Hooke
Hooke was the man who discovered cells, a very important discovery in the world of science. Later on, as a result of Hooke's discovery, it was proved that ALL LIVING THINGS are made of cells. This was really the first time that science was applied to people in and of themselves. It was a little scary for some to imagine that we were made of something small but real, and that we weren't something completely unique in the world created by a god or what have you. Indirectly, Hooke gave people cause to rethink things, to actually ask for evidence instead of just believing. He was, it could be argued, the reason that people started demanding scientific proof.
Naturally, whenever I think of Hooke I think of the story "Peter Pan." Stay with me here, I have an interesting, if totally incorrect, theory. Now, what Peter Pan represents is obviously innocence and youth, but also FANTASY, IMAGINATION, and the REALITY OF DREAMS. JM Barrie tries to convince his readers that Peter Pan is real by telling that there were stories of Peter Pan even before Wendy was there to start them. Mrs Darling, Wendy's mother, even knows the stories of Peter Pan. By giving this background, Barrie tries to say that Peter has existed outside of the world that Barrie has created for them. He was before Barrie, after Barrie... timeless, but real.
Since Hooke was the beginning of logical thinking among people possibly, since his theories first applied science to the structure and beliefs of people, he was the beginning of that nagging voice of reason, that swaggering song of science that told people not to believe in things anymore, not to have faith, except in things that could be solidly proved. That is a LOT of fairies dying, if you'll remember the story of Peter Pan with me. So is it possible that Hooke/Mr Science is Peter Pan/Imagination Wonder Boy Peter Pan's enemy for a reason? Hooke could be Hook, the iron claw hand applied to disguise the fact that the evil of Captain Hook is also the evil of an overly innovative society that only wants to progress but not to care about what is important anymore? Is it possible that all side-plots in Peter Pan are just the result of needed distractions so that the reader doesn't see as much that Faith and Magic is in a deadly battle with Science and Reason? It seems a stretch, it seems unlikely, but still...
In the end of Peter Pan, it seems as though magic and imagination triumph, because Hook indeed dies, however Hooke is long dead yet his science still holds onto the world. Peter Pan is also finally a tragedy, in that he can never be accepted into homes and families anymore since he ran from his own to escape his fate. Peter Pan is Magic, hiding so that he can never die, yet in his hiding he can hardly ever truly live again because Hooke's slashes have left scars on the world that will no longer allow Peter the following he needs to remain accepted in society. Magic has separated itself from society except in forms of religion, but even that has been turned to politics. The Wonderful Boy is left as a tragedy, with but a few escapists blind enough to cold logic to see, and Hook/Hooke triumphs as science over a world built on technology.
Naturally, whenever I think of Hooke I think of the story "Peter Pan." Stay with me here, I have an interesting, if totally incorrect, theory. Now, what Peter Pan represents is obviously innocence and youth, but also FANTASY, IMAGINATION, and the REALITY OF DREAMS. JM Barrie tries to convince his readers that Peter Pan is real by telling that there were stories of Peter Pan even before Wendy was there to start them. Mrs Darling, Wendy's mother, even knows the stories of Peter Pan. By giving this background, Barrie tries to say that Peter has existed outside of the world that Barrie has created for them. He was before Barrie, after Barrie... timeless, but real.
Since Hooke was the beginning of logical thinking among people possibly, since his theories first applied science to the structure and beliefs of people, he was the beginning of that nagging voice of reason, that swaggering song of science that told people not to believe in things anymore, not to have faith, except in things that could be solidly proved. That is a LOT of fairies dying, if you'll remember the story of Peter Pan with me. So is it possible that Hooke/Mr Science is Peter Pan/Imagination Wonder Boy Peter Pan's enemy for a reason? Hooke could be Hook, the iron claw hand applied to disguise the fact that the evil of Captain Hook is also the evil of an overly innovative society that only wants to progress but not to care about what is important anymore? Is it possible that all side-plots in Peter Pan are just the result of needed distractions so that the reader doesn't see as much that Faith and Magic is in a deadly battle with Science and Reason? It seems a stretch, it seems unlikely, but still...
In the end of Peter Pan, it seems as though magic and imagination triumph, because Hook indeed dies, however Hooke is long dead yet his science still holds onto the world. Peter Pan is also finally a tragedy, in that he can never be accepted into homes and families anymore since he ran from his own to escape his fate. Peter Pan is Magic, hiding so that he can never die, yet in his hiding he can hardly ever truly live again because Hooke's slashes have left scars on the world that will no longer allow Peter the following he needs to remain accepted in society. Magic has separated itself from society except in forms of religion, but even that has been turned to politics. The Wonderful Boy is left as a tragedy, with but a few escapists blind enough to cold logic to see, and Hook/Hooke triumphs as science over a world built on technology.