Cultural Context
1.) To what extent is this story a product of its time (early 20th century) and place (London)?
2) How does the time period of this novel show Barrie grappling with the changing gender notes of the time? Could they have been believable if in a different decade?
3.) Do the mythic or cultural traditions of Britain play a part in this novel? Would some of the conflicts (such as Mr Darling's anxieties about keeping up appearances; or Hook's obsession with "good form") mean the same thing if this novel were set in a different time or place?
Themes:
1.) Is there a hero? If so, what is Barrie saying about the nature of heroism?
2.) How does Barrie, in comparison to the other authors we’ve read, address growing up and self-understanding?
3.) How does Barrie address the role of women and men; motherhood and fatherhood? (Consider, for example, the lost boys, Tinker Bell and Tiger Lily.) How do female characters such as Wendy and Mrs Darling compare with Lyra and Mrs. Coulter?
Style:
1.) What kind of narrator tells the story of Peter Pan? How does this narrator differ from those in our hero/fantasy texts? To what extent does the narrator claim to invent, and to what extent report the story?
2.) Is Peter Pan a bed story, a novel about bedtime stories, or both? Refer especially to Ch. 2 and 18. How does the text mirror oral story telling experiences?
3.) Does the style suggest a story exclusively for children? Or does it anticipate an adult audience as well?
Genre
1.) How does genre impact theme, tone, characters in Peter Pan?
2.) What kinds of effects on audience can take place from one performance vs. another?
3.) While the play Peter Pan was originally performed expressly for children, do you think the same can be said for the novel?
4) To what degree is the reader’s imaginative agency liberated or restricted by viewing the story as a play, which is ultimately one person (the director)'s vision?
Biographical approaches to the novel
1.) Barrie had difficulty sustaining relationships with women. Do you see his representation of women informed in any way by this personal experience?
2.) As a child, Barrie reputedly dressed in his dead brother's clothes, in a bid for his mother's attention. Do you see any connections between death and a refusal to grow up in Peter Pan?
3.) Barrie originally asked the director of Peter Pan to cast Mrs Darling (not Mr Darling) in the role of Hook. What does this detail reveal about Barrie's interpretation of Mrs Darling and of Hook?
***************************************************************************************
Interested in seeing the play for yourself? Fort Worth's own Casa Manana will be staging Peter Pan starting at the end of April. See this link for more information on times and prices. (Thanks, Allison, for letting us know about this!)
14 years ago
