Broken Fragments of Immortality: Why People Will Always Love Peter Pan

Author/Creator

Author/Creator ORCID

Date

2014

Department

Theatre

Program

Bachelor's Degree

Citation of Original Publication

Rights

Collection may be protected under Title 17 of the U.S. Copyright Law. To obtain information or permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the Goucher Special Collections & Archives at 410-337-6347 or email archives@goucher.edu.

Abstract

I wrote this paper for the senior Theater seminar, a two-semester long project where senior Theater majors choose, study and produce a show. We chose J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan, and I focused my research paper around the psychological foundations of the show, specifically the importance of fairy tales in children's development. I was, and continue to be, struck by the general feeling that Peter Pan is purely a happy, fantastical piece. It is not. After a year of studying the play, Barrie, the characters, and the history of all the above, I have grown to appreciate Peter Pan in a way I never would have otherwise. I also feel that I know Peter more intimately than most, and I hope to share my insight with you via this paper, which is, I must stress, only a tiny chip into what could be a very extensive argument. I do wish to say that although my paper talks mainly about the dark sides of Peter, I think he is a crucial figure and that I love the show for what it is, good and bad aspects aside.