with children whose imagination’s run wild. Children remain children forever on the island because it is against the rules of Neverland to grow up. The narrator in Peter Pan explains the way Peter runs the island, “The boys on the island vary, of course, in numbers, according as they get killed and so on; and when they seem to be growing up, which is against the rules, Peter thins them out; but at this time there were six of them, counting the twins as two” (1911, chapter 5). The element of not being able to age within Neverland could suggest that Barrie believes that as adults grow older, they lose their childlike imagination because they are concerned with many other things. Shipley (2012) explains, “In refusing to grow up, Peter and the Lost Boys are also refusing the heterosexual role assignment of the ‘real world,’ the world where they would have to marry women and produce children” (154). Adults become preoccupied with the stresses of life and responsibilities, no longer having time to play or go on enchanting adventures, which is why Peter Pan refuses to grow up.
Peter Pan and the Lost Boys engage in imaginative play everyday through many different types of adventures. Barrie emphasizes the boy’s daily activities by writing, “Adventures, of course, as we shall see, were of daily occurrence…” (Chapter 7). Adventures in Neverland consisted of running away from the pirates, planning sneak attacks on the Indians, and playing games with the mermaids in the lagoons. Dramatic play also happens often within the Lost Boys home. They live in a cave with seven different entrances made out of hollowed out trees, which became a strategic place for the Lost Boys to hide from Captain Hook. Peter Pan’s life in Neverland is so involved with adventure and imaginative play that the lines between play and reality are almost blurred. Filimon (2013) believes that Peter Pan, “plays make-believe on the Neverland, but he conflates make-believe and reality, to the extent that “make-believe and true were exactly the same thing” (229). Peter Pan and the Lost Boy’s lives are so filled daily with playful adventures, which makes it challenging to determine what is pretend and what is real. However, Wendy and her brothers are able to discern between this fantasy world based on make-believe and reality because they have not lived in Neverland forever. They have their life at home to compare Neverland to.
Neverland, the home of Peter Pan and the Lost Boys, is a place of eternal imaginative play. This land gives the children the freedom to dream big and use their imagination to their fullest potential. Shipley describes Neverland as a place where, “childhood dreams live forever”(158). There are no responsibilities within Neverland, and only one rule: Children never grow up. Peter Pan and the Lost Boys exhibit this playful life through their adventures throughout Neverland.
Work Cited
Barrie, J.M.. Peter Pan. Lit2Go Edition. 1911. Web. <http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/86/peter-pan/>. December 8, 2014.
Filimon, Eliza Claudia. "Forever At Play In J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan." Studia Universitatis Petru Maior - Philologia 14 (2013): 225-
230. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 8 Dec. 2014.
Shipley, Heather E. "Fairies, Mermaids, Mothers, And Princesses: Sexual Difference And Gender Roles In Peter Pan." Studies In
Gender & Sexuality 13.2 (2012): 145-159. Academic Search Premier. Web. 8 Dec. 2014.