Peter Pan Dystopian Novel

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Sir James M. Barrie wrote a dystopian novel detailing the life a young boy that goes by the name of Peter Pan. Peter Pan is a character that everyone regards as this mischievous little boy, who never wants to grow up and always wants to have fun due to the many adaptations of this novel. These views are distorted by Barrie as he uses Peter Pan as a way to discuss the values of London society at the time of the novel’s conception. In Sir James M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, Peter commits several dystopian transgressions or acts that would be unacceptable in normal society because Peter Pan disrespects the adults in his life, Peter commits many acts of violences or recklessness, and most of all Peter does not want to grow up and become a man. Peter …show more content…

Peter Pan heard his parents talking about his future as a man which led to Peter’s idea that “[he wants] always to be a little boy and to have fun. So [he] ran away to Kensington Gardens and lived … among the fairies” (Barrie 42). Peter has lived ageless for a for an undefined amount of time without the influence of a parental figure which is why “he never learned right from wrong or ever understood that his actions have consequences” (Burton). The fact that he never learned the consequences of his actions and never had rules contributes to his distortion of reality. “[To Peter] make-believe and true were the exact same thing” (Barrie 102) which is due to the fact that he never ages and he will always be allowed to make-believe. Peter will always be able to pretend because he lives in a world where he has no responsibilities. For this reason Peter never fully understands the concept of death, which is why Peter believes that “to die will be an awfully great adventure” (Barrie 143). Peter commits the ultimate dystopian transgression in being the embodiment of eternal youth. The society of London felt that men were supposed to grow up and become working men while women were supposed to grow up and care for the children. Peter defies all notions of this by living forever in the body of a

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