Refusing to Clap for Tinkerbell

[ursulav]

It’s the 100th anniversary of the publication of Peter Pan, or something like it, and I spent an hour this morning listening to panelists on NPR sing its praises.

I would like to take a moment now to say that I hated Peter Pan as a child.

Still am not a big fan, honestly. I have mellowed and can appreciate it as a piece of literature of the era,

Comments

[bunnyjadwiga]

As a kid, I liked Peter Pan as a period piece and as a story about the appeal of charming, feckless men to motherly women (yes, by 9 I had figured this out; it didn't help, but I understood it).

But then I didn't want to grow up, either. To me, growing up sounded like the same horror that was childhood, with extra responsibility for yourself and everything else. You didn't even get summers off. You had to drive a car (only a few steps safer than Russian Roulette, in my mind), have a job, pay bills, make decisions... my vision of growing up was as grim as A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich.

I don't know how many kids who liked Peter Pan had the same feelings, though.

[3rdragon]

Yes, THIS (about growing up). Grownups were busy and stressed and had to work long hours even in the summer and never did fun things or had time to read books and had to do taxes and . . . *deep breath*

I NEVER wanted to grow up. I accepted that I would grow older. But I was pretty sure that I could avoid growing up (though I'd probably have to file taxes and work in the summer, unless I became a teacher) as long as I stayed in the right mindset. I'm not sure that it worked -- but I still don't feel like a grownup.

While I didn't hate Peter Pan, I didn't especially like it, either. It was just one of those books that someone read to me, not one of the Important Parts Of My Childhood. Looking back on it now, I think that it had the Snow White Problem, not that I could've articulated it at the time

[duae]

I have the vaguely fond memories of the Disney movie in that it had sword fighting and pirates and that was neat, and I think I had the very firm idea that Peter Pan was a cartoon and toons did not grow up like people any more than they went to the bathroom like people. So the whole never-grow-up thing was ridiculous and I simply ignored it the same way I ignored the whole Pluto and Goofy thing.

I do, however, have one very strong memory of getting in trouble in elementary school because I refused to say anything other than "And liberty and justice for all, except kids" every morning at the pledge of allegiance because you can't tell a kid they have no option but to chant something inside a building when they'd rather be outside, and also tell them everyone has liberty and justice. I think I eventually compromised on "Liberty and justice for adults" since that was close enough not to fight over.

[marielaf]

Amen. Amen. Amen.

[silvercat17]

I love Peter Pan (actually I love JM Barrie...), but Peter is *not* a hero. If anybody in the story is, it's Wendy. Peter is "innocent and heartless" - in other words, Barrie was quite aware that children are self-centered - and Peter is the worst of them all since no one can teach him better. Peter didn't want to grow up because he didn't want responsibility, and since he lived in Neverland, he didn't have to go to school and all the other things that makes childhood suck.

(And yes, Hook is probably the most interesting character, something I think JM Barrie would agree with, since he did a very interesting speech about Hook at Eton.)

Just so you know, I'm trying not to lose respect for you over this. ;p

[cattraine]

I enjoyed being a kid running wild on the farm with my animals, but I found school to be horrible--the kids were quite savage and cruel when it came to bullying someone quiet and shy (i.e. me). Recently when I was invited to a reunion I wrote back and flatly told them they couldn't pay me enough to spend time with the people that made my life HELL for YEARS.