'Peter Pan & Wendy' on Disney+: The dark story behind JM Barrie's iconic fictional character
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Cinema has been forever changed by Disney's contribution. The media conglomerate has created dreamlike stories that even adults wish were true. Now, as cinema enters the phase of live-action remakes, another Disney gem is making its way into the genre, and that's our beloved children's favorite, Peter Pan, with the new Disney+ film, 'Peter Pan and Wendy.' But just as there are two sides to everything, there is a tragic side to the story of Peter Pan. There are many animated films inspired by mental illness and tragic events.
Peter Pan is a fictional character by Scottish writer and playwright JM Barrie. Peter Pan is a free-spirited and mischievous boy who can fly and never grows up. He spends his childhood on the mystical island of Neverland, where he has adventures as the leader of the Lost Boys, and occasionally meets normal children from the world outside Neverland.
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A tough childhood inspired Peter Pan's character
JM Barrie's tragic childhood led to a creation that was part of many childhoods around the world. James M Barrie had a difficult childhood. When he was just 6 years old, his older brother David, who was the perfect child for the family, had an accident while skating and hit his head when he collided with another skater. David fractured his skull and died before he turned 14. After David's death, James was traumatized, but even more than he, their mother Margaret was devastated and fell into deep depression. Margaret herself had lost her mother when she was only 8 years old, and cared for her siblings from a young age. Feeling that she'd never be able to enjoy her childhood, Margaret consoled herself with the belief that her dead son would never grow up because he died at 13 and thus didn't have to go through a difficult childhood. This story and belief are said to have inspired James to write a story about a boy who never ages and lives in a happy world. Perhaps the character of Peter Pan was about giving justice, or rather a life, to James' brother David.
Peter Pan first appeared in Barrie's novel 'The Little White Bird'
The first mention of Peter Pan is in James' first novel, 'The Little White Bird.' In this novel, the elements are a bit creepy and have many ominous undertones about them. The novel is about an unnamed narrator who makes up a false story about his son's death. But then the narrator starts ingratiating himself with Mary, the mother of a little boy named David, whom the narrator is attached to and wants to take away. To lure the child, the narrator then tells a story about a week-old baby, Peter Pan, who can fly and will always be a child. After reading the novel, the public seemed to love the Peter Pan part, which led James to write an entire play about the stories of Peter Pan, which was then written by James under the title 'The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up' and the subsequent 1911 novel about the same character. After that, Peter Pan was adapted countless times in TV shows and movies. The latest film is 'Peter Pan and Wendy,' premiered April 23 exclusively on Disney+.